66 WheelsMag.com.au
six’s power delivery that never feels
as natural. It won’t rev as freely as the
blown V8, as if its ECU is trying to dial
back boost pressure – even with 370kW
available when overboost is cranking – and
it doesn’t sound as characterful, either,
unless you prefer a whooshy soundtrack.
Yet it remains super-strong and beautifully
smooth, overlaid with lush exhaust blurting
on upshifts, and some turbo whistle for
good measure. And there’s always its
80-120km/h time to fall back on which, at
2.5sec, is identical to the XR8’s.
Holden’s strident 304kW V8 Commodore
might not have the on-paper muscularity of
the Fords, or their rolling-start ferocity
- clocking 80-120km/h in 3.0sec – but it’s
an extremely faithful and consistently
strong performer. Off-the-line purchase is
much less of a black art and it’s actually
the quickest car here to 50km/h (by one
tenth over both XRs), but thereafter it
gradually concedes ground to the XR8.
Yet who can seriously argue with 4.93sec
to 100km/h and a 13.07sec quarter from a
$55K automatic sedan?
And no one could complain about the
way today’s VF Series II V8 sounds. I began
my Wheels career driving Gen III-engined
VTIIs and VXs that were relatively weak
at the bottom end and way too quiet
everywhere, which is something you could
never say about this 6.2-litre LS3. Right
foot flat, it trumpets a bent-eight bellow
into the cabin while thrilling bystanders
and passengers alike with its fruity,
crackle-laden, quad-exhaust note. And
every time you back off the throttle, there’s
a hint of overrun crackle as well. GM will
need to perform some serious R&D surgery
on this car’s twin-turbo V6 successor if it’s
ever going to get close to this.
Given the XR6 Sprint’s auto-only status,
we chose automatic versions of the XR8
Sprint and SS-V Redline for this test.
All are six-speeders that have since been
retired in other markets – long ago in the
case of the German-made ZF auto fitted to
up-spec Falcons since 2005’s BF update.
Back then, the ZF six-speed lent its poshcredentials to high-end Euros like the
Audi A8 and Jaguar’s XJ and XK, but they
upgraded to eight ratios long ago, leaving
the Aussie Fords with a smooth yet ageing
transmission that neither matches revs on
downshifts nor offers flappy paddles.
The Commodore also relies on a decade-
old six-speed auto, GM’s 6L80E that
debuted on VE. But it has received several
refinements over the years, including a
significant recalibration and downshift
rev-matching to coincide with the VE
Ute intro in 2007, and steering-wheel
paddles on VFII in 2015. Because of these
improvements, it’s a more versatile ’box
than the ZF, and a more cohesive match
to the LS3 V8, with a more effective ratio
spread, particularly for track work or
really tight roads.
The forced-induction Falcons are
significantly taller-geared than the atmo
Commodore, but with a rev ceiling of
6700rpm versus 6250rpm, the Holden can
stretch its shorter legs further to almost
match the Fords’ speeds in first gear.Ford’s turbo six is super-strong and smooth,
overlaid with lush upshift exhaust blurting