Motor Australia — January 2018

(Martin Jones) #1

d motorofficial f motor_mag^21


We’d like to see HSV


take on the ZB Commodore


if only for the sake of our


own curiosity


CADDY SHACK-UP


ONE OF the main problems the
new top-spec Commodore faces is
that it’s hard to get muscle-car fans
excited about a V6, but we think the
Cadillac ATS-V’s roaring twin-turbo
3.6-litre donk could change some
minds. With a hefty 346kW it can
launch the Caddy to 100km/h in
less than five seconds, which we
think should be plenty quick enough
for the new Commo. Oh, and we’re
going to need it to hook up to the
six-speed manual.

THE LION’S ROAR


As we’ve seen with the likes of the
Stinger, a dull exhaust note and
engine sound can turn potential
buyers straight off. Also like the
Stinger, we’d like to see an Oz-only
exhaust courtesy of HSV’s top men.
Not that the ATS-V’s note isn’t
already lovely.

SERIOUSLY BIASED


Getting to grips with an all-wheel
drive Commodore might take some
getting used to, unless HSV can
tweak the ZB’s Twinster system to
inject a Focus RS-style rear bias.
Still, MOTOR is going to miss HSVs
smoking the rears.

FIX UP, LOOK SHARP


Not to say that the new
Commodore is a bad looker, but
it’s hardly as muscular as the likes
of the VF Series II. And, as we’re
talking HSV here, it’d need to live up
to the aggro aesthetic a muscle car
should exude. Black accents, mesh
grilles, and rear wing – tick.

DEAL OR NO DEAL


We’re getting into uncharted
territory here, as we’ve only just
discovered how much the new
Commodore will sell for. However,
given the ZB VXR lists for $55,990,
it’s tough to imagine an engine-
swapped, powered-up HSV version
listing for less than $70,000.

Here’s how


we’d do it




Free download pdf