Grunt Up Front
Newcastle Herald
Saturday September 25, 1999
WHEN you think about it, it all comes down to size, and that is what blokes have been arguing about for years.
The `mine's bigger than yours' thing has been happening for decades and gets worse every time a car maker comes out with a new set of wheels.
Up until three months ago the fellows who thought size was everything were content with five litres of V8 muscle.
Not any more, not if they want the biggest thing Holden has to offer.
In June this year Holden did three closely linked things that changed the character of cooking model Commodores forever.
First, it announced the bigger, brighter, bolder, better (that's paraphrasing their press release, by the way, and not necessarily our point of view) Series Two VT Commodore.
At the same time it announced that the Aussie-made 5.0-litre V8 was no more, killed off because it could not meet future emission rules.
Then, to stop the lips of Holden V8 buffs everywhere from trembling and to ease the rush of tears from their eyes, the company said it would replace 5000cc of Australian iron with 5700cc of American muscle. The same engine that has helped
Continued on Page 56
From Page 49
Chevy gives all up front
Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros power down the highways and byways of the good old US of A, no less.
Bigger in size, bigger in terms of absolute grunt.
Consider the numbers. The `ordinary' 3.8-litre V6 manages a not-unhealthy 147kW at 5200rpm and 304Nm at 3600rpm. The defunct 5.0-litre made either 179kW at 4800rpm and 400Nm at 3600rpm or 195kW and 430Nm at 5200rpm and 3600rpm respectively, depending on the state of tune.
Now along comes the 5.7 Chevy and the numbers blow out to 220kW at 5000rpm and 446Nm at 4400rpm, 73kW and 142Nm better than the 1.9-litre smaller V6 and 25kW and 16Nm more than the old 5.0-litre at its best.
To put it into even greater perspective, consider that Joe or Josephine Average can now have similar performance numbers to the VT Series One Holden Special Vehicles' engineered 5.7-litre bored and stroked hottie that cost a lot more to both buy and insure.
Want another, more down-to-earth comparison? Try this: there is not a touch of high-performance nervousness to the 5.7-litre lump, something missing in the HSV-modified missile.
With those cars the ground shakes and small children cry with the aural pain of the exhausts. With the big Chev under the bonnet the neighbours still talk to you and the kids have full hearing.
A few weeks ago we described the VT Series Two Commodore as the best Holden yet and we stick by that. Just that, performance-wise at least, best is made a little bit better when the 5.7-litre bent-eight is massaged under the bonnet.
Funny how it fills all those empty spaces that surround the 3.8-litre V6 ... .
As mentioned, there is no performance car nervousness with the 5.7, none of those anxious `will it or won't it' moments experienced by drivers wondering if a fragile, high-compression engine will turn over, and no earth-shattering bark from the exhausts when it does and no rumbling from a lumpy cam as the car lumbers down the road.
No, the 5.7 turns over smoothly, idles sweetly and is a model of modesty until the throttle is given a decent kick.
Up to that point it could be driven easily by the most inexperienced novice, its enormous capabilities masked by its overt laziness.
Make it work, though, and the Commodore sings a faster, more upbeat song.
Our Berlina station wagon test car (yes, fast and practical) had a four-speed automatic connected to the big eight and was delightful in its ability.
Out on the highway, with the speedo reading at just a whisker under 120kmh, the engine ticked over at a ridiculously low 2000rpm in top gear, but giving the accelerator a little tickle is like opening the taps on a turbine.
The power increase is linear, the forward progress spectacular and the smoothness enjoyable and all done without the transmission shifting down a cog.
Move the self-shifter manually and the heavyweight wagon can be made to lift its skirts and dance away merrily.
The economically-minded will be pleased to know the Chev engine does not have a prodigious thirst. In a mix of highway and city driving we managed figures of just under 12 litres for every 100km travelled.
Not surprisingly, the extra weight of the V8 does have an effect on the power-assisted rack and pinion steering.
Our wagon felt decidedly heavier in the tiller than the V6 Executive model we drove a few weeks ago. Not a lot heavier, in fact the extra road feel was appreciated, but it definitely needs a bit more push and pull to make it go around corners.
Some of that extra effort comes from the tyres. Instead of the normal 205/65R15 H-rated tyres fitted to the six-cylinder cars, the V8 gets beefier 225/60-series tyres with a higher V-rating.
But while our V8 VT felt good we did notice that some things don't seem to change. The wagon managed to give us a rattling good tune from one rear door over less than perfect tarmac.
Not to worry because it was unable to match the delicious tune played from the V8's exhausts.
Specifications
Holden Commodore Berlina Station Wagon
Price: $46,700 (does not include options and on-road costs)
Dimensions:
Length: 5042mm
Width: 1847mm
Height: 1545mm
Wheelbase: 2938mm
Track front/rear: 1569mm/1587mm
Kerb weight: 1631kg
Engine: Fuel-injected, overhead valve, 5.7-litre V8. 220kW @ 5000rpm, 446Nm @ 4400rpm.
Transmission: Four-speed automatic.
Chassis: Front, longitudinal engine, rear-wheel-drive, speed-sensitive, power-assisted variable ratio rack and pinion steering, power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes with ABS.
Suspension: Independent MacPherson struts, coil springs and stabiliser bar front, independent semi-trailing arms, coil springs and stabiliser bar rear.
Fuel capacity: 75 litres.
Fuel economy: 11.9 litres/100km.
© 1999 Newcastle Herald