Final Commodore LS3 304kw 570nm

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Ford17

I'm about to do exactly this, with little concern as right now there's not much better value available out there than the FG-X XR8.

But a similar if not greater conundrum would face a Commodore buyer, given the (awkward looking, bum-up) external appearance of the VFII is not a lot different than the original 2006 VE.

Should have gone to specsavers.

[PepeLePew]

Easily picked while it's also easy to pick its the same car with cosmetic mods...I preferred VE all over to VF though, yet the VF2 has made a few subtle changes that've brought it back into the decent looking category again. Saw a white LS3 Redline last night at Steinborner and it did look rather good

[Giant Cranium]

Originally Posted by Ford17

I'm about to do exactly this, with little concern as right now there's not much better value available out there than the FG-X XR8.



But a similar if not greater conundrum would face a Commodore buyer, given the (awkward looking, bum-up) external appearance of the VFII is not a lot different than the original 2006 VE.

Yeh nah

[Giant Cranium]

Originally Posted by Ford17

I'm about to do exactly this, with little concern as right now there's not much better value available out there than the FG-X XR8.



But a similar if not greater conundrum would face a Commodore buyer, given the (awkward looking, bum-up) external appearance of the VFII is not a lot different than the original 2006 VE.

Now I see it

[johnydep]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

Now I see it http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...381d0b427.jpg]
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...d028.jpg]image

Yeah, VE & VF ute rear is pretty much identical. Though I'm quite sure both of those are VE's. Unless someone has decided to put a VE e85 badge onto a VF

Here's a VF ute rear.

[Ford17]

Originally Posted by Wretched

Should have gone to specsavers.

Well I stand corrected.

The VFII Commodore is obviously a beautifully cohesive design, which totally disguises it's mere decade old (but equally perfect) origins; and while it's 307 engine is only slightly down in official output compared to Ford's Miami powerplant - this is easily offset by the Commodore being loaded with extremely useful tech, like parking assist.

Why on earth would anyone consider anything else?

[Express]

Originally Posted by Ford17

Why on earth would anyone consider anything else?

To answer that question you’d be better off asking the people who are currently buying new Falcons and Commodores.

First ask the opinions of all the Commodore buyers and at the end of that exercise if you feel like you are starting to get tired, you’ll be happy in the knowledge it won’t take much longer as you now only have the Ford buyers left to ask.

[wicksy]

I love my VF SS Wagon, it suits what i bought it for, it has plenty of room in the back for all the luggage, heck i even fit a QR and PW 50 in the back before i got myself moto trailer, its great on fuel, enough room for the kids, the V8 is awesome for towing the trailer and overtaking, the only thing i hate is the roof liner being white along with the upper pillars.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

I'm a Ford guy and have no trouble picking them apart from the front or back and the difference from VE to VEII to VF is massive each step.

VF rear end never looked right, looks like a modernised VR/VS rear end. The VF hsv taillights are a huge improvement over the standard Holden items.

[johnydep]

[Express]

For the last couple of days I’ve been driving a manual demo Redline sedan which started with 35klm on the clock and my thoughts are as follows.


It has a surprisingly nice feel on the road for a car that I believe has a ride height that is way too high.
Its turn-in on tight bends while being pushed to near breaking point is very good, the lack of understeer was impressive for such a heavy car.
The electric steering is a fraction light but something you’d quickly adjust too, it has a very similar feel to my AMG but isn’t as tight and responsive as my BMW.
The ride comfort factor I couldn’t fault.
I’d give the overall suspension setup a tick and if Holden could see its way to drop the ride height by 2 inches I would have added thumps up as a perfect setup for a car in this class but for me the visuals aren’t right.


The power output I thought was weak.
The first thing I noticed is I need to give it a few extra revs more than other Commodores I’ve owned to induce a smooth take-off.
Its initial acceleration response from a standing start or while in gear or after a quick downshift then full throttle application feels a little soft but it did get a bit more urgency as the revs increased.
My neighbour thought it was powerful, he drives a Kia so I guess it comes down to what you’re use to but for my way of thinking it a handy hauler but I would never class it as anything close to a ball-tearer.
Having been around LS engines for a long time I have no doubt a tune would unleash its inner beast for those who wish correct the soft tune.


The exhaust sounds fake.
Contrary to the advertising, in the cabin it’s quiet unless you hammer it and then you get good volume (for a factory stock exhaust) but not necessarily good sounding sound.
I’d class the much vaunted bi-modal setup as a non-event if you wish to compare it to a setup with headers, good cats and mufflers.
For those who like their cars stock they’ll love it as it does offer much more than the previous Commodores.
The one thing I did notice was the crackle on overrun, it was always there and a little too weak to be cool and maybe just a bit ****y on a stock car.


The what I consider to be entry level front and rear Bembo brakes look good enough and seem ok but I haven’t needed to use them in an emergency nor with repeated hard use.
My experience with most brakes of this level is they would fail quickly on a track but do a more than adequate job keeping you and your family save on the road.


The cooling vents for the bonnet have a very small opening and would release some hot air but I’m not qualified to assess how functional they would be in reality so I’ll say they are a cosmetic touch that I don’t mind the look of.


The vents in the front bar that reportedly cool the brakes have me scratching my head.
They are not ducted to the discs and the outlet is on the outer edge of the tyre and I can’t see what they do for the brakes, at best they would force air across the face of the rims.
I’ve no expertise in aerodynamics so again I can’t say if they work or not but something in the back of my head says no.
I’ll post some photos at the end to show how they are setup.


The overall visuals I know are a matter of taste but I’ll have my say anyway.


I think the standard 19 inch rims on the Redline are worse than awful.
I’d suggest anyone purchasing the car to go the factory fit option 20 inch black forged alloy staggered HF-20 rims for an extra $1500 or seriously consider going aftermarket.
I’m no fan of black rims, I have a real dislike of them and would prefer the face to have the machine finished brushed alloy look but if you want a staggered fitment from the factory in 20’s then they are only available in black.


The other thing I don’t like is all the chrome around the grills, fender vents and DRL’s.
I prefer the black finish option over the chrome.


The interior is nice enough with some obviously cheap materials in some places.
The brushed alloy look is terribly fake and I hate it with a passion.
The carbon fibre look is obviously fake but you could live with it.
The suede on the dash looks ok and really you are getting what you pay for in a mid $50’s drive away car, if you want better then get a bigger wallet.
The seats are passable, the leather ordinary and the design not really what I’d call sports seats but they don’t look too bad.
The ergonomics are good, everything is easy to access and I do like the heads up display for one reason as not only does it show your current speed it uses it navigational system to constantly display the posted speed limits and so far this thing has changed its reading right level when I drive pass the changing speed signs on the side of the road.
I don’t know if I’d trust it completely but so far it’s been faultless.
Blind spot and collision alerts go off at the slightest provocation which seems to be all the time when in traffic but they are not intrusive, they are just visual and don’t make a sound so I guess they are doing their job.
There are lots of other tech that I haven't bothered using as yet.
The big ‘A’ pillar is still acting as a blind spot but anyone who drives a car with this problem knows the head shuffle needed to get around it.


There are lots of other things I could talk about but as I said visuals are a matter of taste and I’ve mentions the few things that I stopped to think about.


Would I buy one?
I placed an order for a manual Redline Ute with the 20 inch staggered rims, all the chrome blacked out, 2% tint on the rear and quarter glass and 35% on the doors and track stripes with an end of March 2016 delivery date.
So my answer is yes as I see this package as a good starting block for a few more aftermarket enhancements.
It’s a pity Ford couldn’t see their way around releasing a V8 Ute as I would have already bought one without ever having to wait for this.


Just in case someone's interested, the car in the photos is in 'Some like it hot' red and it's a bit dark in the shade but in the sun it pops and I think it looks fantastic.
I'll use that old chestnut, the photos don't do it justice.


The front where it catches the air supposedly to cool the brakes, the air enters to the left and right edge of the front bar, travels along the inside skin and exits as shown in the photos.








The left and right bonnet vents.






A small vent either side of the rego plate, I don’t know what these are meant to do as there is no ducting and they appear to be nothing more than an addition to the grill.




The ugly 19 inch rims.




The 20 inch rims I’ve optioned.




The engine bay.




The ride height.






The interior.

[arronm]

4wd.............

[XR Martin]

Bonnet vents look about as useful as EF/EL XR ones, yet alot more tacky.

[Professor Farnsworth]

yeah the ride height is certainly up there, but it looks like those photos are on a slight hill making the left side look like it's higher than it is naturally, or i might be wrong. The one i sat in wasn't that high up.

[Sioso]

If the bonnet vents were any bigger they may interfere with airflow.
I remember a few years back guys putting these in the bonnets of XJ Cherokees to keep the motor cool but ending up disturbing the air from flowing over the transmission which resulted in overheated transmissions.

I like the VF2 Redline from what I've read so far, ride height is ridiculous but then they have plenty of rules to comply with.

I agree that chrome looks stupid with black rims and other blacked out sections, I think yours will look great with chrome blacked out.

What colour is the ute you ordered?

[XR Martin]

Ride height comparison

Media day release

[XR Martin]

This is how the vents work, to me it appears the air flowing past the wheels will draw the hot air out of the brakes.

[Express]

Originally Posted by Professor Farnsworth

yeah the ride height is certainly up there, but it looks like those photos are on a slight hill making the left side look like it's higher than it is naturally, or i might be wrong. The one i sat in wasn't that high up.

My drive does grade down towards the roadway but crossways from left to right it’s perfectly level, some of my photos may not be.

These photos are of the other side showing the height, I didn’t use them as they face towards the sun and are either flaring or a bit dark.

There were two Redline sedans at the dealers and both where the same, this is the ride height for the new FE3 Redline suspension.





This is my current Ute when it arrived with its stock FE2





This is my Clubby on its first day at home also on FE2.




Believe it or not this is the normal ride height for the VE/VF Commodores and that's why so many find the first port of call is a new set of springs, many dealers offer this before you pick them up.

This is what I intend to do to the new Ute.

[Express]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Ride height comparison

Media day release

That and the media release photos show the vehicles lower as it’s a far better look, it’s not what you’ll find in the dealerships.

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Ride height comparison

Media day release

image

pretty close..

[Express]

Originally Posted by Sioso

What colour is the ute you ordered?

Originally I was going to get white with the blackouts but when I saw the demo I was given in the sun I ordered the ‘Some like it hot’ red as in the earlier photos taken at my place.

It’ll have the black trim around it plus the black sports armour guard on the front lip, dark tint, it’ll be dropped on its guts and I’ll add a full aftermarket exhaust with quad 4 inch exhaust tips and I may put the rims & tyres from my current Ute on it while I research something new in the way of rims.

It’ll have the track stripes front and side as per this photo.
These photos are of a VF Series 1 but the decal packages are still the same apart from there is now also a bonnet stripe that has LS3 written on it.



And this is the sports armour guard for the front lip.
I’m having it installed for what I consider to be looks more than function.



I know it won’t be to a lot of people's taste but it’ll be the last new Aussie Ute I’ll ever buy and I want it to look the way I like.

[rancidpunx]

Just double check the suspension blocks for transport have been removed. I see plenty of new cars with them still in there missed by pre delivery.

The Carbon looks terrible on the interior, especially around the steering wheel. It wasnt great with the gloss look in VF1 but thats a step backwards. Good on Holden though for giving it a crack with the last one.

[tranquilized]

They definitely sit too high. The strange thing is the Calais V's appear to sit slightly lower.

This is mine on factory springs;




I really can't decide if I'm going to lower it or not. It would definitely look better an inch or two lower, but it does't look too bad as it is and the reduced practicality of a lowered car is a concern. (I must be getting old...) Just the other night I ran over at 110km/h a dead kangaroo that was lying in the middle of the freeway - didn't see it till it was too late. The thud it made was sickening, blood and guts everywhere underneath. Could have been a worse outcome if the car was lower...

[Express]

Originally Posted by rancidpunx

Just double check the suspension blocks for transport have been removed. I see plenty of new cars with them still in there missed by pre delivery.

The Carbon looks terrible on the interior, especially around the steering wheel. It wasnt great with the gloss look in VF1 but thats a step backwards. Good on Holden though for giving it a crack with the last one.

Fair point.

The blocks have been removed, I’ve been in and out, over and under this car like you wouldn’t believe, it has also been taken for some very spirited driving through some very tight twisty roads and I’m sure I or someone with me would have noticed if the suspension wasn’t travelling right.

Don't think I didn't discuss this issue with the dealership and was told this is how the car comes.

This car is the dealer principal’s new ride on loan to me.

The salesman and I know they aren’t necessary right did say there is no difference between the ride height of the FE2 and FE3, the difference is spring rates and damping.

The easiest way to confirm my photos is to check one out at the dealerships, demo stock has already start to arrive, unlike when I tried to arrange a test drive of the new XR8 and was told no chance.

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by rancidpunx

The Carbon looks terrible on the interior, especially around the steering wheel. It wasnt great with the gloss look in VF1 but thats a step backwards. Good on Holden though for giving it a crack with the last one.

I'm not a fan of the fake carbon either, or the all-black interior. That was the main reason I went for a Calais - much nicer trim across the dash, white seat/dash/door inserts break up the black nicely, and blue screen and lighting looks better than the red in the SS's

[Express]

Originally Posted by tranquilized

I'm not a fan of the fake carbon either, or the all-black interior. That was the main reason I went for a Calais - much nicer trim across the dash, white seat/dash/door inserts break up the black nicely, and blue screen and lighting looks better than the red in the SS's

Agreed, I've had a Calais V as well and the interior looked much better.

I also had the white or urban as I think it was called, I also had it optioned with the white carpet and it became a nerve racking cleaning experience but looked sensational.

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by Express

Agreed, I've had a Calais V as well and the interior looked much better.

I also had the white or urban as I think it was called, I also had it optioned with the white carpet and it became a nerve racking cleaning experience but looked sensational.

Yeah I bet! I would have gone for a white interior but the option isn't available in the wagons.

[Express]

Originally Posted by tranquilized

Yeah I bet! I would have gone for a white interior but the option isn't available in the wagons.

No real interior options with the Redlines either, it's black as per my photos or black with red stitching.

The days of meaningful options are dead as will these cars be soon.

[Sioso]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Ride height comparison

Media day release

image

Yeah I've noticed them lowering cars for tv commercials as well.
I also reckon they made up some custom 20 inch rims (in factory 18 inch design)for the VE ute commercial back in about 2008.
What they were showing on tv wasn't what was on display in the dealership.

[Bossxr8]

Horrible looking in the engine bay. Could they have possibly fit any more cheap looking grey plastic. At least the VT turtle shell engine covers had some silver detailing and stuff.