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Filed under: Sports/GTs , Wagons/Estates , GM , Holden , Australia , HSV Click above for a hi-res gallery of the ClubSport R8 Tourer HSV's ClubSport R8 Tourer has officially arrived, giving our friends from Down Under the means to haul stuff, ass and any combination thereof as long as they part with $65K AUD. The super-duper Commodore SportWagon has got LS3 V8 power with 425 horses and 405 lb-ft of torque ready to transfer its rear tires to the ozone layer. To further underscore the undeniable awesomeness of this package, the standard gearbox is a six-speed manual. An automatic is available as an option, as are 20-inch wheels and a full-leather interior. Chances of us seeing this here? Essentially zero, since Pontiac is getting the Ute (G8 ST) instead of the wagon. That's just a shame. Sure, it's no Wagon Queen Family Truckster, but a hypothetical Pontiac G8 Safari GXP would deliver raucous fun for the whole family. Gallery: HSV ClubSport R8 Tourer [Source: HSV ] Read | Permalink...
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Filed under: Sports/GTs , Wagons/Estates , GM , Holden , Australia , HSV Click image to enlarge Like the sedan and ute before it, the Holden Commodore Sportwagon will also soon have a corresponding HSV performance variant. The HSV Tourer is essentially an HSV Clubsport R8 Wagon, as it features the muscle sedan's front clip and 425-horsepower (317kW) LS3 V8 powertrain. Look for it to arrive arrive in Australia this October and in the U.S. as a Pontiac, well, never. (Pontiac has no plans to bring over the Commodore Sportwagon, remember.) HSV admits that the Tourer could take some sales away from the Clubsport R8 upon which it's based, but that the presence of the wagon in the now-complete HSV lineup should still help HSV's sales numbers overall. Drive.com.au notes that the Commodore Sportwagon was supposed to launch back in March, but has been delayed while Holden continues to work out kinks with the wagon bodystyle. We expect to get plenty more info on the HSV Tourer closer to...
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Filed under: Sports/GTs , Wagons/Estates , GM , Misc. Auto Shows , Holden , Australia Click image for a high-res gallery of the VE Sportwagon SS-V Wagons are cool. They're practical, too -- a fact most of the world outside North America seems to fully understand. Alas, we're here in the land of the crossover. Sure, there are some nice ones, but they aren't nearly as fun as what Holden has brewing. Following up the "concept" that made its debut in Sydney last October, Holden has formally unveiled the VE Sportwagon, which comes in the same range of trim levels as the VE Commodore sedan, up to and including the musclebound, tire-immolating SS-V, which is shown above. Depending on trim level, non-SS models generally come with one of two 3.6L Alloytec V6 engines (this is the same 3.6 you'll find in any number of US GM vehicles -- the Alloytec-branded motors are manufactured in Australia, however). The standard one is good for 241 hp / 243 lb-ft via a 4-speed automatic...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Wagons/Estates , GM , Pontiac , Holden , Australia click above for more high-res images of the Holden VE Sportwagon Holden wasn't sure if it was going to build a new VE Commodore Wagon when developing its new line of rear-wheel-drive Zeta-based sedans. Wagons are fleet darlings in Australia, and the new one from Holden was for some reason switched from the long-wheelbase Caprice and Statesman platform to the shorter Commodore platform. That reduced the wagon's cargo capacity, which in turn threatened its very existence. But after hearing that its parent company, General Motors, was interested in importing the VE Sportwagon as a Pontiac G8 wagon, Holden gave the wagon a green light in good faith that there would be additional sales from exports to offset the loss of fleet sales. Well, Holden just lost the U.S. market, as Bob Lutz told Australian journalists at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show that the VE Sportwagon, a higher-octane version of the VE Commodore...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Plants/Manufacturing , Cadillac , GM , Australia GM believes it has a world-class luxury vehicle in the all-new Cadillac CTS , and the General is shipping the RWD clear across the globe to prove its point. Since 1969, Cadillac has been on the outside of OZ looking in, but an emerging luxury market coupled with part-sharing with Holden makes the CTS a great vehicle to end the 40-year hiatus. The CTS will hit Aussie shores by the end of 2008, with the addition of a 2.9-liter turbo-diesel entering the lineup in 2009. With Australian's love for great-handling RWD sports sedans, the CTS is a no-brainer as the vehicle to bring Cadillac back to OZ. The CTS wagon would likely be a hit down under as well. And if you're reading this GM, we'll take that 2.9L diesel option here in the States, too. [Source: Drive.com.au] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Trucks/Pickups , Wagons/Estates , GM , Pontiac , Holden , Australia Automotive News is reporting what's been suspected all along: GM will bring a both a wagon and a Ute to the U.S. after the launch of the G8 next year. Citing three sources intimate with the project, the report goes on to say that the two models will be built in Australia and will be similar to the Commodore wagon, on which the Pontiac G8 is based, and the Holden VE Ute. The move comes in an attempt to bring back the sporting credentials sorely lacking in GM's excitement division, so there are no plans to offer the Ute in GMC-guise. The sports truck will use the same platform as its G8 sibling and will be powered by the drivetrain from the Camaro. The only issue that could affect the importation of both models is the weakening dollar. If it continues to slide, pricing will either be increased or both models won't make the trek across the Pacific. [Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.] Read | Permalink...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Wagons/Estates , Misc. Auto Shows , Holden , Australia click above image for more live and official pics of the VE Commodore Sportwagon var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/design/Holden_debuts_hot_VE_Commodore_Sportwagon_in_Australia_Pics'; The 2007 Australian International Motor Show is underway, and the second debut we're bringing you from the show floor is the Holden VE Commodore Sportwagon. The new wagon from Holden is the latest addition to the VE range of rear-wheel drive sedans. In a nod the cheese, Holden's Chairman and Managing Director Chris Grubbey said, "Holden's new VE Sportwagon turns practi-'cal' into practi-'cool." Corny, yes, but actually he's right on the money. Technically the VE Commodore Sportwagon on display in Sydney is a concept, but Holden says it's basically what Australians will be able to buy in the first half of 2008. Check out more info and the official press release from Holden after the jump and our gallery of exclusive live shots...
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