Feel the noise of the Holden Commodore VF II SS Redline

Thursday, 31 December 2015

It's getting harder to justify one's love for the V8. Smaller turbocharged donks can produce more power, drink less juice and are lighter which is the holy trinity for engineers and marketers alike.

And when the new generation of engines with electrically-driven turbos arrive netting big power from minimal displacement (think 300kW from a 2.0-litre mill without lag), the old V8 may finally go the way of the dinosaur. But it ain't going quietly.

GM Holden has embraced the power and sound of the V8 to help sell its cars for decades. Fast charging Monaros, Toranas and Commodores have brought racing glory and provided the showroom with halo models that have helped to sell millions of Holdens over the years.

But as we know, that's all about to end.

The Commodore is on death row and in Oz, the V8 models account for more than two-thirds of the 'odore's dwindling sales. While the V8 faithful have remained true to the big Aussie, the corporate buyers have shunned it. And so the last hurrah for the model has concentrated on giving the people what they really want; a cracking SS with a great V8 under the bonnet.

That bent eight in question is GM's 6.2-litre LS3. It replaces the old 6.0-litre L77 and brings more power now at 304kW (on 98 octane however), up from 260kW, or 270kW if you were one of the few who bought a manual. There's more torque too, 570Nm spread wider across the range, up from 517Nm (or 530Nm).

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The LS3 is said to breathe well with high flow heads incorporating big intake and exhaust ports, while the heavy duty valve train and lighter internals help it rev harder and higher. And there's no AFM (active fuel management) cylinder deactivation here, which was a WOT (waste of time) anyway.

In the SS, the LS3 is still hooked to either a Tremec six-speed manual or GM's 6L80 six-speed auto, which remains unchanged, bar some massaging of the shifting protocols. A revision to the final drive gives it shorter gearing, helping acceleration. Given the increase in engine size, trimming fuel consumption wasn't a goal. It was about making it fast. Fuel use is up, but who cares? Buyers sure don't.

What owners want is to hear their V8. And Holden has put in some real effort to make sure its last V8 makes a fitting noise. They've added a mechanical sound enhancer, a plastic tube running off the intake to the firewall which helps pipe the induction noise into the cabin.

At the other end, there's a bi-modal exhaust with a flap that pops open to let the gases run straight through the muffler, and there's also a hole in the exhaust tip, called the Bailey Tip after its late inventor, that helps direct some of the noise flow back toward the car.

The effort was all worth it, because this LS3-powered SS is up there with the likes of the old C 63, the Aston Vantage and Jag's F-Type R for sonic appeal. No need to take this SS to the exhaust shop; Holden has done a proper job here. It's perfect from start up while Holden has tuned the electrically-actuated exhaust valve to work over a wide rev range so it's rarely quiet when you have the throttle depressed, though it's drone-free and hushed when cruising.

We measured in-cabin sound levels, as we always do, and over coarse chip at a constant 100km/h, the noise, mainly tyre roar, was a respectable 73dB. Then we buried the loud pedal and the full 6600rpm V8 symphony registered 82 glorious decibels.

Backing up the aural fury, the new SS is actually pretty quick. The V8 enjoys a few revs and comes on hard from 3000rpm where the torque flows freely. There's not the need to rev its nut off as you had to with the L77, but given it makes such a great noise, you tend to use the full rev band frequently.

We managed to entice a sub-five second 0-100 kmh run from the SS, thanks to a light fuel load and a perfect launch from 1500rpm with the traction control defeated. While you can overwhelm the rears if you try, generally the SS's grip-to-go ratio is spot on thanks to its wider rear treads.

The Redline comes with the stiffer FE3 sports suspension and Brembo brakes, which now feature on the rear as well. This has allowed Holden to fiddle with the rear set-up, adding a longer, thinner sway bar to permit softer springs for a better ride while maintaining the roll stiffness. Last time we drove the Redline we noted a firm round-town ride, but this has now been alleviated. It's still a sports sedan, but now it rides better than the new XR8.

The VE/VF chassis has never kept secrets on the move. It's well balanced for a big car, the front-end points well, and now with the added rear compliance, it rides bumps better too. The traction control doesn't much like the rough bits though, dialling back the power on bumpy corner exits.

When we switched TC off, the same driving style provided no drama but the car certainly drove harder out of the bends. While we appreciate the new ride compliance at slower speeds, the rear can get a little light over bumps through longer corners. However a quick look at the speedo reveals why. You don't have to be trying too hard to cover ground quickly in this new SS.

The Brembos are powerful, stopping it well, although the pedal did develop a judder after a work out. The steering does the business with consistent weighting and action while transmitting pretty good road feel too. The auto protocols are still not sporty enough, and given the SS now has paddle shifters, you tend to use them. Shift speeds are far from reference grade, but it's a true manual mode with no overriding upshifts at the limit. It all combines in one grand sports sedan that would worry last year's Gen F ClubSport.

There are some visual changes up front, mainly related to engineering needs. The motor required more air flow in and out of the engine bay and so there are bigger holes in the bumper and functional bonnet vents let hot air escape. And you know it has an LS3 because that's what the badge on the bumper says.

There are no changes in the cabin however; even the 6000rpm redline for the tacho remains, despite the engine running to six six. Chrome garnish trims still cause temporary blindness when they reflect the sun. The SS-V Redline gets lane keeping and forward collision warning, and a head-up display but there's no active cruise.

The cabin trimmings are not the last word in quality but given the gadgets and performance provided for the money asked, they're more than passable. And remember it's bought by the (one-eyed) faithful. Blind spot monitoring is handy as the VF has terrible side mirrors, while a rear camera, sensors and self parking are also useful for a big car.

The SS-V is a good performer with handling to match and comes with a great soundtrack. It is a fitting finale for the Commodore V8. 

THE STATS

Model: Holden Commodore VF II SS Redline

Price: $75,990

Engine: 6162cc, V8, 304kW@6000rpm, 570Nm@4400rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto, rear-wheel drive

Vitals: 4.9sec 0-100kmh, 12.9L/100km, 300g/km, 1803kg

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