Recently parked up my HSV Senator near a bloke’s RS and he raved about it – then added the kicker that he got his from a desperate dealer for $28,000 drive-away!Ībsolute bargain, even if it were a demo. Just to add to the appeal, ZBs are bargains. Like, seriously punchy down low and aurally inoffensive. The two-litre turbo four is so much silkier and gruntier than the VE/VF’s droning 3.6-litre V6. Well-built, well-equipped and a smooth-but-sporty drive. I rented a mid-range RS during the season and it was a revelation. Better, in many ways, than the final locally made VF, even without a V8 option. The irony, if not tragedy, is that the ZB is a fine car. It would have been more successful – but still not a big sales success – if had been the Holden Insignia, acknowledging the German Opel connection, or given a new nameplate like Commander. Along with the shift from large family cars to SUVs, it was the wrong nameplate for the right car.Ĭalling the imported ZB a Commodore doomed it to failure. The demise of the Commodore was inevitable. So assume it’s set in stone.Īnd even without Commodores on the showroom floor in 2021, racing would remain a useful branding exercise for the Lion’s all-SUV/ute line-up. Knowing Roland Dane, it would most likely cost Holden more to get out of that two-year deal than to honour it. Unless there’s some secret get-out clause, Holden is locked into backing Triple Eight Race Engineering as the Red Bull Holden Racing Team for two more seasons. “Racing is a strong part of Holden’s brand identity and we will assess our options as Supercars continues to evolve its rules for the next generation of cars currently due to be introduced in 2022.” “Holden recently re-committed to racing in Supercars through until the end of 2021, and that will happen with the currently homologated ZB Commodore race car,” read the official statement. In that context, it would not be unreasonable to be sceptical of Holden’s pledge to continue supporting the Commodore in Supercars for another two years. Disingenuous would be the politest description, given that it’s now obvious the company had already decided the Commodore’s fate. Not a lie, but clearly not the whole truth, either. Carefully worded to suggest something while open to later re-interpretation. In hindsight, Holden’s earlier defence of the storied nameplate was a classic case of semantics. Turns out the conjecture was remarkably well informed, with the Commodore’s demise confirmed just five days later. Hopefully, that assurance means more than last week’s declaration that the future of the Commodore was safe.Īmid speculation that the fully imported ZB Commodore would be dropped, Holden dismissed the possibility. Holden is committed to Supercars until the end of the 2021 season.
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