Oppo, I swayed my brothers car purchase choice with one drive of my car.

"JustWaitingForAMate" (justwaitingforamate)
01/17/2015 at 03:51 • Filed to: holden, manual

So my brother has been touring the Holden lots the last few days for a new car. He wasn't really sure on what he wanted, other then it had to be an auto wagon in white. So he was basically looking at the SV6, SS and SS-V versions of this :

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He took the SV6 for a spin, wasn't impressed with the engine, then took a SS one out (V8 - 350 hp) and was liked it enough to get his finances ready for the purchase.

This is where I stepped in. I asked him if he'd like to take mine for a spin, just to get a feel for the manual after it had been tuned by Walkinshaw. This was yesterday.

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Now mine is an SS-V Redline, top of the SS line before you go over to HSV. Walkinshaw added a new 2.5in exhaust, CAI, and tuned the car up to 415 hp. This is available across the entire range of V8s.

So I throw him the keys, and we decide to take it around the neighbourhood, up onto the free way to get it up to speed and back home. He worries that he hasn't driven a manual in 2 years (he had one of the new shape Mazda 6s), so takes off gingerly. When we get to the first hill I tell him to open it up, he plants and and starts popping gears with this big shit eating grin on his face.

'Oh God this sounds so good, this is the Walky exhaust right?'

'Yep'

'More power too right?'

'Yep.'

'So good.'

'You know you can get this done to yours too right.'

We get to the free way and as the light goes green he plants it, chirps the tires. Switch to second, chirps the tires. Third, another chirp. He's giggling insanely.

We make it back to the house in one piece and he's impressed.

The next day he comes wandering up to me.

'I'm getting one of these now instead.'

VF Commodore SS 'Storm' in white. Manual.

'I no longer want the wagon, because I want a manual, and I'm taking it to Walkinshaw as soon as I get it.'

This weekend I convinced my brother to forsake an auto, and get a manual with a 20 minute drive of my car.

Such feels this afternoon Oppo. Such feels.

DISCUSSION (15)

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > JustWaitingForAMate
01/17/2015 at 03:55

Well done! Nice work and really nice SS you got there.

kanadanmajava1 > JustWaitingForAMate
01/17/2015 at 04:28

Nice car choice.

I have been wondering this. If you can buy a nice rather cheap new RWD sedan with a manual and a V8 (or an inline 6) why is there anyone who decides to buy a new Mazda 6 or something similar there?

But after 2017 Australia will also have a change to experience the joy of having just Mazda 6s and its competitors on the market. I guess the Mazda buyers are to be blamed for this?

JustWaitingForAMate > kanadanmajava1
01/17/2015 at 04:33

Main factors are the price of cars in Australia, cost of making cars in Australia, the price of petrol here and changing trends in what people want in a car.

When Holden and Ford close up shop there will be no RWD V8 in the $40-50k range available in this country, also off the top of my head I can't think of any inline 6 or V6 available around that price either.

kanadanmajava1 > JustWaitingForAMate
01/17/2015 at 04:47

Isn't Falcon still available with ~4 liter inline-6?

We don't have any RWD sedan available with a V8 in European markets. BMW 335i is the sportiest manual RWD sedan here but that starting price was around €66k (around AUD93k) in Finland.

There were some rumors that Jaguar's new sedan might have a manual too but I doubt that many will be sold here.

JustWaitingForAMate > kanadanmajava1
01/17/2015 at 04:56

I meant in 2017 when Ford and Holden go.

335i here is around ~$100-$105k

We'll have the Genesis around $60k with a V6. BMW M135i around $75k. The Audi/Jag offerings around 70k too.

kanadanmajava1 > JustWaitingForAMate
01/17/2015 at 05:06

2017 will bring sad times to Australia's car enthusiasts.

Europe hasn't received any RWD Hyundais since the 2nd gen Pony in 80's. I haven't seen even one of those though as they didn't reach Finland. We only got the 3rd gen.

JustWaitingForAMate > kanadanmajava1
01/17/2015 at 05:23

We get the Mustang some time this year, the V8 ~$70k.

GM confirmed we're getting an RWD V8 from them too, but no details on what it is.

We'll have something, but it's going to be priced well out of the current enthusiast range.

Oh well, more riced up GT86s and WRXs it is.

kanadanmajava1 > JustWaitingForAMate
01/17/2015 at 05:43

Mustang might come here too but it will be pricy. GT86/BRZ is sold here but really few have been sold.

Mr. Edward Mann-Polandballer > kanadanmajava1
01/17/2015 at 09:34

everybody seems to have forgot about the Aussie Chrysler 300.

kanadanmajava1 > Mr. Edward Mann-Polandballer
01/17/2015 at 10:09

Oh! Did they have manual boxes in Australia? I thought that all of them had automatics.

Or were you just hinting that they are less boring than Mazdas?

Mr. Edward Mann-Polandballer > kanadanmajava1
01/17/2015 at 10:14

they are only avaliable with autos, but they still will provide you with a low-price v6 or v8 RWD a full size. And no, I am not hinting that Mazdas are boring.

kanadanmajava1 > Mr. Edward Mann-Polandballer
01/17/2015 at 10:41

300 is fairly common here but wasn't a sales success. Now Chrysler has withdrawn from European markets but they left the 300 badge engineered as Lancia Thema that was sold during 2011-2014. Most were sold with diesel V6.

The automatic transmission and super paranoid traction control stopped me from getting very exited for 300s.

I think that Mazdas without Wankel are boring. The first gen Miata is quite nice though.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > JustWaitingForAMate
01/17/2015 at 10:45

But you can't get a manual wagon? That's a bummer

StealthSS > JustWaitingForAMate
01/17/2015 at 11:20

I got to experience a VZ SSV and SV6, and also a VY Series II Calais on their home turf. Really impressive cars. Havent tried our VF yet. I hate that they offer it in only one trim level, and relatively few colors. Not to say I wont have a Chevy SS one day. Also wont say I wont ship it down under for some tuning. Is it possible to put a Peter Brock Energy Polarizer into the VF?

JustWaitingForAMate > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
01/17/2015 at 13:53

nope