Melbourne Motor Show: Holden Coupe 60 Concept
February 29, 2008 by George Skentzos
Holden’s best kept secret has finally been revealed, to celebrate its 60th Anniversary it has finally showcased the absolutely brilliant Coupe60.
Inspired by the V8 Supercar, the Coupe60 concept features a pillarless design, full compliment of carbon-fibre bucket seats and race inspired cockpit.
Under the bonnet lurks the 6.0-litre LS2 V8 engine calibrated for E85 Ethanol fuel mated to an SS specification 6-speed manual gearbox. The side exiting exhausts bark an engine note more accustomed to a NASCAR.
Riding on 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped in semi-slick Kumho rubber, and finished in a handsome Diamond Silver paint finish, the Coupe60 certainly looks the part as a performance car.
Melbourne Motor Show Unveiling
Holden Official Image Gallery
Print it: 
can i ask what actually seals the gap between the front door window/glass and the rear glass?
^^^^^^Nothing!
hahaha 162 kg….thats a bit mean.Haven’t you seen the pic of me? I wouldn’t fit in the M3 at that weight.
Had lunch with Golfschwein during the week…..and although we were very naughty with what we had,I think he can say Im not 162 kgs. Not to mention I doubt Cobra045 would let me drive his new GT 500 when it turns up,let alone want me in a Bikini whilst doing it……
You are a stir……
Old hard tops had a seal on the back glass
well it cant be a 5mm gap can it.
something has to seal it to keep bugs, rain and spiders out
also something to lessen the wind noise too
BM,
where is your proof you are not 162kgs???
its all marketing hype i tell you!!!! ha ha ha
thats what i thought it would have OZ but the pics are hard to make out
Duck there would have to be some kind of polymmer or plastic weather seal inbetween the two windows otherwise not only would water get in when you washed it but with two panes of fine auto glass rubbing against one another they would shudder and break.. particularly when the door is slammed shut
My guess is theres a plastic moulding which gradually retracts/appears as the window goes up or down it would have to have an “I cross section inorder to slide along the leading edges of both windows.
Ask Golfschwein and Cobra045 they have met me….not to mention Wheelnut holding some slinky and black for me when Im over there,not something 162kgs will fit into I give you the TIP…..hahaha
See if you read your email you would know what I look like!
Marketing Hype…Im not on the market anymore.
XA is pillar-less when the windows are down…..are the windows down in this?
Bavarian Missile, the Falcon hard tops had a seal on the back window glass didn’t they? So I think this would be like that too
In the photos of the Coupe at the actual Motorshow the windows are down and there is nothing in sight yet
But in Holdens Official Image Gallery which was taken at Lang Lang – the the windows are up and there is a thin plastic moulded strip in between the two windows
Should have asked you first babe I guess.
Yep OZ they are,dont seal to well but!
Lets hope Holden have adapted BMWs window closing mechanism.
Wont get wind whistles then!
Thought so, I know the old Pontiac hardtops were like that too.
This is just a concept, so maybe they didn’t need seals.
the previous monaro looked so much better from behind one of the best looking coupe rear ends, this looks like a fat audi TT from behind, which isnt the prettiest rear end. Its just way too high and chunky, why not just put a HSV rear end on it? that would look nice. I dont think it looks as nice as the VT coupe. This to me is vulgar, the VT coupe was wow, this is more like… Ohh that needs improving. The side looks great though, fix the front and rear and they may be onto something.
it is interesting how not excited i am about this car. even though it looks good, will go quick and handle well.
Side on hot and sweet as…but need complete rejig on front lights and rear tailights need to change!
does any one else find it odd that there is a horizontal join in the rear QTR panel half way up the guards?
I noticed that to Andrew However I’d say the join is there because it looks like the rear 1/4 panel; C pillar roof panel and A pillar is a one piece jobby [like the ute] and that if the panel went all the way to the door sill the tooling costs would be more expensive.
The only thing that makes it less obvious is the fact that the horizontal join is at the same level as the join for the rear bumper which then shoots up to meet the tail lights.
Yet this is a prototype and should the car make it into production I’d say the designers will be told to change it
Another concept car from holden that won’t go into production.Like Effigy,Torana,HRT427 Its just been built to take some of Fords thunder on there new model release.Whats next GTS-R epica maybe rally pac Viva turbo hybred or paris to dakar captiva.I will admit it does look good better than plain jane monaro
Phill – The Torana is almost a certainty to make it into production as GN CEO Bob Lutz is pushing for it to become the New Pontiac G6.
Holden is currently doing further development on the TT-36 Concept Car and it’s expected to be released by 2010-12
As for the Coupe 60 – The development of a RWD V8 Coupe has been put on ice whilst GM prepares for the release of the Camaro.. that’s not to say that the Monaro is dead in the water.. particularly given Bob Lutz’s [and the USAs]love of our cars
I’m with Minnow, I saw an Audi influence at the rear of the car, especially the tail lights.
Monaros were pillarless from 68 to 76, as were Charger, Valiant and Falcon Coupes. BMW and Mercedes benz are still doing it. Gawd, even the Corolla Coupe was pillarless, although I remember even as a kid, I got the shock of my life to see the body flex when I closed the door.
I’ve been looking at this car for a few days now…overall, it’s a sensation. But I can imagine a production version looking better, funnily enough. On this car, the rear guards look overfilled by the wheel and tyre combo, seemingly giving the wheels no room to move up and down. Also, a production version will be sure to lose the VE’s BA-style front end, as it will surely coincide with a major face lift of the Commodore that will hopefully give it a more unique identity.
GOLFSCWEIN…a unique separate identity from rest of Commodore range needed as this car is amazing. They gotta change the back lights too and make the front maybe like the XR series with droppy bottoms on lights and change the grille to G8 Pontiac or similar. Will sell massively then as HOT AS CAN GET?
Wheelnut-one of the three i mentioned will go into production of the others effigy was built to be a show car and the 427 was built to kill off nations cup racing that was starting to take off and could have thretion V8 supercars future.where the rules were relaked to allow the 427 into the series. The over seas competitors seen it was unfair (as only seven where made)this stopped them coming and that inturn killed the 24hr bathurst.If holden do make the torana,good someone has to make a performance rwd midsize car that the average wage erna can afford.And who ever does will almost have that market to themsleves.I don’t mean to bash holdens all the time i just should close my one blue eye sometimes
I can assure you all that I’ve not been hanging out with Harry Pot Head in Afgahnistan. I have never had the desire to become a military target, I’ll stick to qunatity surveying…Yawn
Oh god someones moved all the keys on my keyoard….
looks very aggressive and muscular, no surprises it impresses a lot back home, in Oz.
The pillar less design looks interesting, but I doubt if it ever makes production it’ll remain that way, they can re-design the C pillar, but it’ll affect rear/side view.
I just want to say, a production car will never be like this… ever… a track car or a race specific, good chance..
also, to BM, yes holden benchmarks BMW… the looks… the styling…. I really doubt they’ll be bench marking parts quality, refinement, accuracy, technology etc…
Lexus is directly set to compete with the euros and priced closely to them, the benchmarking isnt just based on “looks” as Holden did with their current model…
HUGE difference… like different library even. Its like saying the SW20 MR2s were bench marked against Ferraris, as it was influenced by Pinnanfarina (spelling lol sorry)… see its completely WRONG. Looks and styling.. maybe even setup… but no way near the engineering nor parts quality…. which is what you pay for (well most of the retail price anyways)
having spent over 1 hour of my life watching this car circle in melbourne, i am once again thoroughly impressed at what we can do in oz…
the coupe60 SHOULD be made, however PROBABLY WONT (in Aus at least)
The camaro (based on the same architect) fills the market this car sits in. shame because they could easily sell both but GM of course will realise that these cannot sit side by side in the market.
other problems for this car’s future are production numbers. with holden working at capacity and the green light oin US ute exports as well as the wagon which will be seriously popular in Oz (my local dealer has 10 pre-orders already) there will not be space for any more production.
if i ran holden i’d have bought the mitsubishi plant and tooled it for long wheel base models and the shorter torana model, therefore allowing standard wheel base model production to increase and allowing the coupe60 to be built on a torana platform instead.
anyway, even if this car never makes production, the important bits on it that will make production are a form of the rear lights which were just stunning (LEDs) – watch for them on sport models. and also the V8… my tip is that secretly holden are releasing basiclly this engine on the series 2 VE – giving them a trump card on the falcon (which has amongst the worst quality fitout at the show – bits of flapping plastic and loose doorpanels were disappointing).
look for CYLINDER SHUTDOWN which is on the US export engine and i believe will be on series 2 release (at same time as wagon release)
That looks great!
Oh, its really wonderful!
I’ve seen it, I touched it, I’ve drooled over it, Awesome car,
Holden Please Build it.
Holden please build the Torana as well
^^^^Hey! Bruce! Holden are building the torana from 2010, i think. But i dont know about the coupe 60. It will probaly stay as one awesome concept made by HOLDEN.
Not bad, sweet, i currently drive a VE 2006 Calais 6.0L, sold my Fords not long ago,
though i am waitin for a new 6.8Litre Ford V10 GT-HO till early 2010.
keep on thinking, 470kW/800Nm , cant wait.
This is just a dressed up GM VE Holden, nothing 2 exciting here, good OLD Olden trying to steal Fords thunder….
Ford G Series kicks butt, Im sorry to say but the Ford G Series wont kick Holdens WM Series. No way!