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Holden VE Commodore Engines

The VE Commodore is Holden’s most powerful range ever, with peak power and peak torque increasing on Holden’s advanced all-alloy V6 and V8 engines. Powertrain engineers have also worked to improve powertrain efficiency by ensuring engines already recognised for relative economy continue to deliver strong results in real world use.


The 6.0L Generation IV V8 now delivers standard peak power of 270 kilowatts and peak torque of 530 Nm. Holden is offering two versions of the Australian-built 3.6L Alloytec V6, delivering peak power of 195 kilowatts for the SV6 and 180 kilowatts for the Omega respectively.

Holden Director for Integration and Experimental, Ian Butler, said Holden had pursued major improvements to part-throttle response or launch feel across the VE Commodore range. The launch feel of the Chevrolet Corvette had been a target for Holden performance models.

Holden has always produced cars with exciting performance but this is not only about zero to 100km/h or zero to 400 metre times,”

“Part-throttle performance is key to defining the takeoff feel of the car as a high percentage of driving is typically at less than 20 per cent throttle.” Butler said.

Introduced in August 2004, the clever all-alloy engines have been driven forward with the benefit of two years’ experience in Australian driving conditions.

Cassin said the Alloytec engines represented tremendous value for customers, with increased performance from new variable intake manifolds on both engines and free-flowing exhausts.

“The lightweight, all-alloy Alloytec is an advanced powertrain, operating with double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and other technology to improve efficiency, it provides variable valve timing to ensure power and economy are equally delivered as required by the driver." he said.

A range of improvements were made to modify engine noise including a new camshaft drive chain design, newly tuned harmonic balancer, new engine covers to manage acoustics and revisions to induction and exhaust systems to create the ‘right’ note while meeting strict pass-by requirements.

Click for more information about the Alloytec V6 engine

Cassin said the introduction of a new all-alloy 6.0L V8 to Holden performance models in January 2006 had greatly assisted powertrain development for VE. He said the V8 engine at VE, codenamed L98, was a Holden-specific application from GM Powertrain which was almost identical to the L76 engine introduced to meet Euro III compliance at the start of 2006.

Increased peak power from 260kW to 270kW, the highest ever output offered on a standard Holden vehicle, comes from a high-flow exhaust system with dual 2¼-inch pipes and four outlets.

“We’ve taken a world-recognised performance powertrain and made it even better, the combination of our hero V8 with the new six-speed automatic or upgraded six-speed manual is something to behold.” Cassin said.

Click for more information about the Generation IV V8 engine

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