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 According to sources the cut in production days is a result of slowing demand for Holden’s cars amid the global economic crisis. The 25 days of production loss will mean Holden will make 15,000 fewer cars while its workers will make do on four-and-a-half days’ pay per week during the three month period next year.

“We always say there’s no guarantees in the car industry but what we have preferred to do is introduce these extra non-production days rather than remove jobs, we think our workers clearly prefer this as well. We’re committed to maintaining and manufacturing presence at Elizabeth and confident into the future.” Holden official Andrea Matthews said.

Holden’s rival, Ford, is also expected to make similar moves as the new Falcon has failed to improve sales. The blue oval is expected to announce an extra week off over the Christmas period.

The only manufacturer which seems to be dealing by the current slump in large car sales is Toyota, which says no production shutdowns are planned. However even the Big T concedes there is a chance its workers may have a longer break next Easter.

Do you believe either Ford, Holden or Toyota will shutdown local production next year?

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Although it is essentially based on the Rodeo platform, albeit with re-pressed Colorado sheet metal, Holden’s new light commercial is altogether a different machine, and despite looking markedly familiar from the outside at least, is not quite as well screwed together as I recall its predecessor being.

The upshot of this is that the Colorado has a marginally cheaper price tag than the Rodeo, which may appeal to some, but as with most things made for a price, there is a great deal of compromise apparent, not a good thing with competition so close.

Being the range topping LT-R tested, our Colorado offers side and rear steps, alloy wheels, front mud flaps, front fog lamps, remote central locking, six-disc CD tuner, trip computer, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, tilt adjustable leather clad steering wheel, cloth trim and air-conditioning, but get up close and personal and it is evident that the finer points of the Colorado are a little on the underdone side, in fact were it a steak, it’d still be mooing.

The interior is cheap and nasty, with harsh, poorly finished plastics, low grade cloth, crude switch gear (especially on the ventilation controls) and a general discontinuity of décor and tone that wreaks of parts bin throw together. I also had the lower dash fascia come off on to my feet on day one of our time together - not a good start.

Now sure, I’m being a little critical here, but it’s not entirely undeserved, for my week and a half with the Colorado have presented quite a few issues, the sum of which have left a bad taste in my mouth.

The steering has unusual and unnerving neutrality for about 30 degrees each side of centre before progressively firming through the remainder of the turn. Although at lower speeds this may well be convenient, it is an undesirable sensation at highway speeds – especially when overtaking.

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Not quite. The Berlina is priced more cheaply, so you’d expect that on a spec-per-dollar basis, the Berlina should at least match, or better the Calais. What do you get, then for your $41,790?

Well, you get six airbags, rear parking sensors, ESC, heaps of room, an excellent Bluetooth system, dual-zone climate control and a four-star safety rating.

So, it’s not too bad in the pricing stakes. The immense room is something that really helps, though. Front, rear, boot, everything is big. That means comfortable travel, too. In comparison with the SS version we also tested earlier, though, the Berlina’s seats are quite flat.

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The plan incorporates incentive for local industry to develop more fuel efficient vehicles, with $1.3 billion going towards the development of energy efficient cars.

This is a figure just shy of Holden’s highly marketed “billion-dollar baby” development costs for the VE Commodore - effectively acting as a Government-funded mulligan for poor local industry foresight.

Mr Rudd shunned warnings from the Coalition that the Government should postpone its decision until President-elect Barack Obama reveals his own plans for the dwindling US car giants.

Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide, says that unless Australia is prepared to block all imported cars, our industry is doomed.

“While I sympathise with the workers and businesses who rely on the car assembly to survive, the government’s package is simply corporate welfare that will not save the industry.”

As much as we all like to believe that Holden and Ford are Australian, the fact remains their future rests with their American parents who have not made a full-year profit since 2004 and 2005 respectively.

“The U.S. government will rescue Ford & General Motors because it has no choice. However, as part of their rescue package the U.S. government will almost certainly force Ford & General Motors to dispose of their unprofitable overseas assembly plants. The Australian Ford & General Motors plants will be near the top of the list for closure.”

The looming threat of substantial job loss closer to home has allegedly forced Mr Rudd’s hand in the matter; however Matthew-Wilson tepidly suggests the bailout fund would be put to much better use if applied directly to the affected workers.

“If the Australian government simply shared the $6billion among the affected car workers, these workers could pay off their mortgages or perhaps start small businesses. At least that way the money wouldn’t be wasted. As things stand, the government’s $6billion will do nothing but fill the coffers of a few multinational corporations, while doing nothing to solve the underlying problems.”

While we are certainly a patriotic bunch, perhaps it is time to accept the fact that a Government-funded and American-owned automotive industry is never going to be a positive influence on our economy.

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The bodyshell has been enhanced with three clearly defined load paths designed to better absorb the impact of an offset front-end collision and support the entire structure of the passenger cell over a larger area.

High-strength steel has been used to reinforce the B-pillar and the dual side impact airbags (driver and passenger) extend upwards to provide head and thorax protection.

GM Holden Executive Director – Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, Alan Batey said the ANCAP result was welcome as Barina was an important and significant vehicle for Holden in the small car market.

“There has been a very positive response to the new Barina’s styling and this announcement confirms the effectiveness of our various safety improvements,” Mr Batey said.

The Barina hatchback and sedan is sold in over 120 markets around the world, predominantly as the Chevrolet Aveo. The Barina nameplate has been part of the Holden line up since 1985 when the Suzuki based MB Barina went on sale.

Holden has sold more than 34,000 of the current model TK Barina since its Australian launch in 2005.

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Not merely the subject of hopes and dreams, this fleet of concepts has been created with the aim of highlighting the large range of parts and accessories available for the Chevrolet Camaro, as anyone with the passion and resources to reproduce these concepts can do so through their local Chevrolet dealer.

Camaro LS7 Concept

As its name suggests, this concept boasts the same 7.0-litre V8 crate engine and Tremec 6060 six-speed manual transmission which features in our current performance flagship, the HSV W427.

In the LS7 concept however, the engine also features a high-performance replacement camshaft from GM Performance Parts, helping the naturally-aspirated V8 churn out around 410kW.

The inspiration behind this concept it drawn from drag racing, with race-ready rubber on the rear wheels, a driveshaft safety loop, lowered ride height and a Brembo brake package.

It has been finished in Victory Red with matte black accents such as the hood and tail lamp fascia. Inside, a spartan interior is supposedly synonymous with its race-ready personality to reduce overall weight.

Camaro Dale Earnhardt Jr. Concept

Clearly inspired by NASCAR, this concept uses the standard 6.2-litre V8 engine from the Camaro SS which has been modified to use E85 fuel.

Due to its favourable octane rating, GM Performance has managed to squeeze out a few extra ponies with a modified tune and full exhaust system.

The SS’s standard six-speed manual transmission has been bolstered by a short-throw Hurst shifter from the GM Accessories parts bin.

The exterior features a custom black/gray two-tone paint scheme which is separated by a thin orange stripe. This is offset by a set of 21-inch wheels inspired by the Camaro Convertible Concept.

The concept also boasts a range of Chevy Accessories such as a rear diffuser and ground effects, grille, rear spoiler, race-style aluminium pedals and a Boston Acoustics speaker system.

Camaro GS Racecar Concept

While the previous concepts provide street-legal thrills, this one is a pure-bred race car created by GM’s High Performance Vehicle Operations and Carolina-based Riley Technologies.

The GS Racecar is the only Camaro concept at SEMA which will actually see production, serving as an early prototype for the Grand Am Koni Challenge GS racing class - featuring race-ready suspension, reinforced chassis and drivetrain which conform to the specifications required for the series.

It will use the standard LS3 V8 engine, a modified version of the Tremec 6060 six-speed manual transmission with close-ratio gearing, 3-inch exhaust system, C&R racing aluminium radiator and carbon fibre hood, trunk lid, doors and fenders.

With only one example currently in existence, it has had to share its duties between the track and showroom floor, featuring all the grime, dust and dints which appear after a day’s worth of racing.

Camaro Black Concept

The Black Concept is a paradoxical approach to stealth, with its matte black hood and ground effects, dark wheels and red-glowing HID headlamps hardly subtle.

This trend is continued to the interior where there is red LED instrument lighting and red footwell ambient lighting, black chrome accents and leather seats which grey stitching.

Unlike the previous three concepts, this model boasts an untouched 3.6-litre V6 engine from the production model, all in the name of subtlety.

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“A wagon?” I hear you cry. Well, it’s not an iPhone-esque yuppie chew toy like the faux-four-wheelies we see everywhere these days. However it’s spacious, practical, more wieldy, and just as safe.

These days, too, it’s also a design you’d be happy to be seen in. In the instance of the Holden Commodore Sportwagon it no longer looks like a rep’s car, either, and it doesn’t look like a hearse. In SS form, the Sportwagon, in this testers eyes at least, is quite an attractive vehicle.

The way that the rear slopes downwards certainly eats into the cargo space, but that’s the price you pay for not having a bloated backside that dominates the rest of the design. It also keeps the centre of gravity down, too, which means that the car handles fairly well.

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As you may have gathered from its name, the LSX454 V8 engine displaces 454 cubes or 7.4-litres - certainly supporting GM’s philosophy that there is no replacement for displacement.

The end result from this atmospherically-aspirated V8 engine is 476kW and a colossal 813Nm - that’s over 100kW more than the W427 and 14kW more than the supercharged ZR1.

This is mated to the G8 GXP’s standard Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission, certainly giving credit to its capabilities and peace of mind for power-hungry potential owners.

Borrowed from the Cadillac CTS-V, stiffer springs produce a lower ride height as well as improving handling while an upgraded disc brake package helps to reign in all that power.

The custom 20-inch wheels shod in performance rubber all but hide the red brake callipers which feature CNC-milled GXP logos.

The exterior features custom front and rear bumpers highlighted by black chrome trim, creating a far more aggressive appearance.

The leather interior features embroidered “GXP” logos on the headrests, there is also a new gauge cluster, unique graphics and the silver-finish factory trim has a new, black-chrome, metallic look.

Holden will also make a second appearance at this year’s SEMA Show with a slightly modified version of the new G8 ST.

Source: GMInsideNews

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 “The upgrade to this V6 engine was to enable improved fuel economy and reduced emissions without sacrificing real world performance,” GM Holden Director of Powertrain, Ernie Tamburrini said.

To clarify, fuel consumption of the petrol Commodore sedan is reduced by 0.2 litres per 100 kilometres with Ute and Sportwagon models down by 0.4 litres per 100 kilometres.

Dual Fuel (LPG) models also see an improve in economy now delivering returns of 14.2 litres per 100km. The vehicle was also recently reduced some $1500.

Private buyers are also eligible for the $2000 government rebate here, meaning the net cost of an LPG Ute would only be $1400 more than its petrol equivalent and only $400 more for the LPG sedan.

The monthly LPG conversion rate will increase in November to meet growing demand. The petrol engine in the Omega and Berlina models delivers peak power of 175kW at 6500rpm and peak torque of 325Nm at 2400rpm and is matched with a four-speed automatic transmission. The upgraded Alloytec V6 engine will be standard on all Omega and Berlina Commodore, Sportwagon and Ute variants from November production.

NB: SS-V Ute & Calais Sportwagon shown for illustrative purposes only.

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The VE-based Pontiac G8 range is safe for at least another 5 years - as we already knew, with Pontiac reminding the public that production of the flagship G8 GXP model has only just begun here in Australia with the ST soon to follow.

“We’ve just started building the G8 GXP in Australia and the first cars should be here right around the end of the year. The G8 ST is still on target to start production about mid-summer 2009 and arrive in North America in the fall.”

It has also spoken similarly of its Solstice model which starts production in January.

As for its progression to the next-generation model based on the Australian developed Commodore, Pontiac failed to address the issue - seemingly having not planned that far ahead.

“Our plan is to keep building great cars, like the G8 and Solstice, today, tomorrow, and the next day. We’ll leave the predictions for the future to the folks at the Psychic Friends Network.”

While this response only reinforces the expectation that Pontiac would continue with the VE-platform throughout its five year life-cycle, it seems beyond that is a mystery even to Pontiac itself.

Source: PontiacUnderground

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All that aside, Skaife will undoubtedly go down in the record books as one of the sport’s most successful drivers. He made his touring car debut at Sandown in 1987 in a Nissan Gazelle and went on to take out the championship five times, the first in 1992. He continued to be one of the leading drivers throughout his career and replaced the late Peter Brock as the face of Holden in 1998. After 210 starts, Skaife has built up an impressive list of achievements and the question is now, what will he do next?

Despite putting the brakes on his racing career, there is no doubt 41-year-old Skaife’s blood runs red – Holden red that is and his involvement with the company will no doubt continue. While he will no doubt enjoy the extra time with his wife and three children, chances are we will also see his face around the media circuit with which he already has a good profile and who knows, maybe even a commentating role. Whatever he chooses next, I’m sure we won’t see the Holden legend fade into obscurity.

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