- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
6.2i, 8 cyl.
- Engine Power
304kW, 570Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 12.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2017 Holden Calais V Director EDT review
Wow, wow, wow. I cannot say that enough. The last Aussie-built V8 Holden Commodore certainly went out with a bang. The Holden Director is a member of an exclusive family of three limited-edition models, the Motorsport and Magnum are the other two members.
- Massive brakes
- Magnetic Ride Control
- Limited edition
- Eats fuel
- MyLink sound system
- Windscreen reflection
The Director is based on the Calais V, so it gets all the bells and whistles plus the biggest damn brakes ever fitted to a standard Holden – no issues stopping this big girl. On top of that, it gets MRC (Magnetic Ride Control) that most HSV owners/fans are familiar with. For those not in the know, it enables you to change the suspension set-up from soft (Tour mode) to rigid (Track mode) with a couple of modes in between. Changing modes also changes the exhaust note, steering and pedal response depending on the mode selected.
Cosmetically, the car's exterior received a blacked-out grille, black side stripes and unique badging. Interior-wise, it was fitted with front sport seats unique to all the limited-edition models, and the rear seats received a matching pattern to the front seats, along with red stitching across all the interior. The passenger-side dash pad also has 'Director' embroidered onto it.
Outside of brake and suspension upgrades, the engine and gearbox are the same as fitted to the Calais V and SS ranges. It was disappointing to see no upgrades there, but in saying that, there is no lack of urge from the 6.2-litre V8, especially when placed in the different performance modes available through the MRC.
The Director, for me, was my last opportunity to own a piece of Australian history. Having owned a few Calais V V8s over the years, it was a natural progression. It was meant to only be a weekend driver, but I love it so much it is pretty much my daily driver.
It still has the normal issues all Commodores do, like the MyLink System can be frustrating some days, and the HUD windscreen shows the entire dash reflection, to name a couple. Aside from that, I seriously love the car.
In the limited-edition models, limited numbers were built as follows: Motorsport 1200 (being the most), Director 360 and Magnum 240. Now, obviously the Director is based on the Calais V, Motorsport based on the SS V Redline, and Magnum on the SS V ute.
If you ever have the opportunity to obtain any of the three LE models, do it. You will never regret it.