February 29, 2008 9:36 AM by Michael Gauthier Filed Under: Concept CarHolden
Holden is celebrating their 60th year building cars in Australia and to mark this milestone the company has produced a new concept. Called the Coupe 60, the car is built off the Holden Commodore VE platform and features a pillarless design. Powered by a 6.0L V8 engine, the car makes use of a side-exiting chambered exhaust system with billet alloy tips.
Nearly 60mm shorter than the VE sedan, the coupe wears 21-inch wheels and has numerous racing enhancements such as full flat under body, rear underbody air diffuser and functional rear deck-lid spoiler with unique designed LED tail lamps. In the concept has carbon fiber bucket seats covered in leather and suede, a flat bottomed steering wheel, and a LCD instrument display. The rest of the interior is covered in a luxurious mix of black leather and suede which is contrasted by red leather and chrome.
Production seems feasible, but as Holden’s chairman Mark Reuss said “This is a vehicle I know our designers would dearly love to see go into production, but for the moment it has to remain a concept only.” We can only hope that will change in the near future.
GM Holden today marked the diamond anniversary of its first all Australian car by unveiling a stunning two-door performance thoroughbred called Coupe 60.
Coupe 60 celebrates the six decades since GM Holden built the 48-215 at its Fishermans Bend plant in Port Melbourne, Victoria, and provides a glimpse of Holden’s future directions in design, engineering and emerging engine technologies.
Exemplifying sports luxury, Coupe 60 is a pillarless concept car that explores the limits of Holden’s current rear-wheel drive capabilities, combining racing looks and technology into a road going sportscar experience.
Its sophisticated appearance is delivered through simple and powerful design, highlighted by the pillarless construction and V8 supercar inspired cockpit layout and side-exiting chambered exhaust system with billet alloy tips.
Almost 60mm shorter than the VE sedan, and sitting on 21-inch centre-lock alloy wheels with unique design Kumho high performance semi-slick tyres, Coupe 60 captures all that’s exciting about the Holden DNA.
Other racing-derived enhancements include full flat under body, rear underbody air diffuser and functional rear deck-lid spoiler with unique designed LED tail lamps.
The interior also has several unique features. They include one piece carbon fiber bucket seats (featuring leather and suede pad design) and a sports-inspired flat bottomed steering wheel with integrated shift light display and LCD sports instrument cluster.
The high gloss carbon fiber carries through to doors and rear trim providing a contrast to the leather trimmed instrument panel and black suede trimmed pillars, headliners and parcel shelf.
Details and accents are picked out with a distinctive red high shine leather on the seats and dark gunmetal finish and satin chrome on the consoles and doors.
Front seats are adjustable fore and aft to allow easy access to the rear, with four-point race harness restraints for all seating positions.
Under the bonnet is just as forward looking, with a 6.0 litre V8 engine incorporating the latest technologies such as active fuel management and calibrated for E85 ethanol fuel.
Even the paint is a one-off. Called ‘Diamond Silver’ by Holden designers, it gives a liquid aluminium finish that almost slides off the bodywork.
GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mark Reuss said, “Coupe 60 is Holden's 60th anniversary gift to its fans worldwide.
“It highlights Holden’s heritage of rear wheel drive performance whilst looking ahead to the potential offered by new technologies and materials.
“This is a vehicle I know our designers would dearly love to see go into production, but for the moment it has to remain a concept only,” he said.
Project Designer Manager, Peter Hughes, said, “We were looking to mark the diamond anniversary with a car that captured the Holden DNA and took the current VE range to an exciting next step.
“Even in the early stages of VE development, we knew there was a sensational coupe waiting to get out and the 60 th anniversary has given us the chance to explore that.
“With Coupe 60 we think we have designed a car that has the potential to write another chapter in the book of Holden icons.”
Main Features:
Pillarless coupe body;
Derived from flexible GRWD platform;
VE sedan wheelbase.
Powertrain: 6.0L V8 with Active Fuel Management, calibrated for E85 Ethanol fuel;
6-speed manual transmission (SS specification);
Engine oil cooler.
Exterior:
Unique ”Diamond Silver” paint colour;
Electrically dropping front & rear side windows; Racing-derived aerodynamic down-force enhancements:
Rear under-body air diffuser;
Full flat under body;
Functional rear deck-lid spoiler;
21-inch centre-lock alloy wheels;
Unique design Kumho high-performance semi-slick tyres;
High-performance Brembo brake hardware with ducted air cooling for front callipers;
Side-exiting chambered exhaust system with billet alloy tips;
Unique design LED tail lamps;
Exterior mirrors with integral LED side markers.
Interior:
V8-Supercar inspired cockpit layout for enhanced driver visibility and spaciousness;
LCD sports instrument cluster located in a unique column-mounted binnacle;
One-piece carbon fiber bucket seats, featuring unique suede-pad design and distinctive red high shine leather accents;
Front seats are adjustable fore-aft and allow easy access to rear;
Four-point race harness restraints for all seating positions;
Unique sports-inspired flat-bottom steering wheel with integrated shift light display and suede grips;
Unique interior details including air vents, column switches, gear shift knob and pedals.
Interior trim.
Perforated leather trimmed instrument panel;
Black suede trimmed pillars, headliner and parcel shelf;
High gloss carbon fiber used as a structural material for seats, doors and rear trim provides contrast to leather and suede trim;
Details and accents are picked out with red high shine leather, a dark gunmetal finish and satin chrome.
911fnatic
February 29, 2008 10:22:26 AM
That's a damn good looking car. Pure testosterone.
i do love this car and i agree that it is pure testosterone. but on the other hand i would had personally liked them to have differentiated it from the 4 door commodore.different headlamps or completely different front end would be nice as well
I am sure GM can make the business case and justify producing it but the problem isn't the cost it's the new European and US fuel economy/emissions rules.
... simply STUNNING ... very clean and visually original design ... if it does go into production as the hero car of Holden, Vauxhaul and Pontiac they won't be able to build them fast enough to keep up with demand
Beautiful, Balecima, Tre' Bein, and so on and on.... Miraculos, I for one like the front end lights, if anything maybe keep the two vertical LED on the tail lamps and replace the red part with simillar LED red that go horizontaly in rows. Other then that, where is the waiting list, SIGN ME UP!!
I really hope sensible countries ban this thing due to it's carbon emissions. Hell, I like it and would love to drive one, but at this stage in the cycle of global warming and all it's impact, I can't stand to see something of this sort still be made. Try explaining that to petrol head's around the world and Mr Clarkson.
I think it would be a good thing to bring the Holden Coupe-60 over to the US as a Holden Coupe-60. It would be an exciting new choice for americans. I would buy that car!! I don't like the idea of rebadging it as a Pontiac model.
That's a damn good looking car. Pure testosterone.