Holden unveils 2007 VE Commodore race car

[vy_storm]

Source: www.holdenmotorsport.com

http://www.holdenmotorsport.com/defa...splay&id=66242



As Holden’s new VE Commodore rapidly becomes part of Australia’s motoring landscape, Holden Motorsport has unveiled its race car variant for competitive debut in the 2007 V8 Supercar season.
While still undergoing homologation (approval process) to meet Project Blueprint guidelines for 2007, Holden took the wraps off its race car prototype, complete in dayglo red generic team livery prior to its despatch for further aerodynamic testing at Woomera in South Australia.
Holden Racing Team’s Mark Skaife was one of the first to test the prototype at Holden’s Lang Lang facility last month.
“If there’s a better looking race car around, I haven’t seen it!” commented Skaife.
“The flared guards of the VE road car suit the race variant perfectly and give the car a real hard nosed Euro stance – it’s going to look fantastic at race circuits around the country.
“Under our category rules, the performance of the VE will need to be pretty much line ball with our current VZ Commodores to protect the existing parity system.”
Skaife’s HRT team-mate, Todd Kelly was impressed with his first drive of the new generation racer.
“That would have to be the best race car I’ve ever driven. If the new VE Commodore race car goes half as good as it looks, then watch out. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel for the Clipsal 500 season opener in Adelaide next March,” Kelly said.



Alan Batey, GM Holden Ltd Executive Director – Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, said the development of the VE Commodore race variant was in line with Holden’s considerable motorsport heritage.
“Holden is the only manufacturer to continually support a factory race team over the past four decades, while Commodore is the most winning car in Bathurst touring car history,” Batey said.
Since 1980, when Commodore was introduced to the race track, it has won 18 times in 27 years at Mount Panorama, including a record seven wins in a row, between 1999-2005.
“The race car homologation process has led Holden to build classics like the sixties and seventies Monaros and V8 Toranas, and the highly collectible sporting Commodores from Peter Brock and Holden Special Vehicles. I’m sure that the future VE Commodores will sit happily in that company.”
Once the prototype specifications are rubber stamped, the race is on amongst the Holden teams to produce VEs for the 2007 season opener.


Simon McNamara, GM Holden Ltd Manager - Motorsport, said the company had been working with its teams and TEGA on development of the VE racing variant for over a year.
“All of our teams have had a significant input into the design process and they will soon begin building their own VE race cars. It is Holden’s ambition for them to start next year with new cars,” McNamara said.

[1991_Vn2nV]

Sweet... that thing looks hot

Interested by Kelly's comments though, how he says its the best race car he has ever driven... Yet it shouldnt really be any different to the VZ.

[veclubby]

looks sik! cant wait to see it in acton

[HoZy]

Pfft... Stupid blueprint regulations....

Going to be spec`d Down masively.

Cheers
MaT

[-UNKNOWN-]

Looks tough but the headlights still look to BA for me.

[redcv6]

looks great, i hope it performs as good as it looks

[VRS_Dave]

looks bloody awesome

just shows what 1 million in design it can do

[Christina]

im loving the decal. i want one, exactly the same.

[Scotty_Doesn't_Know]

Too bad it's largely a VZ in a VE body.

[fu2]

i like the looks, only hope it goes as fast as it looks

[daron]

with all the esp crap wonder if it will slide out on the drivers or stick to the road

[maxy0987]

whats the bet they cant use esp anyway.

The regs will make it so they dont get an unfair advantage, basically meaning it will be a VZ inside a VE shell. bloody asshats

[holden007]

Looks good, every year its getting better!

[1991_Vn2nV]

Too bad it's largely a VZ in a VE body.

Exactly...

And of course it wont have ESP in the VE Supercar...

[s0sage]

Sweet... that thing looks hot

Interested by Kelly's comments though, how he says its the best race car he has ever driven... Yet it shouldnt really be any different to the VZ.

the engine is mounted directly over the front axles ... how could it possibly be anything LIKE a vz???? just that characteristic alone completely alters the way a car handles ... exascerbated only by the fact its on a supercar level, so it could make a helluva difference to how they set the ve up for the track.

[Patrio7]

it wouldnt be as good but wouldnt it be funny if they did a 100% stock fpv and hsv race, at least they way the manufactuers could pit one against the other to show which truely is the better factory form, rather than the usual shell on a frame idiocy

[klaw81]

it wouldnt be as good but wouldnt it be funny if they did a 100% stock fpv and hsv race, at least they way the manufactuers could pit one against the other to show which truely is the better factory form, rather than the usual shell on a frame idiocy

I suggested something similar in this thread: VE Supercars

Why wouldn't it be as good? Admittedly the speeds would be slower, but the racing would theoretically be close enough to be interesting & entertaining, and the race would actually have some relevance.

I love the way the marketing man talks about Holden's "considerable motorsport heritage" and somehow makes it sound like they actually race Commodores. When was the last time a real street Commodore raced in Bathurst?

[minux]

It is a pity that from the front the guards look way overflared, it almost seems liek the front bar needs to be modified to blend more into the guards..side on it looks like a vicious racecar

[chappy]

Yer it sure looks good but WHY will it be faster?

Same running gear.
Same gear box.
Same motor.
Same diff ratios to select from.
Same brakes.
Even the same drivers.

So how is it going to be faster unless they have use slippery paint!

I though there are restriction in place inforced by C.A.M.S. that restrects what you can and can not have.

But hey I am just asking the question HOW!

[hakhawk]

read s0sages post, motor is in a different position to the vz, there will be other suspension changes in regards to wheelbase length, maybe wider track width, it may be runing same motor, box, etc but the new setup could prove to be much quicker through corners now.

[1991_Vn2nV]

the engine is mounted directly over the front axles ... how could it possibly be anything LIKE a vz???? just that characteristic alone completely alters the way a car handles ... exascerbated only by the fact its on a supercar level, so it could make a helluva difference to how they set the ve up for the track.

Are you sure this is still the case? Remember this is NOT a VE.

This car LOOKS like a VE. The dimensions are all different, width and length have been changed to keep it within regulations. The entire middle section of the car is completely custom.

Entire suspension setup is different.. Are you sure the engine is mounted in the same position for the VE Supercar as the actual VE?

[immortality]

if the VE supercar has inherited the front wheel dimensions of it's road car heritage i.e. further forward and the engine is mounted as before i.e. VZ (and i'd suggest the engine mounting position hasn't changed much between the VZ and VE, it's more the fact that the front wheels have moved forward in relation to the whole car) therefor creating a better ballanced car under accelaration/braking cornering etc. even if cams have forced holden to shorten the chassis to bring the wheel base back to racing rules specs the front wheel position in relation to the car/engine & gearbox is what is important. it should mean a car that turns in better, is less nervous under braking into corners etc. it may not be faster in a straight line etc but the important thing is it should handle better. all this seems to be confirmed by todd kellys comments about it been " the best handling race car" he has ever driven. it still sucks however that we have once again been penalised for having a good car. i'm sure ford was never penalised like this when they brought the BA/BF onto the race scene

[1991_Vn2nV]

if the VE supercar has inherited the front wheel dimensions of it's road car heritage i.e. further forward and the engine is mounted as before i.e. VZ (and i'd suggest the engine mounting position hasn't changed much between the VZ and VE, it's more the fact that the front wheels have moved forward in relation to the whole car) therefor creating a better ballanced car under accelaration/braking cornering etc. even if cams have forced holden to shorten the chassis to bring the wheel base back to racing rules specs the front wheel position in relation to the car/engine & gearbox is what is important. it should mean a car that turns in better, is less nervous under braking into corners etc. it may not be faster in a straight line etc but the important thing is it should handle better. all this seems to be confirmed by todd kellys comments about it been " the best handling race car" he has ever driven. it still sucks however that we have once again been penalised for having a good car. i'm sure ford was never penalised like this when they brought the BA/BF onto the race scene

If you took a look at any photo's of the VE, you would see the road car has the engine ALOT further back than in the VZ.

You misquoted by the way, Kelly did not say it was the best HANDLING race car he has ever driven. He said this: "“That would have to be the best race car I’ve ever driven."