My mates one I drove that had a knob under the gearstick was an SSV. I'm not hundred percent sure if it did have MRC but it was very smooth around corners with real minimal body roll feeling which felt great.
When my other mate took me in his GTS it also had the same knob in the same position.
There's something unusual going on here ... no SS-V of any sort ever got MRC, or in fact, that knob.
The very last build special edition cars did, I can't remember if both of Director and Motorsport got it (at least one did), but you couldn't mistake either of those for an SS-V or SS-V Redline. And where that knob is in an HSV is a small pocket in almost all Holdens.
US market SS-V Redlines (actually Chevrolet SS's) had MRC. Your mate might have retrofitted it from another Commodore or HSV.
But ClubSports don't have MRC ... they do have the dial there though, it adjusts other stuff like traction control etc. And your mate may have fitted that controller to control the same stuff as in the Clubsport, too.
This all says you definitely have to test drive whatever you're considering buying, given your mate's SS-V isn't indicative of a normal SS-V (and isn't even necessarily any better than a stock VF2 SS-V Redline either).
There's been a LOT of info bouncing around this thread, the fact that equipment levels & mechanicals vary so much year-to-year probably makes it really hard to decide what you want. I don't think you can make this purchase decision based on specs, because the exact year-model you find for sale might not even have what you want fitted to it once you drive it.
I reckon your test-drive list needs to include (in no particular order):
- VF2 SS-V Redline (I reckon currently ~$65k, insurance ~$1k/yr which I'm deriving from my $50k-insured VF1 costing us ~$650/yr)
- Gen-F Clubsport (very similar to the above, insurance may be a bit more)
- Gen-F2 Clubsport (I reckon around $100k, insurance ~$1600/yr based on tml678's cost)
- Gen-F & Gen-F2 GTS (unsure on cost, will be from VF2 pricing for higher km's to more than Gen-F2 Clubsport)
- A manual & an auto SS-V Redline or Gen-F Clubsport, to compare (I think this will let you decide whether you want manual or auto for either of these LS3-powered cars)
- A manual & an auto in any Gen-F2 car or any GTS (as this will tell you whether you want a manual or auto in the LSA-engined cars)
In your search you might come across other alternatives which might suit ... eg. the HSV Senator, which was supposed to be their luxury car but is still very capable in terms of funs & fasts.