Commodore VT

The Holden VT Commodore, Berlina, plus Calais are the tenth iteration of the Holden Commodore, a full-size vehicle built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors. Released inside 1997, the VT was up-to-date because a element of the VT II revision inside 1999, before being changed by the VX model inside 2000.

The VT Commodore was called because the Wheels Car of the Year for 1997, the VT being the 4th Commodore series with have earned the yearly honor. It found willing popularity inside the marketplace because several customers steered away within the Ford AU Falcon, becoming the greatest marketing Commodore with date plus cementing its area because first inside Australian sales.

The VT project was the result of a A$600 million development programme which spanned over half a decade. The hot model sported a rounded outdoor body shell, improved dynamics, plus various firsts for an Australian-built automobile. A stronger body structure, 20 % stiffer than the VS improved crash protection.

As with past Commodore models, Holden looked with Opel inside Germany for a donor vehicle. The proposal was with take the Omega B plus broaden the vehicle’s width plus mechanical setup for nearby conditions. In the early days, Holden considered adopting the Omega because is, conserve for the machines plus transmissions, plus even reskinning the existing 2nd generation architecture. Later on, the VT bodywork spawned a modern generation of Statesman plus Caprice limousines. Holden even went because far because resurrecting the iconic Monaro coupé within the 1960s plus 1970s. The revived Monaro attracted broad attention following being shown because a concept auto at Australian car shows inside 1998, plus it drew a big waiting list following manufacturing began. The Monaro was introduced with the Australian marketplace inside 2001.

GM's American counterparts were interested inside incorporating a left-hand drive Commodore into the Buick lineup plus became associated inside the VT development cycle early about. Holden was offered money for the required technology changes along with a prototype was unveiled with the American public inside 1996 because the Buick XP2000 concept auto. The project, recognized internally because Project 127, was abandoned inside early 1994, perfectly before the VT's launch nevertheless Holden created the almost all of the condition by exporting left-hand drive VTs with components of Indochina as well as the Middle East badged because the Chevrolet Lumina. Thus started the Commodore's fast expansion into a amount of overseas markets including Brazil, because the Chevrolet Omega, plus later, with all the Monaro with the United States, where it was available by Pontiac beneath the GTO nameplate.

The Cadillac Catera, available inside the United States from 1997 with 2001, had been a rebadged Opel Omega MV6.

The VT heralded the fitment of semi-trailing arm independent back suspension because standard over the range. But, whenever initially carried over, the European shape was simplified with all the treatment of the toe control link, standard equipment found on the six-cylinder Omega because 1987. This enabled distortions with the suspension camber angle plus toe beneath thick weight, commonly occurring throughout thick towing or whenever going over undulated surfaces, leading with excessive back tyre wear. Holden's performance arm HSV re-added the toe control link found on the flagship GTS 300 model, based found on the Series II update. The supercharged V6 was uprated with 171 kilowatts within the past VS model. For the Series I, the supercharged engine was optional found on the S, SS, plus Calais trims. The supercharged V6 supply was revised for the Series II. No longer accessible found on the SS, it became optional found on the Berlina plus standard fitment of the Calais, though the naturally aspirated variation can be specified because a "delete option". Safety smart, side airbags became a choice for the Acclaim plus high models inside 1998, a initially for Holden.

The ECOTEC V6 stayed the same nevertheless, it received an up-to-date tune which created the Series II of the V6 somewhat quicker than the Series I. The VT had lost a few of the performance of the VS due with the noticeable fat heighten, and therefore can match neither its predecessor, or, many importantly, its competitor: the AU Falcon.

This 1999 update changed the venerable Holden 5.0 litre V8 engine with a unique 5.7 litre Gen III V8 sourced within the United States. The VT II inside Gen III V8 guise was reported by Wheels magazine inside 1999 with become the quickest Australian vehicle ever. The V8 was detuned with 220 kilowatts within the authentic adaptation, yet might get incremental force updates with 250 kilowatts throughout its amount of time in the Commodore. Cosmetically, the Series II VT changed amber signal lenses with well-defined lenses for both the side plus back turn signals. This was earlier just accessible found on the pre-Series II Calais. The up-to-date Calais moreover introduced a chrome strip found on the boot garnish.

The VT Commodore range was introduced about 26 August 1997 plus went about sale about 5 September changing the VS Commodore. 100,000 units had been available inside the 22 months leading as much as the launch of the VT Series II about 1 June 1999. Production of all VTs totalled 303,895 before the substitution of the VT by the VX Commodore range inside August 2000.