Just as Cadillac did in Detroit with the CTS Coupe, Holden has stolen its home town auto show in Melbourne, Australia, with a stunning, secret two door. Called the Coupe 60, the car is based on the VE Commodore, and celebrates the 60th anniversary of the launch of the very first all-Australian Holden.
The Coupe 60 is powered by an E85-capable 6.0-liter V-8 mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Painted a one off shade called "diamond silver," it sits on jumbo-size 21-inch wheels shorn with Kumho high performance rubber and gives off a menacing glare supplied by the aggressive aerodynamic bodywork -- low front airdam, side exhausts protruding from the side skirts, large rear diffuser, and a trunk lid spoiler. To top it off, the underbody of the car was specifically designed to be fully flat.
The black interior, accented by gunmetal inserts on the panels has a futuristic feel -- the gauge cluster is LCD-based and fully digital, and the flat-bottom steering wheel features an integrated shift light. The leather/suede sport bucket seats, made out from carbon fiber and accented by red stripes, are of a single-piece design and feature four-point racing harnesses four all four seating positions.
Look past the show-car eyewash -- the big wheels, race-car splitter at the front, and side-exit exhausts -- and it's clear the Coupe 60 is more than just a handsome show-pony. The bumper cuts front and rear, production lighting system, production instrument panel, and the fact it rolls on the same wheelbase as the Commodore sedan means this car is certainly production feasible.
Holden designers pulled the same trick as Cadillac did with the CTS Coupe -- chopping 2.25 in from behind the Commodore sedan's rear wheels and 2.35 in off the roof to change the proportions. As with the CTS Coupe, a production version of the Coupe 60 would have B-pillars to maintain rigidity and meet side impact regulations.
The thing is, will GM build it? Holden managing director Mark Reuss has said that, at least for now, the Coupe 60 is staying just a concept. But the Coupe 60 could, of course, easily become the next generation Holden Monaro.
The problem is, the Monaro is not a huge volume seller in Australia. To make a production version viable, Holden would almost certainly need one of GM's U.S. divisions to take the car. Pontiac is the obvious choice -- the G8 front clip, left hand drive interior set, badges, and other bits have already been engineered and basically would bolt straight on.
But GM execs are nervous that with the impending launch of the Camaro and Challenger, the mid-price rear drive coupe market could be getting a little too crowded to support a Pontiac two-door as well.
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