Holden Coupé 60 revealed

General Motor's Australian Holden division has unveiled a powerful new coupé that could eventually make its way to the UK.Revealed at the Melbourne motor show, the Coupé 60 and is designed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first GM Holden car to be built in the country.The Coupé is based on the Zeta rear-drive platform that underpins theVauxhall VXR8, but has a 60mm shorter rear overhang and a lower roofline.It's powered by a 6.0-litre V8 driving a six-speed manual box – about which Holden is saying nothing more than it can run on E85 Biofuel.Extremely aggressive styling is a hallmark of the project, with a very short front overhang, a deep sill section with side-exit exhausts and a large feature wing vent. It rolls on 21in alloys with centre lock nuts. The Coupé also gets a flat underbody, rear bumper diffuser and a Brembo brake system. The aggression continues inside, with heavily bolstered carbon fibre sports seats, four point harnesses and an LCD instrument cluster mounted on the binnacle. The two-door bodyside is also pillarless, which opens the way for a cabrio version if Holden decide to commission the vehicle. If it goes ahead, the Coupé is likely to be sold in the UK under Vauxhall badges, following on from the VXR8 saloon. GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mark Reuss said, "Coupé 60 isHolden'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."With Coupe 60 we think we have designed a car that has the potential to write another chapter in the book of Holden icons." Holden also showed its handsome rear-drive VE sportwagon in its finalshowroom form. It features both V6 and V8 engines and comes in seven trim levels including the sporting SSV.

Hilton Holloway