15 January, 2016. 14:34
ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
A PROJECT 17 YEARS in the making has finally come to fruition.
It’s been a bumpy road for the Holden Caulfield. Early on in development, it was prone to breaking down – leading many to believe it was a phoney off-roader, something akin to a Toyota Rav4.
But many drivers have been able to identify with the struggles and problems the Caulfield has faced.
Powered by an honest but completely unreliable 6.2L V8 engine, pundits have said the powerplant has potential, but is held back in Australia especially because it simply smokes too much for our tough emission regulations.
In a statement released today by Holden, they agreed that the new model has had a traumatic past.
“The most noticeable feature of GM’s behaviour is how extremely judgmental they are of almost everything and everybody in the Australian market,”
“But Holden customers carry this penchant for passing judgment, especially around October, to such an extreme that it often becomes extremely offensive, such as when they speculate that Ford are so crass that someone will probably write âfuck youâ on Peter Brock’s tombstone.”
This heralds a new direction for the besieged car manufacturer, who’s rivals are looking towards greener, more socialist options.
Ford announced earlier this year that they’re developing a similar model, which is currently known as “Project Stradlater”. Early image suggest it has a far more confident design than the Caulfield and it’s engine is thought to produce more horsepower and torque. Another added bonus for Ford is that it’s already lost it’s Australian racing virginity, something that the Caulfield hopes to achieve in the coming months.
Japanese car maker Nissan has followed suit, saying that their race cars this year will be made with sustainable materials, with their drivers and pit crews being selected from a pool of asylum seekers.
The Holden Caulfield will be on sale from March 2017.
