Sleek Chevvy in Holden mix

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

Like the look of the Chevrolet SS Coupe, a starry-eyed concept for American motor show audiences? It's a longshot but the production model could be built in right-hand-drive from about 2006.

The rear-drive SS was designed in General Motors' California styling studio and described as a "modern interpretation of Chevrolet's heritage, a contemporary four-door family sedan-turned-sports car." It was also described as a "V8 interpretation of the Mazda RX-8."

But the SS has under the bonnet GM's Generation IV 6-litre V8, the latest development of the Generation III 5.7-litre V8, which powers Holden Commodore and HSV vehicles.

GM is at the moment highlighting the new engine and the car's rear-drive layout at motor shows in the US.

But the only rear-drive platform in the GM world at present comes from Holden.

Speculation is that the SS could be built on the next-generation VE Commodore platform now that Holden and GM are talking about the same platform underpinning other cars from Buick, Chevrolet and Pontiac.

The Monaro-based Pontiac GTO goes on sale in America in September and the deal is the first step towards Holden becoming GM's global development centre for rear-wheel-drive vehicles, a responsibility that would extend to having a key role in US vehicle manufacture.

Holden chairman and managing director Peter Hanenberger met with GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz and key production executives after the Pontiac GTO was unveiled in the US last month. The GTO is being built at Holden's plant in Adelaide; 18,000 models will be exported annually, an initial quota set by the America's United Auto Workers union.

Other next-generation Holden models seen as suitable for American production around 2006 and beyond include the Commodore ute as the reborn Chevrolet El Camino and the long-wheelbase Statesman as the Buick Road Master.

Hanenberger is also keen to find a place in the American market for the upcoming all-wheel-drive, four-door Cross8 ute, but reaction from Lutz and his executives to the vehicle has been low-key. (The Cross8 will go on sale in New Zealand later this year.)

The VE Commodore platform will be introduced in Australia in 2005 and has been specifically developed for global use to fit rear-drive and all-wheel-drive.

Lutz has talked for some time about exploiting Holden's rear-drive expertise within the GM empire and the flexible VE platform opens up new possibilities.

He told reporters at the GTO unveiling: "They (Holden) just do probably - from a value standpoint - the world's best rear-wheel-drive car, because they achieve extremely close to the dynamic excellence of a BMW for a far lower cost and price.

"That team has just demonstrated genuis in doing wonderful cost-effective rear-wheel-drive cars."

Hanenberger said that Holden was looking at export opportunities "to join the list of Australian companies which can truly lay claim to being global businesses."

Part of Holden's global plans include the sale of Monaro models in Britain from next year. The supercharged 3.8-litre CV6 and 5.7-litre CV8 will be sold through GM-Vauxhall dealers badged as Holdens.

Vauxhall managing director Kevin Wale, a former Holden executive, said his objective was to finalise a programme with Holden to take Monaro and then possibly other models.

"We will concentrate on getting Monaro up first and see what follows after that," he said.

Wale said the display of an unbadged CV8 at the Birmingham show last year had spurred on the plan to export Monaro to Britain.