So Who Has Ordered A VF / Gen F?

[COSMOS]

I ordered a red-hot VF SV6 wagon last Wednesday... delivery in about a month.

Car finally turned up - fantastic. Have owned three VE series 1 and one VE series two (plus a VR, VT and VYII) and this is by far the best. Very comfortable to drive, better get up and go, nicer interior and more fruit. Am seriously considering buying myself a ute and keeping Candy the GTI for weekend stuff. Wifey drives the new wagon, I take it on weekends as the team car to carry to road or mountain bikes to rides.

[SS V8]

The black bit on the front is the sports armour . Looks a bit out of style but will do the job of helping to stop the scuffing of the front bar . Also has the blacked out grill , vents etc . Actually looks a bit better with a front on shot . Also got the bigger rear spoiler .

Looks good, even the body armour in black looks good, nice one Holden.

With the extra fruit the SS and Redline have picked up, the gap to HSV has deminished in looks and definitely cost.
Just look at the base Clubsport and Clubsport R8 getting a mere lip boot spoiler, which makes them look like an Evoke from the rear (okay yes the tail pipes I know, but still nothing like E1-E2-E3 to Holden VE donor differentiation) .
Looking at E1 to E2 and E3 even if the hit you in the eye DRL wasn't your preference there was no mistaking you were being passed by a HSV vehicle, the rear led tail lamps differing from stock Holden VE, whereas now they look to close to Holden.

From E1 to E3 there was a natural and expected progression (except the boot spoilers slowly ever so slightly were reduced in height apparently for rear vision... I thought that was what a reversing rear camera was for.. go figure. And if I'm driving & your behind me, I don't care.. stay there) with more fruit to savour, until Gen F went back to step 1 (maybe this is the plan?).

My thoughts and HSV has been told since every 2years I upgrade, so I've had E1-E2 and still have E3 is drop the base Clubsport (given Holdens price reduction the base Clubby doesn't cut it and cheapens the HSV brand).
In sedans start with Clubsport R8 325 (natural progression up from 317) with SSV Redline bigger boot spoiler,
Then Clubsport R8 SV with 340kw and Gen F GTS boot spoiler,
Finishing with GTS 430kw with a Subaru STI or V8 Supercar style spoiler, getting back to clear visual model differentiation and build on top of the previous E3 features.
Road test report, Redline versus a Clubsport as being 0.1 sec difference, & given a stock but "loaded" Redline is around $56D/A and it picks up what was only in HSV launch control, and know also heads up display, leather, factory sunroof, yet the base Clubby loses out on some fruit like EDS, leather and 20's and is around $63D/A.

Is it any wonder Holden is having trouble keeping up with Redline orders (not just the wheels) it has to be the "best' value from Holden ever, time for HSV to rethink GTS isn't their only model and for fuxxx sake put led tailights in the tourer wagon

[Vulture]

Some good points there SSV8.
I think HSV should also have more differentiation from the side with the fender vents like they did in the E series.
The black inserts on the side of my GTS look cheap. Plus they really need to work on the quality issues.
But you can keep the STi/V8 Supercar spoiler idea - no thanks!

[CLUBRED]

Quick Q, can you get a non-R8 Tourer?

[Stevieboy34]

Looks good, even the body armour in black looks good, nice one Holden.

With the extra fruit the SS and Redline have picked up, the gap to HSV has deminished in looks and definitely cost.
Just look at the base Clubsport and Clubsport R8 getting a mere lip boot spoiler, which makes them look like an Evoke from the rear (okay yes the tail pipes I know, but still nothing like E1-E2-E3 to Holden VE donor differentiation) .
Looking at E1 to E2 and E3 even if the hit you in the eye DRL wasn't your preference there was no mistaking you were being passed by a HSV vehicle, the rear led tail lamps differing from stock Holden VE, whereas now they look to close to Holden.

From E1 to E3 there was a natural and expected progression (except the boot spoilers slowly ever so slightly were reduced in height apparently for rear vision... I thought that was what a reversing rear camera was for.. go figure. And if I'm driving & your behind me, I don't care.. stay there) with more fruit to savour, until Gen F went back to step 1 (maybe this is the plan?).

My thoughts and HSV has been told since every 2years I upgrade, so I've had E1-E2 and still have E3 is drop the base Clubsport (given Holdens price reduction the base Clubby doesn't cut it and cheapens the HSV brand).
In sedans start with Clubsport R8 325 (natural progression up from 317) with SSV Redline bigger boot spoiler,
Then Clubsport R8 SV with 340kw and Gen F GTS boot spoiler,
Finishing with GTS 430kw with a Subaru STI or V8 Supercar style spoiler, getting back to clear visual model differentiation and build on top of the previous E3 features.
Road test report, Redline versus a Clubsport as being 0.1 sec difference, & given a stock but "loaded" Redline is around $56D/A and it picks up what was only in HSV launch control, and know also heads up display, leather, factory sunroof, yet the base Clubby loses out on some fruit like EDS, leather and 20's and is around $63D/A.

Is it any wonder Holden is having trouble keeping up with Redline orders (not just the wheels) it has to be the "best' value from Holden ever, time for HSV to rethink GTS isn't their only model and for fuxxx sake put led tailights in the tourer wagon

Mate, I could not agree with you more and that's a really well thought out comment. My problem is after purchasing a new VZ SSZ then a VE SS I really wanted to upgrade to a VF HSV. Problem is I am really struggling with going from a Redline 50odd k car which looks quite similar to a Clubsport that seems to actually have less aside from the bodykit, LS3 and brakes... I have always wanted an HSV with the trick seats etc but at 78k DA for a base R8 it just seems way too much over the Redline...

[Plenty]

Quick Q, can you get a non-R8 Tourer?

No!

(10 Char)

[Plenty]

Mate, I could not agree with you more and that's a really well thought out comment. My problem is after purchasing a new VZ SSZ then a VE SS I really wanted to upgrade to a VF HSV. Problem is I am really struggling with going from a Redline 50odd k car which looks quite similar to a Clubsport that seems to actually have less aside from the bodykit, LS3 and brakes... I have always wanted an HSV with the trick seats etc but at 78k DA for a base R8 it just seems way too much over the Redline...

The base model HSV sedan is the Clubsport, it can be had for around $60k D/A but obviously misses out on the electrical fruit. The next step up is the Clubsport R8 and that is the same level equipment as the Redline, it can be had for around $72k D/A and a VF SS for around the $45k D/A mark.

There is roughly $10k dif between the Redline and the SS the same as the difference between the R8 and the Clubsport. So if you factor in the $10k more for the LS3, the brakes, the bodykit, the suspension, the tyres, the better seats and of course the "prestige" of the brand that $10k is arguably not to bad value.

If you then add in the electronic fruit the R8 has over the base Clubsport then it's roughly the same as the Redline to SS. It's all relative as far as i can see it just depends how much you can stretch the budget and what appeals the most, the luxury (Redline) or the performance (Clubsport) or both luxury and performance (Clubsport R8).

This is the logic i put behind it, whether it's right or not i guess is a matter of opinion.

[GTS LSA]

^

I think you hit the nail on the head, a bloke the other day was bagging gts's...too similar to clubbie etc ( obviously ill in formed) ... I didnt crap on about it but suggested he investigate the extra's you can't see just by looking at it.... That's what makes the car IMO.... and chalk and cheese IMO

Hard to go past the redline on value, but I would only stick with HSV, but thats just me

[Plenty]

^

I think you hit the nail on the head, a bloke the other day was bagging gts's...too similar to clubbie etc ( obviously ill in formed) ... I didnt crap on about it but suggested he investigate the extra's you can't see just by looking at it.... That's what makes the car IMO.... and chalk and cheese IMO

Hard to go past the redline on value, but I would only stick with HSV, but thats just me

Yep, unfortunately it's only the visual differences that people generally see and make a comparison based on that alone. Look a little deeper and you start to see where the extra $$$ goes.

[heavyduty1340]

My SSV ute was dropped of at SQP by Holden yesterday

Just waiting on the call from John to say shes ready to pick up, so hopefully I will get to see/drive her on Thurs woohoo

[SS V8]

The base model HSV sedan is the Clubsport, it can be had for around $60k D/A but obviously misses out on the electrical fruit. The next step up is the Clubsport R8 and that is the same level equipment as the Redline, it can be had for around $72k D/A and a VF SS for around the $45k D/A mark.

There is roughly $10k dif between the Redline and the SS the same as the difference between the R8 and the Clubsport. So if you factor in the $10k more for the LS3, the brakes, the bodykit, the suspension, the tyres, the better seats and of course the "prestige" of the brand that $10k is arguably not to bad value.

If you then add in the electronic fruit the R8 has over the base Clubsport then it's roughly the same as the Redline to SS. It's all relative as far as i can see it just depends how much you can stretch the budget and what appeals the most, the luxury (Redline) or the performance (Clubsport) or both luxury and performance (Clubsport R8).

This is the logic i put behind it, whether it's right or not i guess is a matter of opinion.

Hey all great comments/opinions, but as I found a Redline $55k now gets so much of the fruit previously reserved for HSV (launch control, heads up, lane crash avoidance, brembo, standard sunroof, standard leather) that gap and thanks to Holden's almost 10K reduction is far better bang for your buck than an equivalently spec R8 at over 75K (and no sunroof, no leather). Like one said you pay for that exclusivity sure but what you get exclusively apart from the three letter HSV is down when you look at E3 to VE. Maybe series 2 Gen F will claw back in front of Holden and not just more KW.
Would love to see Wheels or Motor do a road test comparison VF Redline 270kw Vs Clubsport 317, 325 340 Vs GTS 430, then compare those figures with the VE and E3 figures, specs and purchase/running co$ts to give a "real" comparison.

Sure you pay for the development, which again has more passed onto the buyer when its from a smaller (in terms of mass sale numbers) manufacturer than the mother company can do by absorbing costs saved from using features developed somewhere else in the global manufacturing of the parent company (hence the price reductions). No manufacturer would ever sell at a "real" loss. Never ever believe any Sales speak, when they say what we pay + $1, its all bull---t they still make money just not as much as they would prefer. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but they still never sell at a loss.

[heavyduty1340]

Picked my ute up from SQP today - WOW is all I can say

I had his delivered from GMH to SQP for John to play with.

I wanted to cam and blow it from new, but John thought the blowers were over priced atm and convinced me to just cam and tune it for now.

He installed a full Difillipo system along with a stout cam and full dod delete, mafless tune, box tune etc etc along with tastefully lowering it for me as well!.

Result was one fast ute with 438hp on tap - how good have we got it now eh??

[Evman]

Nice Faedy!

[Shane-o]

Just got my redline today, Very impressed!
A lot smoother than I thought, Was worried the FE3 along with the low profiles would be a bit much but it's way smoother than my old VY SS.
Steering is perfect, Not too hard or soft. Love the 275 tyres on rear in this Melbourne weather(rain), Juts feel more confident when I am pulling out onto a main road in wet, Arse end doesn't slide.
First time experiencing Brembo brakes and wow just wow.
Got the sports armour on the front makes it a little more aggressive and lower.
If this rain ever stops I'll post up some pics one day.
Very very impressed with car it isn't a minor update at all as some would argue, Don't go just off the looks from VE, Go and test drive one.

[heavyduty1340]

Ok - got a niggle

How t f do I stop the horn beeping twice when I lock it from the fob?

Lock it from thew door handles if fine - no beeping.

I have tried dead locking the hard cover, but it still beeps
I can stop it by unplugging the spade terminal connection on the drivers side hard lid strut, but not sure if it is strut, lock problem etc

TIA

Faedy

ps - absolutely loving it so far