- 27
The old debate - Holden v Ford. The comparison was ripe for the writing, so I did it. The FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles) F6 Typhoon versus the Holden Commodore SS. Here it is...
The cool air is frosting our breath the instant it leaves our mouths. Bob and I are wandering toward the two rather unassuming cars parked across the road. Although they look a bit understated, they definitely have much more poke than your average Camry. One packs a turbocharged 4-litre punch, the other an almighty 5.7 litre knockout blow. One develops 269kW, the other a slightly smaller 244kW. Two cars, seemingly similar, but dig below the surface and you will find some very stark differences…
One of these cars is a brand spanking new Ford F6 Typhoon, painted in a very quick looking yellow, the other, a similarly new Holden Commodore SS, is an evil looking black – ‘Phantom Mica’ in Holdenspeak. They sit there, begging for me to take them by the neck and shake them about, but I can’t. I’m on the road. I need to be sensible, refrained. So instead I get in and sit in the tight-wrapping bucket seat of the SS. As I rev the engine, a primeval roar escapes the bonnet, and the big Commodore leaps forth. Similar things happened when Bob gave his F6 Typhoon a prod, and we’re soon making our way toward our ultimate destination – the track.
Performance testing – the perspiration of motoring journalism. To save time, fuel, and tires, each car was restricted to three runs over the standing quarter mile. Traction control was left in original settings, and the automatic tranny on the cars provided an even playing field. The big Ford returned a best time of 13.762 seconds – not bad for something weighing in at a not-so-slim 1776 kilograms. This result was achieved by launching at about 5000 rpm, then flooring the loud pedal and letting the engine do the rest. The only drawback was the gears, which felt a little long-winded due to the absence of a sixth ratio.
A quick change of wheels saw me again clambering behind the wheel of the SS. Immediate thoughts were that the Commodore would be much faster – the gears felt swift, the take-off neat and precise and the acceleration fast. We were shocked when the results came in – the SS felt its 25 kW power deficit in the standing start. The result was a respectable 14.158 seconds, largely due to a change into fourth gear, whereas the Ford just managed to hold third until it crossed the line.
Top speed testing saw us head out to the banked testing ring near our testing ring. Both cars performed fairly well, although the Ford won the day with a top speed of 275 km/h versus the 270 km/h for the Holden. The big SS failed to reach higher speeds because of its useless sixth gear. As soon as the auto changed up, the car lost speed and revs. In fact, further testing discovered that this gear would only hold its own until about 150 km/h. Even at highway cruising speed (110 km/h), acceleration was pathetically slow, as the engine was only revving at about 1300 rpm. Fifth saw 2 grand on the tacho and decent acceleration resulted.
Next, our two Aussie stormers took to the track, with the Commodore going first to set the pace for the Ford to follow. On the track, the big SS feels composed, if a bit sluggish around corners. With standard ESP, it has great turn-in grip, but fails through the mid-corner and exits. Turn the ESP off, and it’s a different story. Turn-in is still good, but on the exits to corners the Holden just blasts away. Although down on power to the FPV, the SS still has huge power and torque down low, so there it’s not compulsory to always be in the perfect rpm range. Then the Ford took to our track, and immediately commanded my attention. The car may weigh 120-odd kilograms more than the Commodore, but it doesn’t feel it. It manages to stash the kilos and get on with the job. Turn-in, mid corner grip and corner exits were all great, whether the ASM was on or off. The only thing hampering the Ford was its hugely long gear ratios that failed to see fifth around the track. In the hands of my able co-driver Bob, the cars recorded these times:
Holden Commodore SS: 1:30.278
Ford FPV F6 Typhoon: 1:28.682
Overall, the SS is just too boring. It looks plain, sounds plain and drives plain. Its engine is 1.4 litres larger than the Ford’s, but has lots less power. It feels every one of its 1658 kilos. Its useless sixth and dull driving experience all add up to a dull car.
The Ford is a completely different matter. It looks more special than the average Falcon, sounds better, and hides its weight well. When driving these cars, it’s difficult to believe that the F6 weighs 118 kg more than the SS. It’s so much more nimble through turns. It just feels much, much faster. There’s nearly no turbo lag, with masses of torque (550 NM) down where it’s needed. It will cruise at 110 km/h in fifth with 2 grand on the tachometer.
The Holden thinks it’s the best, despite it’s dynamic problems. It’s for people who want to think they’re cool. The Ford doesn’t. It’s not. It’s for people who want a real driving car. That’s it. That’s the difference.
Holden Commodore SS:
5.7 litre V8, 244 kW, 464.51 NM, 1658 kg, 40 430 Cr
Ford FPV F6 Typhoon ’04:
4 litre L6, 269 kW, 550 NM, 1776 kg, 46 740 Cr
Terrors Australis
The cool air is frosting our breath the instant it leaves our mouths. Bob and I are wandering toward the two rather unassuming cars parked across the road. Although they look a bit understated, they definitely have much more poke than your average Camry. One packs a turbocharged 4-litre punch, the other an almighty 5.7 litre knockout blow. One develops 269kW, the other a slightly smaller 244kW. Two cars, seemingly similar, but dig below the surface and you will find some very stark differences…
One of these cars is a brand spanking new Ford F6 Typhoon, painted in a very quick looking yellow, the other, a similarly new Holden Commodore SS, is an evil looking black – ‘Phantom Mica’ in Holdenspeak. They sit there, begging for me to take them by the neck and shake them about, but I can’t. I’m on the road. I need to be sensible, refrained. So instead I get in and sit in the tight-wrapping bucket seat of the SS. As I rev the engine, a primeval roar escapes the bonnet, and the big Commodore leaps forth. Similar things happened when Bob gave his F6 Typhoon a prod, and we’re soon making our way toward our ultimate destination – the track.
Performance testing – the perspiration of motoring journalism. To save time, fuel, and tires, each car was restricted to three runs over the standing quarter mile. Traction control was left in original settings, and the automatic tranny on the cars provided an even playing field. The big Ford returned a best time of 13.762 seconds – not bad for something weighing in at a not-so-slim 1776 kilograms. This result was achieved by launching at about 5000 rpm, then flooring the loud pedal and letting the engine do the rest. The only drawback was the gears, which felt a little long-winded due to the absence of a sixth ratio.
A quick change of wheels saw me again clambering behind the wheel of the SS. Immediate thoughts were that the Commodore would be much faster – the gears felt swift, the take-off neat and precise and the acceleration fast. We were shocked when the results came in – the SS felt its 25 kW power deficit in the standing start. The result was a respectable 14.158 seconds, largely due to a change into fourth gear, whereas the Ford just managed to hold third until it crossed the line.
Top speed testing saw us head out to the banked testing ring near our testing ring. Both cars performed fairly well, although the Ford won the day with a top speed of 275 km/h versus the 270 km/h for the Holden. The big SS failed to reach higher speeds because of its useless sixth gear. As soon as the auto changed up, the car lost speed and revs. In fact, further testing discovered that this gear would only hold its own until about 150 km/h. Even at highway cruising speed (110 km/h), acceleration was pathetically slow, as the engine was only revving at about 1300 rpm. Fifth saw 2 grand on the tacho and decent acceleration resulted.
Next, our two Aussie stormers took to the track, with the Commodore going first to set the pace for the Ford to follow. On the track, the big SS feels composed, if a bit sluggish around corners. With standard ESP, it has great turn-in grip, but fails through the mid-corner and exits. Turn the ESP off, and it’s a different story. Turn-in is still good, but on the exits to corners the Holden just blasts away. Although down on power to the FPV, the SS still has huge power and torque down low, so there it’s not compulsory to always be in the perfect rpm range. Then the Ford took to our track, and immediately commanded my attention. The car may weigh 120-odd kilograms more than the Commodore, but it doesn’t feel it. It manages to stash the kilos and get on with the job. Turn-in, mid corner grip and corner exits were all great, whether the ASM was on or off. The only thing hampering the Ford was its hugely long gear ratios that failed to see fifth around the track. In the hands of my able co-driver Bob, the cars recorded these times:
Holden Commodore SS: 1:30.278
Ford FPV F6 Typhoon: 1:28.682
Overall, the SS is just too boring. It looks plain, sounds plain and drives plain. Its engine is 1.4 litres larger than the Ford’s, but has lots less power. It feels every one of its 1658 kilos. Its useless sixth and dull driving experience all add up to a dull car.
The Ford is a completely different matter. It looks more special than the average Falcon, sounds better, and hides its weight well. When driving these cars, it’s difficult to believe that the F6 weighs 118 kg more than the SS. It’s so much more nimble through turns. It just feels much, much faster. There’s nearly no turbo lag, with masses of torque (550 NM) down where it’s needed. It will cruise at 110 km/h in fifth with 2 grand on the tachometer.
The Holden thinks it’s the best, despite it’s dynamic problems. It’s for people who want to think they’re cool. The Ford doesn’t. It’s not. It’s for people who want a real driving car. That’s it. That’s the difference.
Holden Commodore SS:
5.7 litre V8, 244 kW, 464.51 NM, 1658 kg, 40 430 Cr
Ford FPV F6 Typhoon ’04:
4 litre L6, 269 kW, 550 NM, 1776 kg, 46 740 Cr
.
. My typhoon can do a 6'03 around Nur', fully modded, whilst I cant even get a decent lap in the skittish Holden 
