– By Marc Sibbald –
It’s hard to believe it’s possible but the engineers at Holden have done it. They have used some smart Australian engineering, and a bit of jealousy, to make the VFII Commodore 6.2 litre LS3 V8 engine the best sounding V8 ever produced.
The engineering comes in the form of a BiModal exhaust, the ‘Baillie Tip’ and a Mechanical Sound Enhancer. And they were driven to develop these things after lots of customer feedback and some head turning everytime an AMG V8 drove past.
At the recent Holden product launch for fleet managers in Sydney, Ben Lasry, general manager product marketing, explained to Fleet Auto News that V8 customers are easy to please. “They really only want two things” says Lasry. “They want more of kilowatts. And they want more noise”.
After driving a number of variants at Sydney Motorsport Park I would say the Holden engineers have met the brief.
The BiModal exhaust isn’t a new development and it’s what AMG, and other manufacturers, have used for years to get that emotion stirring exhaust note from their vehicles. By placing a valve in the exhaust the Commodore driver can control, via the infotainment system, the flow of exhaust gases to deliver a sporty the V8 sound or a refined exhaust note.
It’s the Mechanical Sound Enhancer (MSE) that I really liked when driving the car. It allows the driver and passengers to enjoy the sweet sounding induction noise from inside the cabin as the 6.2 litre V8 converts fresh air into kilowatts of fun.
On the Holden website it describes the MSE as something that “enhances induction noise and supplies targeted frequencies into the cabin”.
The last piece of the technology puzzle is the ‘Baillie Tip’ which was developed exclusively for the VFII and is subject to several patents around the world. According to Lasry it reverberates noise from the exhaust into the cabin instead of sending it out the back of the car which adds to aural experience of driving a V8.
Holden’s Chief Engineer, Andrew Holmes, said the Baillie Tip was an integral piece of VFII’s new sound character and the naming of it is a fitting tribute to its creator, Dr. David Baillie.
“The Baillie Tip is a very smart but simple piece of engineering that contributes to the overall vehicle beautifully. Sadly, we lost David to Leukemia earlier this year and naming the part after him was a non-negotiable tribute that all the Holden engineers wanted to do,” said Mr. Holmes.
Several years ago I drove a V8 Holden and found myself developing an interesting habit. Each morning I would unlock the car and reach in though the open door to start the engine while still standing outside just to hear the V8 roar to life.
I have no doubt that the new owners of the most powerful Commodore ever will develop the same habit.
