scathing

That is true. Those Wheels knobs are just Nissan haters. Being in the pocket of Holden (who are probably still smarting from the Group A days) they paid Wheels to give the award to Mazda because they couldn't turn out a new Commodore in time.

Your typical JDM aftermarket coilovers will never be as comfortable as just lowering springs. Unfortunately the Japanese think that ultra-stiff suspension automatically equals better handling and no-one is interested in ride, but on the street that's rarely the case. In the end, a coilover kit is nothing more than a damper and a spring sold together. A spring and damper combo with certain rates will feel the same, no matter if they were sold separately or together. Try riding in a car with street oriented Eibach, Bilstein or Koni setups. They might change your mind when generalising about coilover kits.

That's what makes it worse as COTY. The 350Z shits all over the RX8 for PCOTY, but when you have to consider the car as a practical conveyance the 350Z just falls down. No rear seating, shithouse boot, bad rear visibility......

Now you know why people say Skylines are barges.

.If it can tow a jumbo jet, your 1500kg car should be a piece of piss.

Datsun 120Y. Its at least as good as a previous COTY winner, the Holden Camira.

And Wheels awards the entire range, not just one model. Like when the Impreza won, it wasn't just because of the outright pace of the WRX......it was also because the GX and RX were such solid cars for the money.

What's the shape got to do with it? The new Commodore looks like an Astra. But I know its, for the first time, all new and custom to holden rather than an Opel hand-me-down.

Hey, I'm not disagreeing that its wrong to go around moving someone's property without the requisite legal authority, and then doing it with due care. I just think the specific quote about "arrogance" is a big case of the pot describing the hue of the kettle. As for boycotting, people can choose to make a stand on their beliefs. I got shat on by my Nissan service centre with my car, so I elected to not go to them anymore. In the same way, if you don't support a country stoning of women for having a child out of wedlock (like that's a rare thing in f**k-hungry Africa) then why add to that country's tourism revenue? I'd be appalled enough at any Westerner doing it, let alone a western woman. I won't go into it anymore since its off-topic. Anyway......I still want that engine. I could find something to install a 3.2L twin turbo V8 into.

Some people pay extra for that

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for an SR / RB conversion I'd love an SR20DET powered E30 3 series, or an RB powered E34 5 series (although in the latter I'd probably go a 1U-ZFE and keep V8 power.

http://www.setup-tv.com/ I wonder if they'll bring the concept down to Australia if this works in the US? Given that we get most of our pop culture by pillaging the US it seems possible, but at the same time the powers-that-be seem to be allergic to anything that has anything to do with driving with skill rather than eyeballs glued to the speedo so its hard to say. I can imagine quite a few guys from here signing up if they were to bring this series to Australia.

The mods are dropping down in price as the cars become more common, and tuners get behind the engine. When I got my Z33, it was pretty much the first time that engine had appeared in a sports car. There was nothing on the market for it internationally, and what was there cost an arm and a leg. To put it in perspective, buying a HiTech / APS catback cost just under $2000 back then. A Fujitsubo SS was around $2700. And these were practically the only two on the market (aside from some US-made ones which would also have cost around AUD$2K landed), aside from titanium exhausts which were around $4000. JDM and US extractors were about AUD$1500 landed. These days I can get a Buddy Club catback for $1600 and JDM extractors for around $1000 (or UAS ones for $600). Munna - do you run that site? Do you have any data on the existance of a PowerFC for the VQ35DE? So far the only bespoke engine management systems I've found are the Unichip, TurboXS UTEC, HKS FConPro V and some American ones.

I hate the bodykit, but I want that engine. Unfortunately, should I ever obtain the engine I'd have to put that hideous bonnet on.

Or just get a tow rope and tow the damned thing out into the middle of the street (they surely have at least 1 vehicle with enough torque to do so), where it blocks all the snooty residents, and wait for the cops / council to sort it out. No risk of dropping the car then.

Yeah, for the street you don't need max power. You're either driving a commuter, where you only just need enough power to make gaps in traffic when overtaking, or you want a little fun "touge machine". For the former I think the bolt-ons on a GTS-t would be perfect. For the latter, I'd probably prefer something like a RenaultSport Clio, DC5 Type-R or MX5. They've got a reasonable power to weight, flexible engines, and with not much weight but lots of grip they're fun to throw around your favourite winding road without having to do ludicrous speed.

So you can join the dickhead brigade? Its OK. Didn't someone else park it on its roof for you?

Why would you want to break traction on the street? Evidently one person's fun is another person's cock-knockery. I'd want enough power to run a relatively hard touring tyre without having to worry about undue wheelspin. Something like a Dunlop 3000A or a Goodyear RS-02. And I'd want to ensure that I wasn't running so much boost that I'd be unable or unwilling to drive my car every day in Australian conditions, regardless of the weather. Even just the standard bolt ons (turbo back exhaust, FMIC, ECU + EBC) would be more than adequate for the street.

Most insurance companies (these days) will cover you for advanced driver training courses, that may be run off-street. You have to have a driving instructor in the car with you to be eligible. But if you're doing a practice session (let alone timed laps or racing for position) then you'll have to get specific track day insurance.....which will probably cost as much as the car. I don't think anyone covers those kinds of track sessions.

Ah. The DTS, which runs on R-Comps. Quite impressed with the SS' time though. 2 seconds is normally the kind of advantage you'd expect on semi slicks alone, let alone before all the handling and powertrain mods that a Clubsport gets. My mate has a 350Z that's got swaybars, catback, ECU and R-Comps (maybe pads too) and he runs 1:10. Those mods are little different to what HSV does to a standard Commodore SS, and he's not a pro driver. That said, the VE should be heaps quicker. A "properly" new platform, and more power. Mind you, I wouldn't mind seeing an E series car line up against the new 380RS.

How can you be sure? The last R8 was quicker than the 350Z in a straight line, and slower on the track. The 350Z lacks enough straight line urge, but it handles pretty well and can carry a high cornering speed. That said, 14 flat seems a bit slow for the VE HSV; I thought the SS runs in the 13's. I wouldn't mind seeing how a HSV R8 stacks up against a Nismo 350Z S-Tune. HSV being the "sporty tuner" arm of Holden these days, in terms of ethos I wouldn't mind seeing how it lines up against Nissan's. The S-Tune doesn't make that much more power than the standard 350Z, but it does cop some brake and suspension upgrades.

If we're talking New Zealanders, Lucy Lawless looks heaps hotter than this chick.

Dude, you wanted something that can carry shit. To me, that says "wagon" or "van". You could get an SUV, but then I'd have to hate you. Buying a sedan for carrying stuff is like buying a Paseo because you wanted a sports car.

Evidently you're blind or retarded as well as computer illiterate. Didn't you see what you're typing, and notice that everything is in capitals? Hmm...maybe the caps lock would be on at that point?

Maserati = Poor man's Ferrari He can collect the insurance and trade up to a proper car.