Holden Commodore Director 2017 Review

What’s it all about?
The controversially-named Director is one of three limited-run models that farewell the locally-developed and manufactured Holden Commodore and mark the end of local production by Australia’s car brand.

Based on the VFII Calais V, it is effectively a parts-bin special designed to deliver an exclusive high-performance package for true fans of Team Red.

The Director name harks back to the last car that Peter Brock’s HDT Special Vehicles outfit built for Holden. It was intended to be the ultimate sports luxury Commodore and had the potential to be exported. Instead, the car was at the centre of the energy polarizer imbroglio and only a handful was ever built.

Holden says bestowing the Director name on this car recognises it has a similar aim to Brock’s 1987 VL Calais-based project. The classiest short-wheelbase Commodore ever?

The Director is powered by the same 304kW/570Nm LS3 V8 as the VFII Calais V but adds four-mode Magnetic Ride Control suspension (yep, as per Holden Special Vehicles), cross-drilled Brembo brake rotors front and rear and four-piston rear calipers from the Redline. In addition 20-inch staggered forged alloy wheels replace the standard 19s, there’s revised engine and transmission cooling, and bonnet vents (also from the Redline) though not the enlarged lower grille and fascia vents.

It also gets heated front sports seats and comes only as a six-speed auto equipped with paddle shifters. It misses out on the high-rate rear sub-frame bushes the Motorsport Edition gets. For more on the engineering story go here.

Cosmetic touches applied to the Director include an embroidered instrument panel, unique badging and decals, alloy pedals, a unique lip spoiler, a black roof, individual vehicle numbering and a unique build option code DIR and a commemorative presentation case.

Otherwise, the Director picks up the Calais V’s equipment list including a limited-slip diff, head-up display, front and rear park assist, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, blind-spot alert, reverse traffic alert, remote engine start, five-star ANCAP safety rating, six airbags, MyLink infotainment with 8.0-inch touch-screen, BOSE premium audio, sat-nav and dual-zone climate-control. For more on the product and pricing story go here.

Why should/shouldn’t I buy it?

The big change compared to the Calais V is the MRC suspension, which delivers three distinct steps in ride and handling balance. Yet curiously (despite the car’s different modus operandi), the calibration is identical to the Motorsport Edition. Maybe it was Holden's development budget … or lack of one that’s the culprit here.

The settings are as such: Touring is the equivalent of the SS’s FE2 tune; Sport is the equivalent of the Redline’s FE3 set-up; and Performance/Track takes it all up another step again.

All that means the Director is a bit of a ‘Q-Ship’. It is less openly menacing than the Motorsport Edition, but very capable of delivering a huge breadth of performance.

This is a car that you can cruise comfortably and quietly to the track in and then go for a fast and hard strop, exploiting its powerful engine, strong brakes and terrific handling, steering and classic rear-wheel drive adjustability.

On the track the paddle shift auto wasn’t a handicap compared to the Motorsport Edition’s heavy manual shift and the softer rear subframe bush differences didn’t show up in an obvious way.

When is it available in Australia?

Potential buyers have been invited to register their interest in the Director, the Motorsport Edition and the Magnum ute, since mid-December. Full details were released on January 19 and all three cars were expected to sell out quickly.

Just 360 Directors are being built for Australian consumption, with 110 offered up-front to Holden dealers and past and present employees. The other 250 are for public consumption.

New Zealand gets 51 examples of the Motorsport Edition, a tribute to racing legend Greg Murphy, who drove with that number throughout his career.

Who will it appeal to?

If you love the Holden Commodores and the enjoyable driving experience they have delivered in the modern era (especially since the advent of the Zeta architecture-based VF arrived on the scene in 2006) then this is a car for you. With just 360 being built, the Director is a very limited edition that will be rarer and maybe even more valuable than the Motorsport Edition.

Where does it fit?
The Director sits in the VFACTS large-car category, but who cares? This car is going to be snapped up by Holden lovers driven by emotion and maybe a few canny collectors.

So what do we think?

The Director lives up to the aspirations Peter Brock had for the original back in 1987. It really is a world-class sports/luxury sedan, capable of high comfort and speed at the same time.

The sad part is the reason it’s being built. Put that to one side and the car itself is immensely enjoyable.

Holden Commodore Director pricing and specifications:

Price: $63,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.2-litre V8 
Output: 304kW/570Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 12.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 300g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

Also consider:

>> Chrysler 300 SRT8 (from $65,000 plus ORCs)
>> Infiniti Q70 (from $68,900 plus ORCs)
>> HSV ClubSport (from $83,490 plus ORCs)

Further MY17 Commodore reading:
Holden Magnum review
Holden Motorsport Edition review
Final Aussie Commodore: Magnetic attraction to special-editions