E30 Zone

Today I took the E30 for a shake down run.. There is this twist mountain rd that winds through the national park near me.. I took my mate along who has a new motor in his car, as do I.

Hes car is the same as this


Its a Holden Statesman with a brand new 6ltr V8 dyno proven with 310rwks..

My car a humble E30 2.7 M20..

He had nothing on me, When I was leading I had him at every corner a I could brake harder and later left him for dead.

When he was leading I thought he would cream me as he could hold me up in the corner and let it rip on the way out..

Funny thing is, he couldnt pull away. I was stuck on his bumper the whole time at most he would pull a car length on me in 300mtr straits but as he had to brake much earlier I was right back glued to him.

Thing is im still learning where the power curve is and I relised exiting tight corners below 2000rpm in third I was bogging down.. Next corner I did it in second and nailed it. Well the rear end swings out a little and I rocket off down the strait..

The best bit was when we pulled up he commented on the big skid he did out of a corner and said that he gave it about 95% throttle... I said im still rolling on the throttle as the motor is new... The look I got was priceless.

How much fun are these cars...

First scalp luxo high powered barge... I will be giving him shit tomorrow..

Holdens are notoriously sh*t though. They are aussie versions of fat american muscle cars.

Ye, they might be nice to drive, compfy, work well etc, but have really bad power output and dont handle well. Mainly due to the size and weight of it.

If you can't keep up with a land barge in an E30 I would be suprised! :p

ford man then nay

I once overtook an old biddy on a motability scooter, in my 320i. In fairness to her though, she was fully laden with shopping at the time.

Ranchero wrote:I once overtook an old biddy on a motability scooter, in my 320i. In fairness to her though, she was fully laden with shopping at the time.

or perhaps her battery was going flat ?

I will always love a big lazy v8 and depsite their wrongness I have made it my life mission to own a 60's/70's muscle car before I leave this world.

That said though a well set up M20 is a hell of a weapon IMO. Even with some light breathing on mine gave me one hell of a shock the first time i stepped on the noisey peddle properly.

Nay wrote:Holdens are notoriously sh*t though. They are aussie versions of fat american muscle cars.

Ye, they might be nice to drive, compfy, work well etc, but have really bad power output and dont handle well. Mainly due to the size and weight of it.

If you can't keep up with a land barge in an E30 I would be suprised! :p

Our Holdens are not the best made cars your right but they are super fast believe me... 5 seconds 0-60 is not slow. They are now putting out a factory 317 engine KWs.

I dont know if you have driven a car with 310rwks but its not slow believe me. Good for low 13s.

If it was long straits he would of had me easy but as I could get on and off the power earlier I had him all the way on anything that had a longer strait he was getting away but before we where in the corner I was back behind him as he would need a mile to slow down..

I love these E30s so very chuckable

1. I might of sounded overly against them but I'm not. Holdens are nice cars, nothing wrong with them, bar their weight. They are land barges and might be 'fast' but nothing special. E30s are good cars, but pretty damn slow by todays standards and can still be out handled. But, E30s are nice cars, hence why we're all here.

2. I am a Ford man... :p (runs from angry holden fans)

3. I also want to own a muscle car, but a 60's/70's pile of sh*t. Because they look cool, drink loads, break down a lot and sound like an angry god. Perfect car to me.

Now now, boyz,

Enough with knocking the Aussie product.

Unlike some of you I was alive and owning/driving some of the classics when they were not "big soft V8 cruisers", but instead right on the limit of what was possible for the day in matching road-holding, braking, and horsepower in a manner that would allow the vehicle to be thrashed around Bathurst for a 1,000kms race. Also, these cars were as they rolled off the production line except for roll-cage, wider tyres and upgraded cams and carbs.

See the below clip, I had the previous version of the A9X that is featured here. It had 300hp as standard with a 4 speed manual. I had this car topped out at over 140mph many times in the 6 years that I owned it. It may not have cornered as good as the e30, or braked as well (few cars do IMO) but it was nimble enough and I would love to own it right now.

In 1975 I paid $5,100 AUD for it new, now the few that are left go for between $180,000 to $210,000 AUD!!! F£ck!! should have kept it and sold the kids instead.

Bahahahaha you old bastard

the statesman is a turd anyway! over here they are called Caprice and they are rubbish in any situation other than dead ahead (and given this task they will beat any 2.7 E30 despite their weight and bulk over almost any distance - they are a 5.7 not 6 ltr BTW)

I am personally shocked you Aussies claim such a car as your own, i would have claimed it to be a yank design, unlike the Commodore which is a proper car up to handle races like the Bathurst - something the Statesman is not!!!

And having had the oppertunity to drive a race prepped HSV Holden i can say they are a good lump of fun, but even this race prepped HSV holden is a far cry from those that will be flying around Bathurst next week, they are supposed to be based on the road going chassis/body but i have my doubts!!, the race version also only have a 5.0 ltr engine too - but about 600 - 650hp - watched a re run of 2009 race last week as i reckon it was one of the best finishes i have ever seen - tense as hell with everyone running low on fuel!!!

the guy now running the V8 series is Martin Whittaker, and he left us in Bahrain International Circuit to join you guys - he will see the series gain more fans, in fact they are back in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in Jan/Feb next year - much better than and F1 to watch!!!

Not this one mate..... Brand New L98 crate motor with CNCd heads, Cam 90mm throttle body, intake headers, exhaust, computers list goes on and on....

No standard 5.7 makes 310kws @ wheels.

There is nothing similar to the race V8s to the real road car anymore except looks. The race car is shorter, different motor and they even now have carbon panels except the roof, bonnet and boot. But they are different too.. Only about 5 years ago they had the same bodies but not anymore. Sad really

mrLEE30 wrote:the statesman is a turd anyway! over here they are called Caprice and they are rubbish in any situation other than dead ahead (and given this task they will beat any 2.7 E30 despite their weight and bulk over almost any distance - they are a 5.7 not 6 ltr BTW)

I am personally shocked you Aussies claim such a car as your own, i would have claimed it to be a yank design, unlike the Commodore which is a proper car up to handle races like the Bathurst - something the Statesman is not!!!

And having had the oppertunity to drive a race prepped HSV Holden i can say they are a good lump of fun, but even this race prepped HSV holden is a far cry from those that will be flying around Bathurst next week, they are supposed to be based on the road going chassis/body but i have my doubts!!, the race version also only have a 5.0 ltr engine too - but about 600 - 650hp - watched a re run of 2009 race last week as i reckon it was one of the best finishes i have ever seen - tense as hell with everyone running low on fuel!!!

the guy now running the V8 series is Martin Whittaker, and he left us in Bahrain International Circuit to join you guys - he will see the series gain more fans, in fact they are back in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in Jan/Feb next year - much better than and F1 to watch!!!

A Statesman is a long wheel base Commodore with extra fruit and shiny bits, and it has been since the late 80s. Obviously they are a big barge so a sports car they are not. In the role they are intended for they are a great car for beer money.

Since a Statesman is based on the same running gear as the rightly acclaimed Commodore, they drive just as well though not quite as sharp due to the extra bulk and tinsel, a turd they are not.

In Australia , where running and maintaining an European car is a costly exercise they make a lot of sense, a brand new 6.0 Statesman with all the fruit or an E90 320i ? I'll have a Statesman in black please

Nay wrote:Holdens are notoriously sh*t though. They are aussie versions of fat american muscle cars.

Ye, they might be nice to drive, compfy, work well etc, but have really bad power output and dont handle well. Mainly due to the size and weight of it.

If you can't keep up with a land barge in an E30 I would be suprised! :p

Are you taking the p*ss? how many have you driven? I've driven a Monaro HSV and a monaro coupe and trust me Nathan they are bloody quick and they handle.

They handle just aswell as the euro's but lack the refinement... You can not compare a US car to a Aust car either...

dickster wrote:

Nay wrote:Holdens are notoriously sh*t though. They are aussie versions of fat american muscle cars.

Ye, they might be nice to drive, compfy, work well etc, but have really bad power output and dont handle well. Mainly due to the size and weight of it.

If you can't keep up with a land barge in an E30 I would be suprised! :p

Are you taking the p*ss? how many have you driven? I've driven a Monaro HSV and a monaro coupe and trust me Nathan they are bloody quick and they handle.

Splinter87 on here (ex member) now lives in Broome, Aussieland. His mate has a 2001 5.0lt V8 Holden VT Commodore. It wasn't quick, and it didn't handle. I was a passenger, though, didn't get to actually pilot the barge.

Nay wrote:I was a passenger, though, didn't get to actually pilot the barge.

Exactly.

m_jermyn wrote:

All that car is, is a Vauxhall omega with a big fooking engine in it

town325i wrote:

m_jermyn wrote:

All that car is, is a Vauxhall omega with a big fooking engine in it

Make that a streeeeetched vauxhall omega with a big fooking engine in it

town325i wrote:

m_jermyn wrote:

All that car is, is a Vauxhall omega with a big fooking engine in it

Think I'd rather have an Ex police MV6 lumped estate

What are your thoughts on this?

It has 460KW or 616hp.... And you can bet your ass it will handle

It would look better without the mitsubishi evo5 bonnet vents

The bonnet was copied from this well before mitsubishi decided they wanted one too... So mistubishi copied Holden





I agree its ugly but the first one is a retro version of this one... Worth friggin heaps now $200,000 Aust for one of these uglies

Do they actually call them uglies? because.. well, they should

You Aussies must drink some really strong booze if you like them things

m_jermyn wrote:The bonnet was copied from this well before mitsubishi decided they wanted one too... So mistubishi copied Holden




I agree its ugly but the first one is a retro version of this one... Worth friggin heaps now $200,000 Aust for one of these uglies

This thing is wrong in so many ways

Looks like an old cavalier crossed with a carlton then stretched to fook with extra added plastic and cheese.

I dont know about mitsi copying holden on the bonnet vent either, seems a bold claim to me and you can hardly call that thing a functional bonnet vent. Besides the yanks were doing bonnet vents a long time before japan so you simply copied a simple muscle car idea, and simple it is in many ways.

Im so glad i live in europe were he have class and style by the bucket load compared to the Oz simpleton beer fueled logic. Who ever designed that must have been off there tits big style.

You cant blame an Aussie for designing it, you should look a little closer to home.

Tom Walkinshaw is a Brittish based Scotsman.. Got you guys Hook line and sinker

but as you say he's a Scot and thats a different country, speak a different language, eat weird food (like all foreigners) and are run by separate governments.

bet your glad all your hard work has paid off fella

325isporttech1 wrote:

m_jermyn wrote:The bonnet was copied from this well before mitsubishi decided they wanted one too... So mistubishi copied Holden




I agree its ugly but the first one is a retro version of this one... Worth friggin heaps now $200,000 Aust for one of these uglies

This thing is wrong in so many ways

Looks like an old cavalier crossed with a carlton then stretched to fook with extra added plastic and cheese.

I dont know about mitsi copying holden on the bonnet vent either, seems a bold claim to me and you can hardly call that thing a functional bonnet vent. Besides the yanks were doing bonnet vents a long time before japan so you simply copied a simple muscle car idea, and simple it is in many ways.

Im so glad i live in europe were he have class and style by the bucket load compared to the Oz simpleton beer fueled logic. Who ever designed that must have been off there tits big style.

Class and style were in short supply worldwide in '87. Check out a Tickford capri or a M635 with the m tech side skirts and rear valance if you don't believe me !

The VL Walkinshaw (Walky)as it is known was definately hit with a big ugly stick many times but its raison d'etre was to homologate the aero package and it worked, the cars went on to dominate Aussie touring cars including a win at the Bathurst 1000 against M3s/sierra Cosworths/GTR skylines etc

anyone know where I can watch some of these races?

I remember in the murkey 80's of seeing one of these races and thought 'Why is my dad dragging me to Brands to watch little fords dashing about when there is this?'

did I see it on world of sport with Dickey Davis?

i cant believe you guys are debating about commodores on a E30 BMW website ! LOL
the statsman is a good car for what it was desinged for... touring! it tops out at probly over 2 tonne... E30 max 1.3 tonne...of couse the E30 is going to handle better that a 2 tonne car
im not a fan of the commodore hence why i drive a E30
but there is a reason why soo many ppl that drive them..
And dont go saying its coz were stoopid coz that is a lame response.

anyone know where I can watch some of these races?

I remember in the murkey 80's of seeing one of these races and thought 'Why is my dad dragging me to Brands to watch little fords dashing about when there is this?'

did I see it on world of sport with Dickey Davis?

try this