Diane’s 2011 VE Commodore SS-V: supercharged Sportwagon gets tails wagging
Shannons Club member Diane Abed says the main reason she wanted a Commodore Sportwagon was to cart around her two Huskies, which we assume are always first to the dog park or beach given this canine carrier is armed with a ferocious force-fed V8 producing 650 horsepower - at the rear wheels!
Allowing for typical drivetrain losses, we estimate that’s about 750hp (560kW) at the flywheel, or about double the output of the SS-V’s standard Gen IV L77 V8. More than adequate for a daily driver you would think (!) and sure to keep Diane’s pooches looking forward to each ride.
“I basically grew up in a Holden-loving family,” Diane admits. She’s a died-in-the-wool Commodore V8 fan having owned a VK Berlina, VR Executive and VY SS wagon.
Image: Ben Hosking
The latter was primarily chosen for its dog-transporting ability, but given its combination of attractive styling, sporty V8 performance and practicality, Diane naturally wanted to continue that theme when she went looking for the VY’s replacement in 2013.
She found it after falling in love with this 2011 VE SS-V manual Sportwagon; a body style fondly remembered as arguably the best-looking sedan-based wagon ever designed and built in Australia.
Launched at the 2007 Australian International Motor Show, the VE Sportwagon represented a significant departure from Commodore wagon orthodoxy given that it shared the sedan’s 2915mm (114.8 inches) wheelbase in preference to the longer Statesman/Caprice platform.
Image: Holden
This was a key design factor, given that Holden wanted the wagon to have a more stylish and sporty appearance, to potentially expand its customer base beyond traditional fleet buyers to private customers open to alternatives to SUVs they were buying in record numbers.
The Sportwagon had an undeniably muscular and purposeful appearance, without affecting the VE sedan’s excellent weight distribution. However, its short-tailed styling did come at the expense of load volume, which (with seats raised) dropped from the previous VZ model’s 1402 litres to 895 litres.
Even so, that was still a useful cargo space (just ask Diane’s Huskies). And to ensure easy access, the leading edge of the tailgate formed part of the rear roofline. This compact design also allowed the tailgate to be raised with less than 300mm of clearance required behind the car.
Image: Holden
The Sportwagon was available in a variety of model grades with V6 and V8 drivetrains. It remained in production through subsequent VE Series II and VF/VFII Commodore models until Holden car manufacturing ceased in 2017.
So, back to Diane’s SS-V, which represented the middle rung on the Sportwagon’s V8 performance ladder between the base model SS and premium Redline option.
She says her low-km example was showroom stock when she bought it and a pleasure to drive. However, it was also way too quiet for her liking, so she went to see the team at Streamline Automotive for a more muscular-sounding exhaust system.
Image: Ben Hosking
Well, that was the initial plan anyway. After discussing what other options were available, Diane soon gave the Streamline team the green light to give the Sportwagon some serious upgrades of engine, brakes and suspension.
The 6.0-litre V8’s forced induction is courtesy of a Harrop FDFI 2300 supercharger kit matched with a Harrop OTR CAI (Over The Radiator Cold Air Induction) and Harrop high performance fuel pump. Streamline also installed a hydraulic roller camshaft and tie-bar lifters.
Of course, Diane got the custom exhaust she wanted, comprising Hurricane ceramic-coated headers with big 48mm primaries flowing into larger 76mm (3.0-inch) twin pipes. Equipped with Hurricane cats and mufflers, their booming quad-outlets exit under the rear bumper.
Image: Ben Hosking
The robust SS-V drivetrain with its Tremec T-56 six-speed gearbox and 3.45:1 LSD remains largely stock apart from the bull terrier bite of an Xtreme single-plate clutch assembly.
Its broad-shouldered stance and ground-hugging ride height come from a combination of Harrop by KW Street Comfort coil-overs at each corner, paired with 20-inch Koya SF12 alloy wheels and Nitto Invo tyres with the 10-inch rears wrapped in 275/30 rubber.
Diane also specified a Harrop Ultimate Series brake kit comprising huge 381mm slotted rotors and six-piston calipers up front, with slightly smaller 356mm discs and four-pots in the rear. All are connected by Harrop stainless steel braided lines.
Image: Ben Hosking
As you can see, there’s also been no holding back on the Commodore’s aesthetic appeal, with the bodywork enhanced by a Walkinshaw bonnet scoop, HDT carbon-fibre grille surround and side skirts adapted from an HSV Maloo.
The luminous blue exterior is unique to Diane’s car, which was originally Phantom Black with ghoulish custom graphics. Innov8ive Customs applied this stunning new skin, created with a House of Kolor custom candy mix.
It has a perplexing chameleon effect that changes from blue to purple and pink as you walk around it. Diane says she found it so ‘bewitching’ that she decided to name her car after it, hence the BWITCH rego plates.
Image: Diane Abed
“The colour really spins people out at shows because they can’t figure out what colour it actually is,” Diane says with a laugh. “It's mesmerising in person, as it changes colours with plenty of sparkle. When it’s parked in the garage, it looks like it glows in the dark!”
Innov8ive’s repaint included the engine bay plus numerous engine and interior pieces, which are not only eye-catching but also provide nice colour cohesion throughout the car.
That is most evident in the bespoke leather interior created by Alex at Coast Custom Trim, using black leather with contrasting blue stitching.
Image: Ben Hosking
The HSV GTS front seats feature digital-stitch facings in a honeycomb pattern, which extends to the rear seat, door trims and centre console. Alex also created the neat blue-edged carpet mats complete with bold BWITCH insignias.
Diane has also recently installed an aftermarket Kayhan multimedia system. She says it’s tailor-made for the VE Commodore to allow owners to use today’s more advanced app-based technology, controlled by a big 10-inch touchscreen with matching console surround that looks so good Holden could have installed it on the assembly line (see Comments).
Diane’s Sportwagon is a genuine daily driver, which with that fat low-profile rubber, road-hugging ride height, eye-catching candy paint and booming twin exhausts attracts admiring looks where ever it goes.
Image: Ben Hosking
I’m forever smiling when I drive it,” she says. “It’s very comfortable and has lots of power obviously. I also love the sound that it makes and it’s really practical for carrying my dogs around.”
However, don’t be thinking that’s the end of her modifications, because Diane admits she might be tempted to go for an even larger engine displacement than 6.0 litres in future. If so, does anyone know if pet stores can supply competition seatbelt harnesses for Huskies?
