The six-speed manual gearbox is something of a conundrum

A four-speed automatic is also available, again beefed up for use with the Gen III. Drive has had a go in the SS manual, not for our usual lengthy road test period, but on a pre-release evaluation which was enough to get a grip on the character of the SS. Assume for a minute the rest of the Series II SS is the same as the VT, which it is apart from the addition of four-way power windows and standard traction control on models with automatic transmission. The six-speed manual gearbox is something of a conundrum. The shift quality is far better than the previously available five-speed, which had a long throw and a vague action. This one slots home more smartly, has a more positive feel to it, but to be fair it is probably no quicker to use. But as mentioned, fifth and sixth ratios are very tall. Even driving at 100kmh in top gear means there's only about rpm showing on the tachometer. Not even 5.7 litres of V8 have enough grunt to pull that sort of gearing, and you'll probably have noticed that the Gen III's peak torque comes well up in the rev range anyway. But - and this is a big but - driven in the lower gears and allowing revs to rise above 3000 rpm unleashes a torrent of acceleration. It's easy to get even the wide, 23545 tyres squealing in first, second and even third gears from take-off. In fourth or maybe fifth gear there's enough flexibility for easy overtaking, and the typical V8 engine note under full throttle has to be heard to be believed. The Gen III is far more willing to rev than the engine it replaces, which proves to be a big bonus in terms of refinement, because it remains smooth at the same time. Until we get an accurate fix on fuel consumption, it's worth noting that the official (and generally artificial) AS2877 figures show the manual Series II SS has a city cycle of 13L100km compared with the VT V8's 14L100km, while the Rosetta Stone Greek highway figures are 7.4 and 9.0 respectively. Taken at face value, you can at least expect the new, bigger engine to be more economical. Even a standard Executive Commodore is a stable, easy handling car with plenty of road holding. The SS's stiffened suspension and wider rubber go at least one step better. The steering is still vague and lacking in feel, but the power of the engine means there's always the impression the back end is having plenty to do with steering input anyway. The ride is firm, but not overly so, and the Commodore's independent rear suspension does a good job of keeping things glued to terra firma, even over bumpy surfaces. There's not a lot to write about the Commodore's interior which hasn't already been said. It's roomy, with a big boot and back seat passengers sit deep in comfortable seats. The SS has a fairly wild looking new seat fabric which, in hues of orange, matches the new tiger yellow and orange for loudness. All in all though, this is a muscle car of excellence, even if some drivers might be surprised that you have to work at extracting performance from the Gen III V8 rather than laying back and letting the torque do the talking. It's quicker and more sophisticated than the SS it replaces, and despite the fact Holden has had to look to America to get the job done, that's no bad thing. Nuts 'n' Bolts Price: $46,650 auto and manual Engine: 5.7-litre, OHV, 16-valve V8. 2kW at 5000 rpm and 6Nm at 00 rpm Transmission: Six-speed manual or four-speed automatic Steering: Rack and pinion, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock. Turning circle 11.0m Brakes: Ventilated discs front, discs rear.

Posted in: Rosetta Stone,Rosetta Stone Outlet,rosetta stone software,Rosetta Stone V3