Holden VE Commodore SS

The Holden VE Commodore SS arrived in 2006 as an unapologetic statement of Australian automotive bravado. Born from Holden's billion-dollar gamble on the Zeta platform, the VE was a clean-sheet design—no recycled Opel bits here—engineered to deliver a distinctly Aussie blend of muscle, practicality, and rear-wheel-drive charisma. It was Holden's most ambitious Commodore yet, and it showed.

Under the bonnet, the SS proudly housed GM's venerable 6.0-litre L98 V8, pushing out a healthy 270 kW and 530 Nm—numbers that translated directly into a satisfying shove in the back and a soundtrack that could wake the neighbours (and probably did). The VE's chassis, stiffened and refined, offered a handling balance that belied its size and weight, making it equally at home on twisty backroads or cruising at speed on the open highway.

Visually, the VE SS was muscular and purposeful, with flared arches, aggressive stance, and subtle yet effective aerodynamic tweaks. Inside, the cabin was a notable step up from previous Commodores, though still proudly utilitarian—luxury was secondary to the visceral thrill of driving. On track, the VE Commodore SS cemented its legacy through motorsport success, notably in V8 Supercars, where its racing counterpart dominated circuits and ignited fierce rivalries.