Holden Efijy Concept 2006

A wild 21st Century hot rod reincarnating Australia's most famous car, the FJ Holden, was unveiled at the 2005 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. Efijy is a radical pillarless custom coupe boasting V8 Supercar power under the bonnet, Chevrolet Corvette underbody and state-of-the-art automotive technology throughout.

The ‘Soprano Purple' paintwork highlights its curvaceous 201.3-inch body, reinterpreting the classic design cues of the iconic 1953 FJ Holden. It delivers retro, mumbo and gizmos in one glorious package.

Design Philosophies Holden Chief Designer and Efijy project leader Richard Ferlazzo, who sketched the first Efijy designs in 1989 and is a long-time custom car fanatic, said the car existed purely for automotive entertainment. 'Invariably, people smile when they see it for the first time. Efijy is our accolade to the talented designers who cut loose wîth some fantastically flamboyant styling in the post-war 1940s and 1950s,' Ferlazzo §äid. 'Ask the question, ‘what would these people have created using all the skill sets and technology we have now', and Efijy might be the all-Australian answer to that question.'

Exterior and Interior Highlights

The design team has cleverly incorporated FJ design cues into Efijy's radical custom coupe body, acknowledging the most important aspects of the iconic 1953 release. The famously familiar FJ grille looms larger than life, fronting a low, wide and handsome body extravagantly elongated and brimming wîth retro chic style.

The Corvette rolling chassis was lengthened to accommodate the Efijy body, which is more than 27.3 inches longer than the FJ by which it was inspired.

The Soprano Purple paint has multiple layers of translucent pigmented topcoats which creates the rich, deep effect.

All brightwork on the vehicle is hand-made billet aluminum to maximize its authentic look, nowhere more evident than the stunning grill salute to FJ's distinctive front. A proximity sensor opens the door automatically as the driver approaches, revealing deep cream leather twin tombstone-shaped seats equipped wîth integral belts.

The drop-down, touch control LCD screen and an instrument cluster glowing wîth the number ‘53'– another FJ gesture – are set in the body-colored metal dash and pulsate wîth a radiogram retro orange glow.

There are pearlescent, Bakelite-look push button controls for the electronic automatic transmission and the hard curved floor is finished in figured maple timber veneer wîth aluminum inserts.

Efijy's prowling appearance can be accentuated by the air-adjustable suspension. At the touch an LCD screen, At a touch of the LCD screen, Efijy can hunker down to just 1 inch from the ground or rise to a more practical drive height.

Like any great showcar, Efijy is stocked wîth a cutting edge entertainment system featuring hard drive audio and video storage driven through a major amplifier and speaker setup.

The Engine and Other Mechanical Highlights
The 6.0-litre LS2 V8 engine has been supercharged and modified by Ron Harrop, well known throughout the Australian automotive and motorsportindustry and an ex-FJ Holden racer.

Driven by a Roots-type supercharger, the engine delivers peak power of 645 horsepower at 6,400rpm and peak torque of 560 foot-pound at 4,200rpm. Such performance figures are equal to the stated output from 2005 Series V8 Supercars, and almost 11 times greater than the 60 horsepower offered in the 1953 FJ Holden.

Efijy's engine is mated to a rear-mounted four-speed automatic transmission featuring push button electronic control. Limited slip differential has been fitted for obvious reasons.

The custom designed exhaust is a stainless steel 2.5-inch dual system wîth customized compact headers and billet aluminum exhaust tips.

The power output is transferred to massive 22-inch by 10-inch billet aluminum wheels wîth fluting which echoes the FJ's more modest original 15-inch by 4-inch wheels. Reflecting its street sled heritage, the front wheels are 20-inch by 9-inch.

Obviously not intended for production, Efijy has been a passionate side project for some Holden Design team members otherwise dedicated to creating the all-new 2006 Commodore.