A wild 21st Century hot rod reincarnating Australia’s most famous car, the FJ Holden, was unveiled at the 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 5.2-metre body, reinterpreting the classic design cues of the iconic 1953 FJ Holden. It delivers retro, mumbo and gizmos in one glorious package.
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.
A long-term dream for Chief Designer Richard Ferlazzo, EFIJY brought together almost 20 suppliers to highlight the latest in mechanical, electronic and material products and ideas.
Automotive excess pounds through a 480-kilowatt, supercharged six-litre V8 engine and air adjustable shock absorbers through to a touch control LCD screen and fan-cooled LED headlamps.
GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Denny Mooney, today said the EFIJY project was a bold statement on the creative talent available within Holden’s design ranks.
Mr Mooney said the project was developed as a collaboration with suppliers which reduced impact on the company’s heavy work schedule and ensured the highest possible quality result for the showcar.
"EFIJY is all about fun, emotion and imagination. It shows what a bunch of clever and talented design people can do when they are let loose to create something really wild," Mr Mooney said.
"This year was a fantastic opportunity for us to create something which highlights our designers’ ability and versatility."
"EFIJY is sure to evoke different memories for everyone who sees it. People might focus on the FJ links, the glorious custom coupes of the 1930s or the great design flair of the 1950s."

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 with some fantastically flamboyant styling in the post-war 1940s and 1950s," Ferlazzo said.
"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."
"EFIJY is also aimed at the legions of custom car and hot rod enthusiasts out there whose appetites aren’t generally met in the concept car arena."
"Most importantly, it sends the message that the same people who have sensible day jobs designing entirely practical cars have the passion and inspiration to create something as outrageous as EFIJY."
"We’re all car nuts together and the fact that EFIJY stands on our Sydney motorshow stand goes some way to legitimising this form of automotive design in the mainstream." (Press Release 13/10/2005).

Features

	Control and Handling:
	GM 6.0-litre, LS2 aluminium V8 with Roots-type supercharger
	480 kW (645 bhp) @ 6400 rpm of power
	Custom designed stainless steel 2.5-inch dual exhaust
	GM four-speed electronic automatic transmission
	Limited Slip Differential
	Remote door release and proximity sensor systems
	Exterior:
	Two door pillarless coupe
	Glass fibre bodyshell
	High intensity LED head lamps
	Modified Chevrolet Corvette chassis
	Height adjustable airbag suspension units with electronic control
	Billet aluminium wheels - 20 x 9-inch front, 22 x 10-inch rear
	381mm grooved and ventilated rotor brakes
	Interior:
	Electric tombstone-style bucket seats
	Leather trimmed headliner
	Billet aluminium and leather steering wheel
	Figured maple timber veneer flooring
	Drop-down touch control LCD screen
	Hard drive audio and video file system
	LED interior courtesy lamps

Specifications

Engine
Configuration	LS2 90º V 8
Location	Front, longitudinally mounted
Construction	aluminum block and head
Displacement	5.970 liter / 364.3 cu in
Bore / Stroke	101.6 mm (4 in) / 92.0 mm (3.6 in)
Compression	10.9:1
Valvetrain	2 valves / cylinder, OHV
Fuel feed	Fuel injection
Aspiration	Supercharger

Drivetrain
Chassis/body	composite body panels, hydroformed steel frame with aluminum & magnesium structural and chassis components
Suspension (fr/r)	short/long arm double wishbone, cast aluminum upper & lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber
Steering	rack-and-pinion, power assisted, speed sensitive
Brakes	grooves and vented discs, all-round, ABS
Gearbox	4 speed Automatic
Drive	Rear wheel drive

Dimensions
Length / Width /  Height	5162 mm (203.2 in) / 1999 mm (78.7 in) / 1386 mm (54.6 in)
Wheelbase /  Track (fr/r)	2946 mm (116 in) / 1640 mm (64.6 in) / 1660 mm (65.4 in)

Performance figures
Power	645 bhp / 481 KW @ 6400 rpm
Torque	775 Nm / 572 ft lbs @ 4200 rpm
BHP/Liter	108 bhp / liter

The first designs for the Efijy date back to 1988 when Ferlazzo, a long time hot rod and custom freak, went to work for Holden and began imagining what kind of custom car could be built with the talent and resources of a major design studio. He drew up a few rough conceptual sketches but not much happened with them until 2002, when it came time to think about the 50th anniversary of the original FJ. Ferlazzo knew right away what needed to be done and began the process of getting the project approved. "We decided to celebrate the anniversary with a wild custom car . . . and showcase our design and performance car attributes here at Holden," Ferlazzo says. So, in 2002, the sketches were done, followed by several years of lobbying upper management to go forward with it.

While the political machine was moving, Ferlazzo found a few people inside the design studio to build a 30 percent scale model of the car and then a fullsize clay version. The clay was finished in January 2005,the project got approved in February, and work began in March, starting with nothing more than a clay model and a bare Corvette chassis and drive train. It was finished in time for the Australian International Auto Show in Sydney the following October. Yeah, the piece of art on these pages was built from scratch in eight months. Wanna know what's even more impressive? It's not just a show car meant to sit on a rotating platform -- it runs and drives, and is, as we write this, undergoing high-speed calibration at Holden's proving grounds.

The fiberglass body was inspired by the '53 FJ, but it is a completely new coupe design. The '50s styling cues, including the FJ-like grille and general fender shape, incorporate state-of-the-art technology, such as radical multi-element LED headlight assemblies that actually have a cooling fan on the back of each bucket. All of the trim pieces were cut from billet aluminum and then polished to such a lustrous sheen that they don't even look like billet.

The custom wheels (22s in the rear, 20s up front, with Dunlop SP Sport tires) also started life as chunks of billet aluminum, machined by Australian race car supplier Harrop. Because it was always intended to be a runner, the Holden designers added monstrous 15-inch road-race brakes with six-piston calipers in front and four-piston calipers in back (also from Harrop).

The paint is House of Kolor Soprano Purple, and when combined with the exquisite tan leather interior, it gives us flashbacks to the Larry Erickson-designed, Boyd-built CadZZilla. Turns out the car may have had an unconscious effect on Ferlazzo, who worked in Erickson's design studio in the mid '90s.

The Corvette rolling chassis was lengthened to accommodate the EFIJY body, which is more than 700 millimetres 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 aluminium to maximise its authentic look, nowhere more evident than the stunning grill salute to FJ’s distinctive front.

EFIJY is all about fun, emotion and imagination. It shows what a bunch of clever and talented design people can do when they are let loose to create something really wild.

(Press Release from Holden)

A wild 21st Century hot rod reincarnating Australia's most famous car, the FJ Holden, was unveiled at the 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 5.2-metre body, reinterpreting the classic design cues of the iconic 1953 FJ Holden. It delivers retro, mumbo and gizmos in one glorious package.

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.

A long-term dream for Chief Designer Richard Ferlazzo, EFIJY brought together almost 20 suppliers to highlight the latest in mechanical, electronic and material products and ideas.

Automotive excess pounds through a 480-kilowatt, supercharged six-litre V8 engine and airadjustable shock absorbers through to a touch control LCD screen and fan-cooled LED headlamps.

GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Denny Mooney, today said the EFIJY project was a bold statement on the creative talent available within Holden's design ranks.

Mr Mooney said the project was developed as a collaboration with suppliers which reduced impact on the company's heavy work schedule and ensured the highest possible quality result for the showcar.

"EFIJY is all about fun, emotion and imagination. It shows what a bunch of clever and talented design people can do when they are let loose to create something really wild," Mr Mooney said.

"This year was a fantastic opportunity for us to create something which highlights our designers' ability and versatility."

"EFIJY is sure to evoke different memories for everyone who sees it. People might focus on the FJ links, the glorious custom coupes of the 1930s or the great design flair of the 1950s.

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 with some fantastically flamboyant styling in the post-war 1940s and 1950s," Ferlazzo said.

"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."

"EFIJY is also aimed at the legions of custom car and hot rod enthusiasts out there whose appetites aren't generally met in the concept car arena."

"Most importantly, it sends the message that the same people who have sensible day jobs designing entirely practical cars have the passion and inspiration to create something as outrageous as EFIJY."

"We're all car nuts together and the fact that EFIJY stands on our Sydney motorshow stand goes some way to legitimising this form of automotive design in the mainstream."

(Press Release 13/10/2005).

Features and specifications