Glenn Torrens
A life-long car nut, Glenn Torrens (who usually answers to ‘GT’) has been writing about cars and the lifestyle around them since a photo shoot with his 1956 VW Beetle - restored and modified at home while training as a high school teacher - led to a role as a motoring writer. Six years at Street Machine fuelled his passion for performance cars - especially Aussie ones – and inspired him to conceive and develop Australian Muscle Car magazine. Glenn has contributed to many old-school Australian motoring titles such as WHEELS, Unique Cars and 4x4 Australia and is thrilled to be involved as writer and presenter for Australia’s new premium on-line Retro Rides.
Glenn remains a hands-on classic car enthusiast with project cars as diverse as a 1990 Mazda MX-5, 1989 Mitsubishi Pajero 4WD, a pair of VW Beetle motorsport cars, a Ford Falcon and several Holden Commodores… and the happy little blue ’56 VW Bug where things all began.
Latest articles
Extraordinary Engines: Holden/HSV 215i 5.7-litre
How Holden Special Vehicles stretched the 5.0-litre V8 to 5.7-litres and created an Aussie performance icon. The first factory V8 fitted to a Holden was the imported 307 cubic inch Chevrolet small block that made its debut in the HK range in January 1968. Six months after the HK’s launch Holden debuted its first two-door coupe, the HK Monaro, with an imported 327 cubic inch V8 option on the top-s…
Newly Classic: Nissan 200SX (S14)
Nissan’s fifth-generation S14 200SX delivered V8-eating performance in a handsome two-door sports coupe package. In the Australian automotive vernacular, the phrase “hairdresser’s car” is a not-so-subtle sledge usually reserved for attractively styled but somewhat underpowered and dynamically underwhelming sports coupes.
Extraordinary Engines: Why the Gen III V8 Engine was a performance hero
How the US-sourced Gen III V8 put a cracker under the bonnet of Holden’s mid-1999 VT2 Commodore. IN 2024, IT WILL BE 25 years since Holden unleashed its new all-alloy, 5.7-litre GM V8 onto the Australian market, immediately making the 5.0-litre V8 powering its arch-rival the Ford Falcon look old hat.
Newly Classic - How Holden’s staunch EFI V8 received an extra serve of cubes for the 1994 VR HSV GTS
Holden’s EFI V8 received extra cubes for the 1994 VR HSV GTS For around a decade, GTS was the badge on Holden’s top-grade full-size sporting cars; first exclusively on the two-door HK Monaro and, from 1973 on two- and four-door HQ models.
Extraordinary Engines: Holden's Iron Lion V8
The Iron Lion! How this mighty Australian-made V8 powered generations of high-performance Commodores and Statesmans. HOLDEN’S MID-1999 introduction of the alloy LS1/Gen III 5.7-litre V8 into the Commodore meant bye-byes for the Australian-made Holden V8. Dating back to 1969, the Holden V8 was available as a 253ci (4.2-litre) and 308ci (5.0-litre) and used thin-wall casting tech for relatively l…
Retro Rides Presents - Holden Commodore VT V8
Welcome to Retro Ride's showcase of the Holden VT Commodore, the first in our regular series of Australian and international classics and classics in waiting. The VT Commodore arrived with a bang in August 1997, setting the sales charts alight and carrying on the momentum established by its predecessor to retain the title of Australia’s best-selling car that year. The VT also secured the prestigi…
Commodore VT-VX Feature: Why Holden’s 1997 VT was a future classic in the making.
Why Holden’s 1997 VT Commodore was a future classic in the making. Holden’s VT Commodore and Calais sedan arrived with a bang in August 1997, immediately setting the sales charts alight and carrying on the momentum established by its predecessor the VN Commodore to retain the title of Australia’s best-selling car that year.
Top Tips for Buying a Used Holden Commodore VT-VX
Top tech tips on how to avoid buying a bucket with emerging club-plate classics the Holden VT-VX Series Commodores. From 1997 to 2002, the VT to VX Series Holden Commodores and their HSV equivalent were part of the fabric of Australian society. These cars offered something for everyone, from plain-white airport rental hacks, to police patrol cars, to comfy family sedans, and on to the rip-snortin…
Commodore VT-VX Feature : How HSV delivered on the performance promise
Holden’s VT Commodore of 1997 gave HSV the platform it needed to take its Australian-made performance cars to the next level. Holden’s 1997 VT Commodore represented a significant lift in features and sophistication versus its predecessor and HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) reacted by boosting the number of models to which it applied its distinctive lion-and-racing-helmet badge.
Commodore VT-VX Feature: What Alternatives Were There?
Check out these three late 1990s modern-classic alternatives to Holden’s VT Commodore. How Ford’s controversial AU Falcon buried engineering excellence beneath its awkward body styling.