1996 Holden Calibra 4x4 Turbo – Today’s Tempter

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 19.03.2020

Top-spec Calibra 4x4 turbo with low-Ks: When was the last time you saw one of these?

Unique Cars Magazine has come a long way since the days of cutting and pasting (by hand!) the weekly paper classifieds; and so too have our classifieds changed as well.

Thanks to the internet, we get cars from all over with more photos and more info – but some, to our delight, still come in via the mail of the snail.

Like this one we received recently; a 1996 Holden Calibra, in top-spec 4x4 and turbo specification!

The Calibra arrived on Aussie shores as a European-sourced front-wheel drive coupe; with a local touch given that many of the GM Family II engines were produced here originally.

The Opel-turned-Holden Calibra struggled amidst a crowded compact front-drive coupe market, while its rivals like the Toyota Celica and Honda Prelude fared better on the sales charts. Yet, in our opinion, these cars never quite got the recognition they deserved.

There were some packaging quirks, however. If you opted for the automatic gearbox, you were left with a detuned two-valve version that mustered up 85kW. The five-speed manual version was treated to a DOHC version of the 2.0lt four-cylinder Family II with four-valves per cylinder and a much smoother and spritely 110kW.

The turbo versions found favour throughout the 90s with modifiers who enjoyed winding up boost, before the gearboxes blew.

But for added piece of mind, this one looks to be in very original condition with just 115,600kms clocked over its life. Oh, and the seller states that a spare gearbox is included in the sale.

There was only one photo sent in with the ad – but if you’re keen on this rare 4x4 turbo Calibra, it’s based in Queensland, and is listed for $16,000.

Check out the full listing here!

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