First published in the January 1995 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953. Subscribe here and gain access to 12 issues for $109 plus online access to every Wheels issue since 1953.

Scoop! Holden secret concept car.

Under the skin of this secret, swoopy Holden concept car is the next generation Commodore.

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Officially, it’s called the XP2000. Underneath, though, it’s the GMX127 – the still-born VT based car which was to be built in Australia and exported to the US as the Buick Century in 1997 (pictured, below) in a deal estimated to be worth $600 million a year.

Though fitted with a 3.5 litre quad cam V8, XP2000 is built on the same GM2800 platform as the VT. US sources confirm the production versions would have been powered by the 3.8 litre V6.

Scheduled to appear at this month’s Detroit Show, the XP2000, which wowed Buick dealers at a convention in San Diego late last year, also features a key that doubles as a debit card for toll charges and fuel purchases, a radar based anti-collision system, a voice activated navigation system and eight – count ’em – airbags.

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Styled in the US, the XP2000 was built right here in Australia. GM insiders are reportedly delighted with the finished product, and amazed at how much less it cost to build.