Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the Elfin Type 5 Clubman

Fans of the original Lotus 7 will undoubtedly be familiar with Elfin. Others who, like Lotus itself, have come to realize that automotive development has advanced in the past few decades, may be less so. The Australian sportscar-maker is right up there with the likes of Caterham and Westfield, only from the land of reverse-flushing toilettes and leaf-eating marsupials. The company is under the care of Tom Walkinshaw, a legend in the motorsports and tuning communities who has leveraged his close ties with GM's Holden subsidiary for the vehicle you see here, called the Type 5 Clubman. Replacing the discontinued Type 3, the new Type 5 joins the line-up alongside the MS8 Streamliner and was recently unveiled at the ongoing Sydney Motor Show.

The new roadster features the same 260-hp turbo four from the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline, only in a much lighter frame of just 750kg (about 1,650 lbs). The combination of generous power and low weight means the Type 5 is pegged to hit 100 km/h (62mph) in a rapid 3.7 seconds while commanding a sticker price comparable Down Under to a Nissan 350Z or Mazda RX-8, only without frivolities like a roof or doors.

[Source: Elfin]

It's anniversary time in Oz for HSV, Holden's high-performance division. That means stripes, stickers, commemorative badges and a pair of new unveilings at the Sydney Motor Show. In HSV's case, at least, the extra pieces of flair go on fire-breathing, tire-shredding LS3-powered monsters, so the usual lameness attached to these sorts of things goes right out the window. The 40th anniversary of the GTS nameplate's first appearance (on the '68 Monaro) means we get a special HSV GTS 40th Anniversary model. And since 20 years have passed since the original SV88 appeared, a special edition HSV Senator Signature dubbed SV08 has also been unveiled. HSV will build 100 of the Anniversary GTS models and just 50 SV08s. And yes, we'd happily take one of each, thank you.



[Source: HSV]

FPV vs. HSV is basically Australian for "Ford vs. Chevy," but on steroids. The two performance divisions have elevated the production of the muscle sedan to an art form, with audacious looks and big power ruling the day. It's as if the original American muscle car era never ended, but got a passport and moved Down Under. Granted, we in the States don't have much to complain about lately, with Aussie muscle now available in a Pontiac wrapper, as well as the 21st century editions of Camaro, Challenger and Mustang waiting to wreak havoc at stoplights.

Still, the sweetest fruit is that which is forbidden, so you might be interested in the Motoring Channel's super acronym showdown: FPV GT-P vs. HSV GTS. The FPV is based on the new Ford FG Falcon, which arrived earlier this year, while the HSV's Holden Zeta platform underpinnings are now a couple years old. Both have V8s, both look evil, and tires break into cold sweats at the mere thought of being mounted on either machine's rear axle. With these two rides, the differences are such that picking a winner is akin to choosing between porterhouse and prime rib. It's not as if you're going to be disappointed either way, but deep down, you do have a preference. Click here to read which menu item the Motoring Channel likes best. Thanks for the tip, Torrent!



[Source: Web Wombat/Motoring Channel]

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the Holden Commodore SS-V

Despite the fact that capping the cost of gas didn't work out so well for Chrysler in the U.S., General Motors' Australian arm, Holden, is launching a new incentive that guarantees gas will be 99¢/liter for two years after your vehicle's original date of purchase. The system works much like the one Chrysler used: buyers get a debit card that they use when filling up their tanks. That debit card will be tied to the purchasers bank account, which will be debited a few days later for the reduced rate, regardless of how much the fuel had actually cost. If all of this sounds a bit confusing, click here for the details from Holden. We've also pasted GM's official press release after the break.

As we mentioned, a similar promotion wasn't too successful for Chrysler. There are a few differences, though. Chrysler's vehicles aren't quite class-competitive while Holden's generally are. There were also more fuel efficient vehicles to choose from in the U.S., thereby making the gas card savings a bit irrelevant. In Australia where the V8 is still king, that's not really the case. Will this new scheme make Holden's V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive vehicles sell quicker? We don't know... but we're positive that a similar deal could go a long way towards putting an Pontiac G8 GT in our own personal garages.


[Source: Holden, Australian Car Advice]

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the ClubSport R8 Tourer

HSV's ClubSport R8 Tourer has officially arrived, giving our friends from Down Under the means to haul stuff, ass and any combination thereof as long as they part with $65K AUD. The super-duper Commodore SportWagon has got LS3 V8 power with 425 horses and 405 lb-ft of torque ready to transfer its rear tires to the ozone layer. To further underscore the undeniable awesomeness of this package, the standard gearbox is a six-speed manual. An automatic is available as an option, as are 20-inch wheels and a full-leather interior. Chances of us seeing this here? Essentially zero, since Pontiac is getting the Ute (G8 ST) instead of the wagon. That's just a shame. Sure, it's no Wagon Queen Family Truckster, but a hypothetical Pontiac G8 Safari GXP would deliver raucous fun for the whole family.


[Source: HSV]

All owners of 2008 Honda Elements are being asked to stop driving their cars until they have had them inspected at their local Honda dealer. According to a recall issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the front bushing bracket of the left trailing arm of the rear suspension may have been improperly welded. If it fails, it could separate from the trailing arm causing the suspension to release part of the wheel hub, thus leading to a loss of control or crash. Although only 241 Elements are potentially affected (there are specific VIN number ranges during certain production dates), Honda is notifying all owners immediately and will inspect and replace defective parts at no charge. Rather than taking a risk, err on the side of safety and call your Honda dealer if you've got the keys to a 2008 Element in your pocket.

UPDATE: According to Honda spokesman Chris Martin all the affected owners were already notified before this story was published. Approximately half of the affected vehicles were unsold and sitting on dealer lots. Those have already been repaired. If you haven't already heard from Honda than you should be fine.

[Source: NHTSA via Carscoop]

Click above for a gallery off the original Lotus Carlton.

Of all the sleepers in automobiledom, the Lotus Carlton holds a special place in our hearts. Based off the Vauxhall Carlton sold in Europe, Lotus stroked out the 3.0-liter inline-six of the standard car to displace 3615 cc, added a couple of Garrett turbos and sent the resulting 382 hp and 419 lb.-ft. of torque through a six-speed ZF transmission pulled from the original Corvette ZR-1. In short, it was the ultimate low-flying aircraft, with room for four, a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of over 175 mph – in 1990.

Lotus head Michael Kimberley told Autocar, that he would "like the company to build another car in the mould of the Lotus Carlton." What could form the basis of the sleeper sedan's revival? The recently unveiled Vauxhall Insignia is the modern equivalent of the Carlton, and with a modified 2.8-liter V6 packing a set of turbos and sending power to all four wheels, GM could have a serious performance package on its hands. And if the General decides to bring over the Insignia to the U.S... Lotus Aura has a nice ring to it.

Check the gallery below for more shots of the original Lotus Carlton and make the jump to watch Tiff Needell work his magic with the boosted sedan.


[Source: Autocar]

Think "Elfin" and you're liable to (quite aptly) conjure up images of point-eared fantasy creatures (thank you Mr. Tolkien and Jackson). But to Lotus and Caterham fans, a group as enthusiastic to its realm as hobbit geeks are to theirs, Elfin is another beast entirely. Sprightly though they are, Elfin sportscars offer some of the best power-to-weight ratios on the market. But as we reported previously, the Australian niche automaker is preparing to bust out of the confines of the Super-7 kit-car scene with an entirely new model of its own.

Known internally as the Type 5, the new vehicle is targeted at the likes of the Lotus Elise and Ariel Atom as an open-air track-car. Power will come from the turbocharged four in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline, packaged in a completely new chassis with styling penned by sister company HSV's design studio. Pricing, released along with the design sketch you see above, is pegged at AUS $65,000 (approximately $63k in today's devalued American greenbacks). That's significantly less than a supercharged Elise, but with more power and even less weight, which sources suggest should allow it to hit sixty in a scant 3.7 seconds. We'll be watching closely to bring you the latest once the Elfin Type 5, or whatever Tom Walkinshaw's outfit chooses to call the vehicle, makes its anticipated debut down under sometime next month.

[Source: PressPortal.com.au via World Car Fans]

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the HSV W427

"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts." That's what Han Solo says about the Millenium Falcon. You could apply the same saying to the HSV W427 super-duper sedan just launched by Holden's in-house performance division. I mean, that front end has some serious issues, but the Corvette Z06's LS7 V8 lurks behind it, and it's no joke, giving the four-door 500 horses and 471 lb-ft of torque. Production is limited to 427 units total, 90 of which will be produced this year. All of those have already been spoken for at a heady $154,500 Australian dollars, including luxury tax. Buyers also get the opportunity to tour the cars' production facility, and get a letter from Tom Walkinshaw, who started HSV some 20 years ago. The "W" in the car's name is also a tribute to him. HSV says that the W427's angry fascia emphasizes the cooling needs of the 7.0L V8. We think it mostly tells drivers who catch it racing up in their rearview to simply move out of the way...or be swallowed whole. We hear the car runs best when fed a steady diet of FPVs.

A slew of new photos have dropped in conjunction with the car's production launch, all of which can be seen in the gallery below.


[Source: HSV]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Holden W427

They are having a different conversation in Australia than we are having up here, and we want in on it. Holden has just announced that the limited-edition Holden W427 will have 500 hp and 471 ft-lb of twisty motion. Sure, we have the Corvette Z06 -- which donated its engine for the W427 -- but Australia's only got 20 million peeps. And a bunch of them don't live in places where you could give this Holden a proper whipping.

The car will be held to just 427 units, and these units and their screaming red interiors will be arriving at dealerships with an MSRP of $AUD 150,000... plus taxes. Dealer allocation will be based on sales figures from last year. The W427's limited run will help it, to be sure, but the price is more than double the price of the Ford FPV F6, which goes for $AUD 65,990. The Falcon is down about 80 horsepower vs. the Holden, but it's also down on weight. We think it might be time for Holden to invite Autoblog Down Under to settle this once and for all.


[Source: Car Advice]