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.
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!
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.
"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.
Click above for a gallery of the turbocharged APS HSV Commodore.
APS is in the business of making power and that's exactly what they've done for the new Pontiac G8 GT and its Aussie-spec sibling, the Holden Commodore HSV. The tuner's Stealth Intercooled turbocharger setup uses two water-cooled turbos mounted deep into the engine bay, just ahead of the transmission, to ensure underhood temps are kept in check – road debris be damned. According to APS, the system is a straightforward, bolt-in affair, utilizing a right-sized, aluminum, air-to-air intercooler, seven pounds of boost and a pair of TIAL 38mm external wastegates to bleed off exhaust gases and optimize throttle response. While APS hasn't installed the system on a Pontiac G8 GT yet, they've strapped its own blown HSV (with a three-inch cat-back exhaust) onto the rollers of a Dyno Dynamics dyno and produced 557 hp and 583 lb.-ft. of torque while running 93-octane. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but considering how impressed we were with the standard G8 GT, this setup has the potential to redefine the bang-for-the-buck quotient in the segment.
Like the sedan and ute before it, the Holden Commodore Sportwagon will also soon have a corresponding HSV performance variant. The HSV Tourer is essentially an HSV Clubsport R8 Wagon, as it features the muscle sedan's front clip and 425-horsepower (317kW) LS3 V8 powertrain. Look for it to arrive arrive in Australia this October and in the U.S. as a Pontiac, well, never. (Pontiac has no plans to bring over the Commodore Sportwagon, remember.)
HSV admits that the Tourer could take some sales away from the Clubsport R8 upon which it's based, but that the presence of the wagon in the now-complete HSV lineup should still help HSV's sales numbers overall. Drive.com.au notes that the Commodore Sportwagon was supposed to launch back in March, but has been delayed while Holden continues to work out kinks with the wagon bodystyle. We expect to get plenty more info on the HSV Tourer closer to its launch, but today, we're more bummed than ever that Pontiac isn't importing the Commodore Sportwagon. Imagine what the possibilities could have been... Pontiac G8 Safari GXP? Not bad. And unfortunately, not gonna happen.
The modern American auto show circuit has turned into a series of venues at which automakers try to out-green or out-crossover each other, with the occasional fire-breather thrown in. Down in Australia, it's like the late 60s or early 70s, with a power-mad pissing contest between GM and Ford going full-tilt. We already saw Holden's killer flex-fuel muscle concept, the Coupe 60. Now it's time for the skunkworks to unveil its newest street missile. We previewed it this morning, but here it is in all its glory: the HSV W427. The "W" is a nod to Tom Walkinshaw, whose TWR crew joined up with Holden in 1988 to create the Group A VL SS Commodore, a homologation special that marked the birth of GM's Australian factory performance division, HSV.
The 427 represents the engine's size in cubic inches, as in GM LS7 V8 cubic inches. The Corvette Z06's heart has been transplanted into the VE Commodore's body, which has been substantially modified with a unique blackened fascia (you might also call it "ugly," or more diplomatically, "menacing"); updated aero bits all around; new 20" wheels; and an immeasurable amount of testosterone. That's what the LS7 brings to the party -- no blue pills required. Final power numbers aren't yet available, but HSV expects them to be in excess of 496 horses and 472 lb-ft. That should make the W427 the fastest Aussie street-legal supercar ever produced. All the good Corvette trickery is in play, too: magnetic ride control, big brakes, and the bi-modal exhaust system are among the hidden goodies that make it the ultimate super saloon. Quantities will be limited, but lucky owners will feel like every road is Bathurst.
Since last summer, rumors have swirled in Australia regarding a potential "flagship" HSV GTSR. The original scuttlebutt had GM's Aussie performance division dropping the Corvette Z06's LS7 V8 into one of its fully-tricked, Commodore-based sedans. That never panned out. In the interim, we've seen the introduction of the blown, 620-horsepower, 6.2-liter LS9 V8 in the Corvette ZR1, as well as its less-caffeinated brother, the 550-horsepower LSA, in the Cadillac CTS-V. As such, the time is nigh to commence Round 2 of the HSV GTSR rumormongering. Australia's Motor magazine (no website? come on, guys) steps up to the plate with its March 2008 issue cover shot, a Photoshop of an HSV sedan sporting the ZR1's hood window, with a claim that the LS9 is headed Down Under. Whether the rumor's even remotely valid is anyone's guess, and it's likely to go on for months. You see, something like the mythical GTSR would be a pretty major reveal, worthy of a big stage like the Sydney Motor Show. That doesn't take place until October, so there's plenty of time for this one to get whipped into a frenzy. Thanks to Autoblog (and Motor mag) reader Zayed B. for the photo!
UPDATE: I'm reminded in the comments that the Melbourne Motor Show is less than three weeks away, so perhaps we'll get more word on whether there's a Super HSV in the works sooner rather than later.
The Middle East is a key export market for GM's Holden division, as LHD versions of the Commodore, Caprice, and Statesman sedans are sold there under the Chevrolet Lumina and Caprice nameplates. Until now, the highest-performance vehicle exported to the region was the Lumina SS, a rebadged Commodore SS. Holden's performance arm, HSV, remained exclusive to Australia/New Zealand and the UK market, where the HSV Clubsport R8 is sold as the slightly more powerful Vauxhall VXR8.
That's now changed, with Holden and HSV getting together to send the heavy performance artillery to the Middle East. HSV essentially spins off CSV, Chevrolet Special Vehicles, which will market HSV exports in the region. The first vehicle is the CSV CR8, again a rebadged version of the HSV Clubsport R8, but this time sporting left-hand-drive. The placement of the steering wheel and the Bowtie badging are essentially the extent of the changes. The car, like its HSV and VXR counterparts, has a 6.0L LS2 underhood. In this guise, it's dishing out 411 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque.
So, why do we care about this? Well, until now, HSV cars were only sold in RHD markets. The appearance of the high-performance HSV Clubsport R8 / CSV CR8 in a LHD configuration is most welcome, as we feel that it's the clearest signal yet that the widely-expected Pontiac G8 GXP is another step closer to reality. That's reason to be excited, don't you think?
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