HSV Maloo GTS: world's fastest ute

The car we know as the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS, made into a pick-up. Mad, mad Australians

That two of the colour options for the HSV Maloo GTS are Jungle Green and Some Like It Hot (it's a bronzey red) says a lot about the car as a whole; it's doesn't take itself too seriously.

Pick up. Supercharged V8. 585hp. Wow

The GTS is a 250-car limited edition ute for Australia and New Zealand, with just 10 going to the latter. You'll remember Holden won't sell Australian developed cars from 2017 so this is its last hurrah for the barmy V8 pick up. Quite a way to go.

As with the four-door GTS, the Maloo uses the GM 6.2-litre LSA supercharged V8 with 585hp and 546lb ft. The magnetic dampers haven't made it across but the pick-up does feature the Driver Preference Dial, AP brakes with forged six-pot front calipers (plus 390mm/372mm discs) as well as torque vectoring through the ESC. And nearly six hundred bloomin horsepower.

For those wanting to take their GTS to the drag strip (and why wouldn't you?), there's a six-speed Tremec manual available. A six-speed auto is optional. And in case the bi-modal exhaust and Jungle Green hasn't announced your arrival loudly enough, the GTS identifiers show this just another utility vehicle. There are LSA and GTS badges, 20-inch wheels in a 'Dark Stainless' finish and HSV daytime running lights.

So it's an appropriately daft valedictory model for Holden Special Vehicles. It's not especially relevant or tasteful or innovative. But the Maloo GTS does look outrageous fun, and that's good enough for us.

[Sources: HSV, caradviceAU]