Yes, we thought all the Commodores
had been announced
now too. But the news of another special edition, one from HSV and with nearly 650hp, is not something that's going to be ignored on PH. Look at it!
More significantly, and quite sadly, this
HSV GTS-R W1
could well be the last supersaloon with a manual gearbox. Think about it: all the Europeans have long since been auto-only, and the Cadillac CTS-V is only now offered with eight self-shifting gears also. Those fast four-doors still offered with manuals are lower down the ranks, cars like the M3 and Cadillac ATS-V.
And yes, they really are lower down the ranks than a W1. This big, bad orange saloon produces 644hp courtesy of the old Corvette ZR1 supercharged V8, the LS9 (regular HSV Commodores use the LSA). It's dry-sumped too, a hint at just how track focused this thing is. The six-speed manual is the same Tremec TR060 as used in the other Commodores, but here strengthened to deal with 601lb ft and using closer ratios.
As mentioned when the W1 rumours first snuck out, this car ditches the magnetic dampers of the standard car for some motorsport items developed by Supashock. Quite a cool way of doing things actually, in a 'no, the customer isn't actually right, here's the setup you want' kind of way. Brakes are from AP Racing, a giant 410mm at the front (with six-pot calipers) and weighing less than a standard GTS-R.
The standard Continentals have been dropped too, for a set of Pirelli P Zero Trofeo Rs. Yes, the same tyres you'll put on a McLaren P1 to make it go quickly around a track. They're wrapped around new (forged) wheels, genuinely named 'SV Panorama'.
Certain jammy Australians have already had a go in the W1, saying the car is "as good as anything the rest of the world can produce." Certainly it will have to be, with a price of 170,000 Australian dollars, or just over £100,000. Despite that, it looks like there are going to 300 very lucky Australians out there, and one hell of a Holden Special Vehicles legacy.