Thursday 27th April 2017

HSV GTSR W1: Time for Tea?

Australian media have got hold of the 640hp HSV swansong, and they're rather keen on it...

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While we won't be getting the HSV GTSR W1 in the UK, that doesn't stop us being very excited about it. Rather like the current breed of muscle cars coming out of the US, it combines huge power with some really exciting chassis tech and - praise be - a manual gearbox, to create the kind of driver's car we didn't think was made anymore.

But in the W1's case, of course, it really won't be made any more. This is the final Holden Special Vehicles car to be built in Australia as production over there ends, the Holden line up seemingly switching to rebadged GMs going forwards. Sad.

As such, it's quite a big moment for the Australian automotive industry. And, while all the cars have been sold, a few journalists down under have been given a go. Unsurprisingly perhaps, they're quite keen on it, as this CarAdvice video demonstrates.

In all fairness though, who wouldn't be? This is the first production ever to feature Pirelli Trofeo R tyres as standard fitment. The dampers are passive, built by the same company that does the HSV V8 Supercar dampers. The front brakes are larger than you'll find on a V8 Supercar. It makes 640hp and sounds angry, like Taz when he's really, really irate. And supercharged. It is, in the words of this reviewer, "f***ing incredible".

Best of all, there's more than one video. They've all had a go. So fill your boots with some V8 fury this afternoon, and let's all celebrate just what the Australians have achieved here. Thanks HSV, it's been rather good fun.

Watch the video here.

[Demonix]

Worth emigrating just to get one of those bad boys!

Awesome piece of kit

[NJ72]

• goes and checks costs to import one to the UK*

[davidcharles]

i bet that's interesting on a leafy back road

[VXR8 FQ]

Yes the uk is getting a scaled down version

[anonymous-user]

LS9 eh? Or you could buy a regular GTS-R. With a cam and smaller supercharger pulley, you'd get a reliable 750hp from the regular LSA.

Some consolation for people in the U.K.

[Burwood]

Is it worth 101k GBP? Maybe it is. It's rare and brisk. I wouldn't say it's mental fast. 180mph(delimited vmax according to aussie car mags.

[cheddar]

Burwood said:

Is it worth 101k GBP? Maybe it is. It's rare and brisk. I wouldn't say it's mental fast. 180mph(delimited vmax according to aussie car mags.

Unless the drag coefficient is horrendous it's gotta be a true 200mph car

........just checked, it's .31, the CDA won't be great but if this weeks featured Alpina can hit its claimed 190mph with 'only' 440bhp then the Holden should add at least 10 more with its extra 200bhp

[Burwood]

cheddar said:

Burwood said:

Is it worth 101k GBP? Maybe it is. It's rare and brisk. I wouldn't say it's mental fast. 180mph(delimited vmax according to aussie car mags.

Unless the drag coefficient is horrendous it's gotta be a true 200mph car

........just checked, it's .31, the CDA won't be great but if this weeks featured Alpina can hit its claimed 190mph with 'only' 440bhp then the Holden should add at least 10 more with its extra 200bhp

The articles in Aussie car mags say 180mph is the theoretical Vmax. I've always been confused with HSVs. They are fast but the headline power of this car should see insane performance. maybe its absolutely no traction. Is 50-75mph in 2.5s mental? A 911 Turbo S manages 1.8. The HSV clocks a 12.1 quarter which isn't crazy either. I don't understand where the 630hp is deployed.

[SturdyHSV]

Burwood said:

The articles in Aussie car mags say 180mph is the theoretical Vmax. I've always been confused with HSVs. They are fast but the headline power of this car should see insane performance. maybe its absolutely no traction. Is 50-75mph in 2.5s mental? A 911 Turbo S manages 1.8. The HSV clocks a 12.1 quarter which isn't crazy either. I don't understand where the 630hp is deployed.

Deployed in much the same way all Australian horsepower has been deployed for decades

[vsonix]

I totally fell for the Commodores on my recent trip down under. GM pulling the plug seems like a senseless waste. All about the wagon though.

Edited by vsonix on Friday 28th April 19:17

[vsonix]

[vsonix]

SturdyHSV said:

Burwood said:

The articles in Aussie car mags say 180mph is the theoretical Vmax. I've always been confused with HSVs. They are fast but the headline power of this car should see insane performance. maybe its absolutely no traction. Is 50-75mph in 2.5s mental? A 911 Turbo S manages 1.8. The HSV clocks a 12.1 quarter which isn't crazy either. I don't understand where the 630hp is deployed.

Deployed in much the same way all Australian horsepower has been deployed for decades

Burnouts are a national pastime in NZ and Australia. You see the evidence all over the place!
I'd imagine a certain amout of understating goes into the official figures but by and large one does seem to notice cars getting exponentially more powerful but 0-60s remain similar. I'd generally assumed it was down to aerodynamics and tyres needing to be more extreme than would be feasible on a car intended for the public roads.

[SturdyHSV]

vsonix said:

Burnouts are a national pastime in NZ and Australia. You see the evidence all over the place!

As a happy HSV owner I'm only too aware of the 'heritage'

Obviously by HSV I mean Vauxhall because I'm in the UK, but ho' hum

(with authentic foam finger for extra Aus points )

[JMF894]

As a SAAB fan I have zero time for GM but this car does tickle my fancy I must say.

On an entirely different note doesn't that track seem far too narrow, short and bendy to fully appreciate a car like this?

[rodericb]

It looks like Broadford, which is a fairly tight circuit even for motorbikes.

[Aeroresh]

davidcharles said:

i bet that's interesting on a leafy back road

This is why I got rid of my old VXR8, it was just too big to be hustled on our back roads as you have to take account of its width with its arse hanging out around every bend!

[Kenny Powers]

Demonix said:

Worth emigrating just to get one of those bad boys!

Awesome piece of kit

Good luck with that unless you're a brain surgeon or a millionaire!

Awesome car though

[dvs_dave]

I wonder why GM hasn't tried to sell the Holden brand like they did with Opel/Vauxhall? Seems strange that they're just shuttering the whole operation after 60 odd years, and nobody really seems to care all that much.

[RoverP6B]

dvs_dave said:

I wonder why GM hasn't tried to sell the Holden brand like they did with Opel/Vauxhall? Seems strange that they're just shuttering the whole operation after 60 odd years, and nobody really seems to care all that much.

Especially now that the Vietnamese are investing heavily in Australia (including buying the Holden technical centre and proving ground) with their Vinfast brand, which makes Pininfarina restyled previous-gen BMW 5s and X5s with the option of GM pushrod V8 power... surely they would want to have the option of buying a globally renowned brand with a century of heritage to build their marketing campaigns on?

[rodericb]

dvs_dave said:

I wonder why GM hasn't tried to sell the Holden brand like they did with Opel/Vauxhall? Seems strange that they're just shuttering the whole operation after 60 odd years, and nobody really seems to care all that much.

There's pretty much no potential left. The manufacturing went a couple of years ago and most of the engineering is gone. They did some work for GM after engineering and production for Commodore ended but it'd just be a pain having to maintain that function in Australia and manage it remotely. GM have also pretty much ditched the right hand markets too, which was another nail in the coffin.