HSV W427: video test drive

By Paul Gover

Herald Sun

23 July 2008

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Video

"This is the car that HSV always wanted to build." Photo Gallery

The Big Dog is off the leash and barking with the threat of a seven-litre bite.

Nothing as flat-out menacing as the W427 from Holden Special Vehicles has ever been seen before in Australian motoring and 90 punters with $155,500 for their new pet have signed for deliveries before the end of July.

You have to get the W427 on a track to understand how good, and how bad, it truly is. It feels as fast as a recently-superseded V8 Supercar in a straight line, with a thunderous exhaust note like a warbird at take-off power.

Just as good as the engine, the W-car has the first serious braking package on any HSV car and there is no sign of fade in repeated hot-lap stops. And the new six-speed manual gearbox is lighter and smoother than the usual truckie-style shift in a high-performance V8.

The E-Series flagship is not as racey as the first 7-litre HSV car, the two-cars-only Monaro 427 which never cleared the bar for full-scale production, but this time around all the work has been done to create a car which is more than just a racer for the road.

The W427 gets the LS7 engine from the Chevrolet Corvette, with 375 kiloWatts - that is 505 horsepower - and 640 Newton-metres. They are shipped from the USA and installed on a special mini production line at HSV in Clayton which makes the 165 individual changes from a 'standard' HSV GTS. Work includes a big-bore active exhaust, a special limited-slip differential, giant brakes and the latest TR6060 gearbox with local tweaks to the clutch.

Every owner will be invited to travel to Clayton to watch their car being built.

But no-one is sure exactly how many W427s will be built, with HSV chief Scott Grant now talking up to 427 - "but no more than 427" - after an initial build program for 200 cars.

What is certain is numbers which will make the car the quickest quarter-mile and 0-100km/h sprinter in serious production, even if a potential top speed in the 290 range has been held back to 250km/h by a self-inflicted speed limiter.

Grant is simple and direct as he sums up the reason for the W427, which takes its name from company boss Tom Walkinshaw - who is having car one shipped to his home in England - and its 427-cubic inch capacity.

"This is the car that HSV always wanted to build," Grant says.

Comments on this story

Displaying 10 of 56 comments

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all the guys i know with modded xr6 turbo's would blow this thing u would only need to spend 6 grand on an xr to leave this for dead hsv are crap get with it pplz v8s arent king anymore....

paul jenkins of melb Posted at 26 April 2009 10:01am

From a Australian point of view, this car surely is the greatest of them all, with the FPV F6 and XR6 Turbo not far behind. However, on a global scale cars with far less ambition, smaller price tag and much less engine are able to match or outgun this car in most respects. It was a nice effort but I maintain this should of been the new GTS not a whole new model of legendary ambitions.

Andrew Posted at 10 April 2009 10:45am

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Kir of US Posted at 28 December 2008 8:29pm

I wish Mark Skaife were able to speak his honest opinion of any issues he finds with it. He actually seems ok as a presenter in reviewing the car so yea would of been nice to hear the truth. Its a shame that racing drivers on the whole cannot speak the truth as that would actually give them a good reason for reviewing a car in particular. I still think that the 7.0L should of went into the GTS instead to put it back at the top over the other mainstream HSV's...something a bit more adventurous would of been better for such a car as this rather than just a engine that comes in a box from yankyland.

Andrew Posted at 16 September 2008 6:13pm

What a ridiculous waste of time. With ever increasing petrol prices they will struggle to sell these. They should have given up and worked on the real weakness in Holden's line-up - small and economical cars. Sounds like a bunch of boys who haven't grown up yet, playing with their toys and getting more out of touch with reality every year.

Richard of Brisbane Posted at 06 August 2008 3:00pm

Nothing to do with the bombeydore 155k rip off, this is just a reminder to the Holden fans. Race wins - Holden 6 - Ford 17. You guys really are getting you ass kicked now aren't you? HAHA

Peter Posted at 04 August 2008 6:13pm

Awesome , i can't believe how fast it just piled on speed in second gear in that Skaife release video without even dumping the clutch.Wow , just pure unadulterated torque ,and the thing sounds just plain evil. I just hope my lotto numbers come up before they sell all the bloody things . I'll take mine in white on black. I just (bloody) wan't one.

christopher j carbonell of perth Posted at 04 August 2008 4:29pm

Loved the W427. I'll never own a car like this, but I'm pleased that such a car is available in Australia. I like the fact that it is a big roomy car, wih a big boot, that could carry a family around our big country not a selfish two seater sports car. I love Holdens (and Mark Skaife) and hope this is not the last of these cars, petrol and environmental problems besides. It may have some of the looks of a Commodore, but the front is distinctive and different and the power also. Just love it.

Gwen Donaldson of Morwell Vic Posted at 03 August 2008 5:40pm

saw the video, read the write up about it, but no automatic. i'm sure that there are people out there who would love to have a vehicle like this but because of their disabilities once again have been left out. what a shame

glenn rodda of trafalgar vic. Posted at 01 August 2008 9:59am

Who cares about GTR35 ? Well, I do ! Because it can accelerate faster and handles better than W427. Maybe I shouldn't compare these cars because I don't think they are in same performance level ... However, I rate W427 higher than GTR35 on grunty engine noise. Oh, and it's more practical ... By the way, if you can afford a $150k - $200k car, would you really care about repairing cost ?? Most likely you wouldn't even blink your eyes on rising fuel price either ...

Noob of Brisbane Posted at 31 July 2008 11:23pm

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