2004 HSV Avalanche Reviews

HSV is using the Australian International Motor Show to launch its SV Black Edition models. They’ll join vehicles from Porsche, BMW and Mercedes in earning a black label.

It's cheaper than petrol, so the running costs are lower, and it's cleaner, and the great thing about today's high-tech injection systems is that there is no loss of performance. The gas revolution began in 2003 when LPG system manufacturers were required to comply with the OBD, On Board Diagnostics, requirements laid down in our exhaust emission laws. To comply they had to be able to isolate the operation of individual cylinders, something that was impossible with the old venturi/mixer systems that had been in use since the 1970s. They also had to be able to isolate individual cylinders to be compatible with other systems on the cars, such as Traction Control and Electronic Stability Control. Without such control Ford hasn't been able to fit its dedicated LPG cars with electronic stability control. While the old systems could be made to work perfectly well on the older cars and are still being fitted today to older models by owners wanting to save a few bucks at the bowser, they weren't suitable for newer cars under the new laws. That was the main motivation for the move to the sequential-injection systems that are now being used. The main sequential injection system in use injects vapour into the engine in much the same way as sequential petrol-injection; the gas is injected through a dedicated LPG injector in the intake port near the intake valve. As a result the quantity of fuel injected is accurately controlled, and because it's done near the intake valve, the intake manifold isn't filled with an explosive mixture of air and LPG, which reduces the possibility of a backfire to almost nil. Holden uses a sequential vapour-injection system on its Commodore and Colorado models. When Ford eventually introduces its new dedicated LPG system it will be a sequential liquid-injection one, but test cars have been on the road for at least five years, which suggests there have been issues with its development. HSV also uses a sequential liquid-injection system, but in HSV's case it's a dual-fuel system rather than a dedicated gas system like the one Ford will use. The proponents of Liquid-injection claim it to be a more efficient system as the LPG is injected as a liquid the same way the petrol is injected, but those who favour vapour-injection say their system is more accurate and not subject to issues with cylinder bore wetting, or underhood vapour-lock problems or refuelling issues that they claim can affect liquid systems. Both systems deliver the same driveability as an engine running on petrol, and also the same performance.

The more racing we do the better for us and the fans. That's the biggest thing to come out of the new ownership arrangements in V8 Supercars announced this week. Teams may get some extra money out of the new ownership, but the flipside of the extra rounds is the expensive infrastructure teams will need to be able to get cars to every one of those rounds. The organisers need to have a good look at where we go with these extra rounds, especially the international rounds. Asia is the most logical because it's closer than the Mid East where we have been racing. It's also in the same time zone which is better for Aussie fans. Circuits such as Singapore and Malaysia are where we should be focusing. China was a debacle the first time we went there but I'd love to go back. It's a great track. Apart from New Zealand it was our first real push overseas and I think it was successful on some levels, but politics got involved so we've never been back. We will also introduce the car of the future in 2013 so it will be a big year for our sport. I know there is scepticism about our chances of getting other car manufacturers to compete, but once they understand the extra exposure from the bigger season, I think they will be convinced to join. Which companies they are I don't know and couldn't guess. This weekend we head to Winton which was my training track in the old days when I first got out of karts and into Formula Ford. It was my club and home track and since then I've done a lot of racing around Winton. It's a tight and narrow track and it's quite difficult to get the car set up right because of the different nature of the corners. I won both races in 2009 when they introduced the Dunlop soft tyre and I finished second in both races last year, so I'm comfortable racing there. However, I've never qualified on the front row and this year I'm hoping to change all that and grab pole. Qualifying has been one of my weak points and it would be nice to finally get it right. You need to start on at least one of the first two rows here because the narrow track makes passing difficult. It's a place where you can easily over-drive the car. You have to be patient, hit your marks and get the best out of the soft tyres which we will be using all weekend. We're expecting very cold temperatures and possibly rain on the Sunday so the soft tyres should last much longer than they did at Perth. I'm hoping to see Karl Reindler and Steve Owen back this weekend after their fireball start-line incident in Perth. I know Steve is fit and ready, but I'm not sure about Karl. He's had to have some skin grafts on his hands. It would be great for the fans to see him come back after such a horrible accident. The starting-line crash highlighted some big problems with our cars so Triple 8, being an engineering company, has gone to great lengths to fix it. Our chief engineer Ludo Lacroix has looked at everything that sits around the driver and tried to make it more fire retardant and easier to get out. He's also looked at the fuel tank. All the changes he's made to our cars for this weekend are also available to teams that have bought cars from us. The co-drivers for the endurance races, including my partner Mark Skaife, will get a run in the first practice session. It will be vital for Mark to keep his eye in, but don't expect to see him in the development series. There are rumours around that we are going to have a fourth car so Skaifey can get more experience. I can't say we haven't looked into it, but running a four-car team is probably beyond our abilities.

The more racing we do the better for us and the fans. That's the biggest thing to come out of the new ownership arrangements in V8 Supercars announced this week. Teams may get some extra money out of the new ownership, but the flipside of the extra rounds is the expensive infrastructure teams will need to be able to get cars to every one of those rounds. The organisers need to have a good look at where we go with these extra rounds, especially the international rounds. Asia is the most logical because it's closer than the Mid East where we have been racing. It's also in the same time zone which is better for Aussie fans. Circuits such as Singapore and Malaysia are where we should be focusing. China was a debacle the first time we went there but I'd love to go back. It's a great track. Apart from New Zealand it was our first real push overseas and I think it was successful on some levels, but politics got involved so we've never been back. We will also introduce the car of the future in 2013 so it will be a big year for our sport. I know there is scepticism about our chances of getting other car manufacturers to compete, but once they understand the extra exposure from the bigger season, I think they will be convinced to join. Which companies they are I don't know and couldn't guess. This weekend we head to Winton which was my training track in the old days when I first got out of karts and into Formula Ford. It was my club and home track and since then I've done a lot of racing around Winton. It's a tight and narrow track and it's quite difficult to get the car set up right because of the different nature of the corners. I won both races in 2009 when they introduced the Dunlop soft tyre and I finished second in both races last year, so I'm comfortable racing there. However, I've never qualified on the front row and this year I'm hoping to change all that and grab pole. Qualifying has been one of my weak points and it would be nice to finally get it right. You need to start on at least one of the first two rows here because the narrow track makes passing difficult. It's a place where you can easily over-drive the car. You have to be patient, hit your marks and get the best out of the soft tyres which we will be using all weekend. We're expecting very cold temperatures and possibly rain on the Sunday so the soft tyres should last much longer than they did at Perth. I'm hoping to see Karl Reindler and Steve Owen back this weekend after their fireball start-line incident in Perth. I know Steve is fit and ready, but I'm not sure about Karl. He's had to have some skin grafts on his hands. It would be great for the fans to see him come back after such a horrible accident. The starting-line crash highlighted some big problems with our cars so Triple 8, being an engineering company, has gone to great lengths to fix it. Our chief engineer Ludo Lacroix has looked at everything that sits around the driver and tried to make it more fire retardant and easier to get out. He's also looked at the fuel tank. All the changes he's made to our cars for this weekend are also available to teams that have bought cars from us. The co-drivers for the endurance races, including my partner Mark Skaife, will get a run in the first practice session. It will be vital for Mark to keep his eye in, but don't expect to see him in the development series. There are rumours around that we are going to have a fourth car so Skaifey can get more experience. I can't say we haven't looked into it, but running a four-car team is probably beyond our abilities.

I must say I was disappointed the officials decided on Saturday to ban burnouts as post-race celebrations. It's a tradition in all motorsport and it's part of what makes it a spectacle for the fans. The ludicrous situation is that the V8 drivers were banned, but the superbike riders who shared the event with us weren't, so we had BMW rider Glenn Allerton doing a burnout after his event win, but Jamie couldn't after he won the main event of the program. It comes back to the burnout display by Shane Van Gisbergen at the previous round. It's got nothing to do with setting a bad example. In fact, it shows the driver's skill level to be able to control the vehicle. Instead, it's got everything to do with getting back to the grid for post-race TV interviews. Maybe Shane's display was a bit over the top, but it was his first race win and it was on home soil, so I think it was an exceptional case. The other burning issue is the massive fire in the starting grid crash in the first race on Sunday. I haven't spoken with Steve Owen or Karl Reindler but I spoke with Steve's crew and they said he's ok and I hear Karl is too although he might need some time for his hands to heal. The burns to his hands are what's got me. His suit withstood the fire, but somehow his hands got burnt. I'm also concerned about the window net melting. While the marshals did a great job, I think we need a thorough investigation of the cars, the starting grid procedure, flag marshals, fire marshals and everything. It's a very rare situation. Usually the drivers can see a stalled car and avoid a straight-on hit at high speed, but Steve was totally unsighted until the last second when David Reynolds deviated. The last big starting grid shunt I can remember involved Mark Larkham and Paul Morris at Oran Park in the late 1990s. It might be rare, but it's worth a thorough investigation to prevent it happening gain. I was happy with the weekend results, even though we could have done better on tyre wear. We'll sit down and analyse it when we get back on Friday. The last time we were in Perth in 2009 I was able to conserve my tyres, even the soft tyres. This time they just melted. However, it's the first time we've been here with a Holden. The car set up seemed to be working really well, so I'm not sure if it's my style or the car set up that's to blame.

I must say I was disappointed the officials decided on Saturday to ban burnouts as post-race celebrations. It's a tradition in all motorsport and it's part of what makes it a spectacle for the fans. The ludicrous situation is that the V8 drivers were banned, but the superbike riders who shared the event with us weren't, so we had BMW rider Glenn Allerton doing a burnout after his event win, but Jamie couldn't after he won the main event of the program. It comes back to the burnout display by Shane Van Gisbergen at the previous round. It's got nothing to do with setting a bad example. In fact, it shows the driver's skill level to be able to control the vehicle. Instead, it's got everything to do with getting back to the grid for post-race TV interviews. Maybe Shane's display was a bit over the top, but it was his first race win and it was on home soil, so I think it was an exceptional case. The other burning issue is the massive fire in the starting grid crash in the first race on Sunday. I haven't spoken with Steve Owen or Karl Reindler but I spoke with Steve's crew and they said he's ok and I hear Karl is too although he might need some time for his hands to heal. The burns to his hands are what's got me. His suit withstood the fire, but somehow his hands got burnt. I'm also concerned about the window net melting. While the marshals did a great job, I think we need a thorough investigation of the cars, the starting grid procedure, flag marshals, fire marshals and everything. It's a very rare situation. Usually the drivers can see a stalled car and avoid a straight-on hit at high speed, but Steve was totally unsighted until the last second when David Reynolds deviated. The last big starting grid shunt I can remember involved Mark Larkham and Paul Morris at Oran Park in the late 1990s. It might be rare, but it's worth a thorough investigation to prevent it happening gain. I was happy with the weekend results, even though we could have done better on tyre wear. We'll sit down and analyse it when we get back on Friday. The last time we were in Perth in 2009 I was able to conserve my tyres, even the soft tyres. This time they just melted. However, it's the first time we've been here with a Holden. The car set up seemed to be working really well, so I'm not sure if it's my style or the car set up that's to blame.

Something like "$85,000 is well below the going rate for a senator's signature, isn't it?" is too easy, inaccurate (in sentiment as well as market rate, we hope). The fully-loaded Senator sits $5000 below the more-tastily named Grange long-wheelbase flagship and is less overt than the slightly more-powerful (and $1000 more expensive) GTS, but still oozes musclebound presence.VALUEThe HSV Senator Signature asks for $83,990, which in the world of prestige motoring buys you an Audi A4, C-Class Benz or 3-Series Beemer - all cars that have nowhere near the rear seat room or the brain-bending performance of the V8 musclecar.The Senator has more features than a Canberra DVD store - projector headlights and driving lights (xenons saved for the Grange), daytime LED running lights and rear tailights, leather trim, a leather-wrapped HSV sports steering wheel with height and reach adjust.The helm also has controls for the Enhanced Driver Interface and the HSV derivation of the iQ infotainment system. There's also a trip computer (with some numbers you may not want to see), Bluetooth phone link, satnav, dual-zone climate control, alloy pedals, a trio of centre-mounted gauges, the (optional at $1990) blind spot warning system, a rear overhead DVD player, HSV "performance" electrically-adjustable leather seats and an (optional $1990) sunroof.TECHNOLOGYHSV went down the path of boosting brain-power instead of horsepower for the E3 upgrade - after all, anything over 300kW and 500Nm is an "elegant sufficiency" of outputs for most road performances.The brand uses the touchscreen for more than satnav, phone and sound system functions - the Enhanced Driver Interface offers the Senator Signature driver access to a whole world of techno-babble - G-force readings, power and torque gauges and mapping and timing functions for racetracks in the system. It can also be downloaded for social media bragging rights via a USB port in the glovebox, although that feature would seem more likely to be a boy-racer's bag than that which would appeal to someone buying an $80,000 car, even one like this.Also in the same basket is the three-stage stability control, which has a competition mode for a little mis-behaving before the electronics step in. The Senator gets a more comfortable "Premium" tune of the Magnetic Ride Control, which takes the sting from the big sedan's ride (which is OK given that it's riding on the optional 20in rims) to some extent, but its on the noisy side when being asked to work hard on rutted roads.There's also the option - for $2290 - of the bi-modal exhaust - which allows the V8 to burble at the lights but speak with a more civilised tone when cruising - it's nice not to have any drone that can intrude on performance exhausts, but open up the taps and it brays with conviction.The Senator has a blind spot warning system, which flashes little red lights at the bottom of the A-pillars when a car is lurking - probably getting an eyeful of the car's powerful haunches - in the large-ish blindspot behind the C-pillar.DESIGNSubtle isn't the first adjective ascribed to any HSV product but the business suit versions sans massive rear spoiler look less "fully sick" and more corporate - in a V8 Supercar exec sort of way.HSV calls it the luxury body design with "Shockwave" exhaust outlets and the lower-key rear lip spoiler, but when it rumbles up into the rearvision mirror with its LED day time running lights gleaming too brightly for most, you'll certainly notice it.SAFETYThe Senator gets the full complement of safety features - dual front and side airbags for driver and front passenger, full-length side curtain airbags, stability control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist. The brakes are big and deal with the portly kerb-weight well - thanks no doubt to being ventilated and grooved, with four-piston calipers front and rear.The front seat belts also have with load limiters and pyrotechnic pre-tensioners. The safety features list also includes tyre pressure monitoring, rain sensing wipers and automatic headlights, front and rear parking sensors, a rear camera.It was in this area where the Senator let itself down a little - the centre display threw up an Auto Brake fault and then a Stability Control fault, which was rectified with a new brake switch component; the rear camera and satnav displays also decided to go AWOL, requiring the car to be turned off, locked, unlocked and re-started - an automotive re-boot?DRIVINGLiving up to your looks is a good thing when you look like this car - aggressive but without looking like a steroid-infused security man, perhaps more akin to that bloke's boss.The burble gives way to a mechanical bellow that's accompanied by considerable forward thrust, interrupted by auto changes that could perhaps be a little smarter and slicker.There's nothing wrong with the way it corners, defying its considerable kerb weight to track faithfully, although the tricky dampers can get a bit of a rattle up when dealing with some sharper bumps, but in the main it deals well with road imperfections, especially given its the low profile rubber wrapped around the optional 20in wheels fitted to the test car.As a roadtrip car it eats curvy country-road distances - only extreme throttle provocation makes the back wheels twitch.The Bluetooth system works well in some scenarios, although if you've plugged an iPhone into the system and then have the musicplayer going in conjunction with a phone call, the music track be heard as well - make sure you're not listening to The 12th Man first.One thing that was absent on the features list that should be there when shelling out this amount of money - there's no automatic-dimming rearvision mirror, which is something that should be in an $85,000 vehicle.VERDICTPut the badge snobbery aside and there's not much near this for the money that can carry as many passengers and luggage for a road trip - and outpunch serious sportscars if and when required. Unless you look at the FPV or Chrysler opposition, you have to triple the pricetag and buy German to get the same performance.HSV Senator E3Price: $83,990Warranty: 3 years, 100,000kmResale: 80%Service Interval: 12 months/15,000kmEconomy: 13.7 l/100km, on test 15.7; 324g/km CO2, tank 73 litresSafety: Equipment six airbags, stability control, ABS.Crash rating: 5 starEngine: 317kW/550Nm 6.2-litre OHV 90-deg V8Transmission: six speed auto, rear-wheel drive with LSDBody: 5-door, 5 seatsDimensions: 4943mm (L); 1899mm (W); 1467mm (H); 2915mm (WB)Weight: 1792kgTyre size: 19in alloy wheels, optional 20in for $2500Spare tyre: inflator/repair kit 

That white ute, built on a 3-Series platform, is real. Yes, it's a concept but it's also a fully-functional car. It's also not the only BMW ute. Yes, Australian golfer Stuart Appleby has one - a 2000 E39 M5 beheaded and bedded in 2008 by Deniliquin-based custom shop Southern Rod - but BMW has done the deed before.It chopped a sad E30 M3 of 1986 to become a work car that could haul parts around the factory. It's now even sadder and sits in a corner of a BMW warehouse.BMW last week put its tongue in its cheek with the announcement the M3 ute would become the fourth body variant of the M3 family. "Under the strictest secrecy, the world's first high-performance pickup (really?) has been created at the BMW M GmbH development centre," BMW's April 1 release states."The sportiest example by far in this vehicle category (really? HSV anyone?), the BMW M3 Pickup will fire the imaginations of all motorists with a deep appreciation of top performance matched by a keen practical bent. "309kW/420hp under the bonnet and a rear-axle load capacity of up to 450 kilos take the hallmark BMW M relationship between race-oriented driving pleasure and everyday utility to an entirely new level."This unique vehicle has already completed extensive test and set-up drives on the Nurburgring's Nordschleife in advance of its global unveiling on April 1, 2011." It adds that the BMW M3 Pickup is "the first BMW M3 variant in the 25-year-plus history of this model range to come with a trailer tow hitch"."Notwithstanding these unquestionable stand-out qualities, the BMW M3 Pickup will not be heading for the golf course or series development, but will retain its status as an exclusive one-off," the press release says as reality sets in."It is earmarked for use as a workshop transport vehicle for BMW M GmbH. With this in mind, the BMW M3 Pickup - unlike a similar predecessor built back in the 1980s - has gone through the requisite procedures to earn its road certification, which makes it officially a truck - but one that puts a whole new spin on the meaning of the word."

It's not as though there's a lack of quick moving imported status symbols between $80-90K. Consider the top spec of the rapid and smart Lexus IS350 V6, a C-Class Merc also with a V6, a beautifully balanced BMW 3 Series with a straight six and an Audi A4 with a neatly blown four.Then, like blinged up brickies, there are those Strayan muscle car aristocrats with their bellicose V8s, Ford's FPV and this, the latest of Holden's Special Vehicles. As comparatively refined as the E3 series GTS has become, it remains in essence a big, beefhearted brute.While all the Japanese and Euros devices mentioned above shout "I've made it," the GTS seem to say in all its burbling enormity: "I've made it too and get stuffed."VALUEAs always with HSV this is a question of what you most value. If it's go for the dough, you're in the right showroom.At $82,900 for the six-speed manual, two grand more the auto, HSV can always claim this is an amazingly cheap equivalent of, say BMW's 550i or Merc's E 500. There's much in this argument.You get a mass of prime meat for the money. Apart from rare, raw power, the E3 has crossed the luxury car threshold in terms of both tax and content, with tech of the highest order.Best not consider the the question of residuals, though. Buyers of new HSVs can get kicked in the slats at resale time.TECHNOLOGYNot so much as a visual facelift over the E2 as an organ transplant. The changes are almost all within the cabin and they are considerable, Via a touchscreen, the new HSV Enhanced Driver Interface accesses a performance data logging system conveying real time info on revs, brakes, gear changes, G-forces, fuel use, steering angle, bi-modal exhaust and a plethora of other data and the ability to download data onto a PC (though not a Mac). Novelly, the system includes preloaded race track locations, stop watches and track maps. For civilian deployment, there's sat-nav, digital radio and Bluetooth.Taking a page from the Volvo playbook, Side Blind Zone Alert uses sensors to locate and alert you to obstructions in those hard to see spots. EDI also accesses the stability program and controls the bi-modal exhaust.Out front, the the LS3 6.2L V8 is retained but upgunned over the rest of the HSV range to 325 kW. Ninety-five RON is required.SAFETYAs safe as its solidity suggests, with five star ANCAP rating, and massive brakes that, at least in street legal use, don't fade under the big bloke's considerable heft. Would that all stop pedals had this sort of progression before the barrier of ABS is breached.DESIGNIf you have the misfortune to be hearing impaired and thus unable to hear the V8 with bi-modal exhaust in full roar, the violent yellow of our test car would still somehow be audible. Loud? Rather. My choice would be something more discreet, such as blood red or screaming magenta. Phew.Whatever, the beast has presence, not least in the rear vision mirror of the overtaking lane laggard. No horn blasting or light flashing necessary for an unimpeded path.On the outside, the GTS is mainly a case of tarting up the SS V Commodore, so you will either love it or loathe it and that's miles better than indifference. Within the E3 is a step up. Though you'll never quite escape the feeling this is derived from a much less expensive car, the GTS is an attractive and comfortable, if not lush, place to inhabit.In any hue (and, honestly, make mine a dark metallic or white) mounted on massive low profile 20-inch rubber wrapped multi-spoke Pentagon alloys, the GTS has a sense of occasion.DRIVINGSave for a few furtive bursts, it's useless pretending we charted more than a fraction of the GTS's immense performance during our 400-odd kays on public roads. Capable of reaching 100km/h from standing in just under five seconds, so it's claimed, the GTS seldom feels hurried, as that immense capacity is put to the road without undue fuss.Though some 1830kg (plus 73 litres of fuel and 100kg of me), it is seldom unwieldy and through tighter passages of road it somehow feels smaller and more nimble than than its heavyweight dimensions should permit.OK, we can accept the GTS works fine as both a functional device and a fantasy fulfiller for well to do V8 Supercar fans. What wasn't expected, at least not by me, is the aplomb with which it fills the role of grand touring sedan. On a mostly open road run (hence our reasonable fuel consumption) the yellow leviathan eats the kays at a canter. Those easy conditions mean a manual shifter, inevitably described as "agricultural", can't become tiresome, though even in urban running the need to be assertive with it seems in keeping with the car's character.In a car suffused with tech, HSV's Magnetic Ride Control is an outstanding feature, ensuring that the ride through those skinny 20s almost unfeasibly compliant.VERDICTDidn't want to return it.HSV GTS E3Price: from $82,900Engine: 6.2-litre V8 petrol; 325kW/550NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or 6-speed autoThirst: 12.8L/100km (tested)

The current lineup of hotrod Holdens is already locked in place and management chiefs at both HSV and GM Holden confirm it's "business as usual" at the Clayton-based operation in Melbourne.