HSV Avalanche Reviews

The fastest and most powerful production car ever made in Australia -- the Holden Special Vehicles GTS -- has come to a grinding halt. Demand is so strong for the supercharged V8 sedan that HSV has run out of wheels. More than 100 GTS sedans are waiting for wheels at HSV's Clayton facility after an order mix-up with the wheel supplier in Taiwan. HSV and the supplier are now in a race against time to deliver the $100,000 Holdens to customers before Christmas. "We've given customers the option of choosing other wheels, but most are waiting for the genuine GTS wheels," said HSV director of sales and marketing Tim Jackson. "We expect to have the backlog cleared within a week so we can get them to dealers. It is our plan for customers to have their cars in plenty of time for the summer holidays." The HSV GTS already has a three-month waiting list, but the wheel woes have pushed back deliveries by about a fortnight. HSV forecast sales of about 500 supercharged GTS sedans in the second half of the year, but has so far sold 600, more than was originally planned. "We've sold every car we've built, we've been overwhelmed with the response," said Mr Jackson. The HSV GTS is powered by a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 (430kW/740Nm) borrowed from a high performance Camaro and Cadillac in North America. The HSV GTS can do the 0 to 100km/h dash in 4.3 seconds, making it easily the fastest-accelerating car made in Australia. Top speed is limited to 250km/h according to General Motors' international guidelines. But the speed limiter was disabled for a demonstration run at this year's Bathurst 1000 in a race against the Holden Racing Team V8 Supercar. Driving the HSV GTS, champion racer Garth Tander saw more than 280km/h on Conrod Straight, just a few kilometres slower than a V8 Supercar.   Read our review of the HSV GTS manual here.   Read our review of the HSV GTS automatic here.   This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  

The HSV GTS has become an instant classic. The fastest car designed, engineered and built in Australia has a waiting list that stretches three months and beyond.

When too much power is barely enough, there is this alternative. Harrop Engineering, which specialises in race-car engineering and supercharger technology, has an upgrade kit for the HSV GTS that for about $6600 transforms Australia's fastest sedan into a road-going supercar.The whitecoats at Harrop, which include two highly regarded former HSV employees, have extracted 530kW of power and a mind-boggling 1000Nm of torque from the supercharged 6.2-litre V8. The go-fast bits include a larger air intake, two resized drive pulleys to make the supercharger spin faster, larger fuel injectors and some engine management finesse to make things run smoothly.Harrop puts a driveline warranty on this package. Any further modifications (and the engine is capable of it) and you're on your own. A brief drive of the 530kW Harrop package reveals just how much potential there is in the standard GTS engine. Unlike other modified cars, this upgrade felt as smooth as the original HSV and didn't cough and splutter in traffic -- as most cars with this much power and torque tend to do.It was breathtaking. The power upgrade was fitted to a manual, and it felt substantially quicker than the standard auto. Beyond the cost of the Harrop conversion, there might also be the additional and frequent expense of feeding it fresh rear tyres.Watch the desktop version of the HSV GTS video here. 

The nation's largest vehicle retailer, Automotive Holdings Group, has launched its new Melbourne City Holden and HSV dealership, under the leadership of the group's first female dealer principal.Sue Alford, who has been in the car business for 25 years, said there had been an explosion of interest since the business opened on the former site of the Neverland nightclub, South Melbourne. "We can't believe how it's taken off," Ms Alford said. "There is a genuine desire from customers for a dealership here."The Johnson St site underwent a $6 million transformation into the dealership, which opened four weeks ago. The development was part of a $12 million investment in the site, which will house a Hyundai dealership as soon as March.Automotive Holdings said the investment reflected the fact Victoria had become a major plank in the group's national automotive retail operations. The company yesterday announced a three-year sponsorship deal with Melbourne Football Club in a move to bolster its presence in the market.The new South Melbourne dealership is the group's 17th in Victoria and one of 86 around Australia and New Zealand. Ms Alford said she was excited to be responsible for a major dealership for Automotive Holdings and was pleased women were making more impact in the sector. "At least half our customers are women, so it's absolutely good to have more women working in the industry," she said.Ms Alford said the service centre on the site had been open for six months. Daily numbers have trebled since the Holden dealership opened. She said site traffic was expected to spike once the Hyundai dealership launched.

Blow(er) me. Walkinshaw has just launched supercharged versions of the HSV and SS Commodore VF models and the results are gobsmacking.

In the lead-up to this weekend's Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercars round, Red Bull has put the tourist destination's famous beach to far better use than working on a cancer-incipient tan.They've sent their star driver Jamie Whincup -- who could pick up his fifth V8 Supercar championship this year -- out for some sand training against an aerobatic stunt plane. Also watch: HSV Gen-F GTS v HSV VX GTS 300 v HRT V8 Supercar video And it's a close race. Very close... with the plane's deft pilot Joel Haski buzzing Whincup's V8 Supercar near enough to drift smoke across the roof.The V8 Holden wouldn't be your first choice for beach driving, and Whincup shows some spectacular skills in trying to keep it on the line in the slippery sand. Still, all good practice for the GC600 -- the first of the year's three final rounds in which he'll be looking for points to add a fifth crown. Watch the Red Bull V8 Supercar v stunt plane video here. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Special on-track speed comparison at Mount Panorama sees three HRT drivers -- Garth Tander, Greg Murphy and James Courtney -- pit their skills against each other in a HSV Gen-F, HSV VX 300 GTS and an Holden Racing Team V8 Supercar.Murphy pilots the 2002 VX -- the most powerful Australian car of its time. Tander takes the wheel of the new HSV Gen-F GTS, and Courtney helms the HRT V8 Supercar.Watch HSV Gen-F GTS v HSV VX GTS 300 v HRT V8 Supercar video here. 

Walkinshaw has just raised the Australian performance bar with the launch of two supercharged W Series packages for the  6.0-litre Holden VF Commodores and 6.2-litre Gen-F HSVs. Both costing $18,990 fitted, the packages are named for their power outputs.The W457 package for the 6.0-litre VF Commodore V8s will deliver 457kW at 5600rpm and 780Nm at 3700rpm -- a massive 187-197kW and 250-253Nm rise,  with the torque peak also arriving 700rpm earlier.The W497 package for LS3 6.2-litre Gen-F HSVs gives you 497kW at 5560rpm and 955Nm at 3690rpm. Again, that's a considerable 157-180kW and 385-405Nm benefit over the standard models: the 317kW/550Nm Clubsport, 325kW/550Nm Maloo and 340kW/570Nm Grange and Senator Signature.Goodies in the packages include a WP230 supercharger package, large high flow injectors, Eaton Twin Vortices 2300 Series (TVS) Gen VI rotors, water to air intercooler package, custom moulded heater hoses, cast aluminium coil covers, unique Walkinshaw Performance injection moulded cold air intake package, heavy duty serpentine belt drive system, 12” long intake runners, custom moulded intercooler hoses, self-contained oil system, full stainless steel exhaust system -- including ceramic coated headers and high flow catalytic converters.You'll also get a full dyno tune from an authorised Walkinshaw Performance Centre, W Series Certificate of Authenticity and Vehicle Identification, and full drive line warranty for the balance of the manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty for eligible vehicles.Walkinshaw Performance general manager Tony Harris described the force-fed kits as the peak of local engineering and design."The W Series has already seen the naturally aspirated W310 and W375 packages which offer terrific performance and value for money that we have developed thanks to the outstanding base vehicles -- the VF SS Commodore and the Gen-F HSV," he said. "Today we take another step with the W457 and W497 packages. These packages represent the pinnacle of Australian automotive design and engineering capabilities."On power figures alone it's impressive, but as we always say; drivability is the number one goal and we believe that these W Series twins are exceedingly well mannered in this key area. That said, it's hard to hide the performance results and these cars are guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of every motoring enthusiast.""Back in 2004, the 297kw VZ ClubSport was rightly heralded as a significant development for HSV. At the time a journalist said it was "ferocious off the line" and that it brought "high-end performance within easier reach of more people". We see these packages offering similar- and yet so much more.”This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincottWatch Walkinshaw's W457 and W497 video here. 

We Aussies love our V8s. The history books say it, the Bathurst fans say it, and now there are more than 500 cash-paid deposits for the GTS from Holden Special Vehicles that prove it.The overwhelming support for the supercharged 6.2-litre Big Dog, and the rest of the HSV pack that's romping to a sellout V8 success of more than 3000 cars in 2013, shows there is still a place for old-school muscle in the modern world.But not at Nissan, where the all-new, petrol V8-powered Patrol is a disaster. Things are so bad that the geriatric superseded model is continuing alongside the newcomer and still finding plenty of friends.Nissan dealers have a backlog of unsold 5.6-litre V8 heavyweights and there is a growing backlash from long-term Patrol fans who cannot see the point in the company's new off-road flagship. It's nicely cushy, but it costs anywhere from $82,690 to $114,490 - a sharp jump from $53,890 to $57,390 for the old one - and there is no diesel engine.It's not just that, as the new Patrol also arrived in Australia more than 18 months late and - because development was focussed on wealthy Middle East buyers with no petrol paranoia - carrying the sort of specification that only works for a very limited number of people who are probably more interested in a Porsche Cayenne or Benz GL.Nissan has only sold 1600 of the new Y62-series Patrols this year and, to put that into perspective, more than 6000 people have driven away smiling in a new Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series in the same period.Nissan even resorted to a $1500 petrol voucher for a while to try and get things moving, but that's only 1000 litres - give or take, mostly take - in today's world, and the hulking Patrol can easily guzzle at 25 litres of unleaded for every 100 kilometres under the treads if you're towing something big or crawling off the blacktop.So it seems V8 engines have become a case of horsepower for courses. They are still fine for HSV fans who want something fun and fast, and also for Mercedes-AMG buyers who want flashy and fast, but not for family-focussed suburban work, or towing and off-roading.Even the latest Range Rover, the current Carsguide champion in the top-end SUV stakes, is most popular with a turbodiesel V8 despite prices that can balloon to $250,000. So, what makes the difference in the world of V8s? "I think there is a performance market still in Australia, and people want great cars," the head of HSV, Phil Harding, tells Carsguide. "I think there is still a passion in Australia for V8 performance, and sporting saloons that deliver excitement. We're fulfilling a need and a demand."

Holden Special Vehicles may have created the fastest and most powerful car ever made in Australia with the new GTS but that has prompted aftermarket tuning companies to go one better – for less money than the $100,000 Holden.Harrop Engineering, which built its reputation in V8 Supercars and now manufactures superchargers for Lotus and Ford Performance Vehicles (as well as the tuner trade) has turned its hand to the new HSV Clubsport.It has fitted a bigger supercharger to the Clubsport’s 6.2-litre V8 than the one that comes standard on the HSV GTS. The result is a car with more power and torque for $25,000 less than the HSV GTS.The Harrop supercharged kit costs $12,500 “drive-in, drive-out” to use the aftermarket parlance, which includes a driveline warranty backed by Harrop for the remainder of HSV’s new-car warranty.Incredibly, Harrop has managed to extract 500kW and 900Nm (the HSV GTS is rated at 430kW and 640Nm) without having to “crack the engine open” to modify the internals.Excuse the tech jargon for a moment but the power jump is in part because the standard HSV Clubsport’s 6.2-litre V8 has a higher compression ratio (10.7:1) than the HSV GTS’s 6.2-litre V8 (9.1:1) – and the Harrop supercharger has a bigger rotor group which can pump 2.3 litres of air per revolution versus the GTS’s 1.9 litres.That doesn’t sound like much but the difference becomes apparent when the supercharger spins up to its maximum of 18,000rpm. The finishing touch: Harrop dials up a tad more boost for the supercharger, up from the GTS’s 8psi to 10psi. But of course, most enthusiasts rarely stop there so Harrop has come up with its own long list of extras.The performance brake package has six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers (as with the HSV GTS) although the discs are smaller in diameter than the GTS’s. The HSV GTS has a massive, strengthened differential to handle all the power; so Harrop came up with its own strengthened diff centre that uses the same ratio as standard ($1925).For those who want more noise without creating an ear-bleed, the Harrop 3-inch exhaust system (from the catalytic converters) adds carbon-fibre tips and $2110 to the bill. For the truly keen there is a German suspension set-up that’s been adopted by Harrop that has nine levels of adjustment front and rear ($2940).Don’t like the standard wheels and tyres? The massive 9-inch-wide front and 10-inch-wide rear wheels add $6860. You can refit the standard Continental tyres that come standard with the new HSV range. Before you know it, you have a BMW-like parts option pricing list. But most of that is forgotten the first time you feel the acceleration.The Harrop Clubsport has so much torque it’s difficult to remember what life was like without it. Helpfully, the power is delivered evenly rather than in a sudden rush which helps preserve the rear tyres. You know a car is fast when you need to spend most of your time not using too much throttle for fear of breaking traction.Despite being a manual (autos tend to launch harder and faster) the Harrop Clubsport gets away smoothly but only once the speed gets above 40km/h can you open the throttle. And yet it’s incredibly driveable and not temperamental, as other modified cars are.Our only regret? Not bringing a timing device with us to test the 0 to 100km/h potential. But having travelled more than 1000km in a new HSV GTS I can vouch that this Harrop monster feels quicker. Do you need all the added extras? I’d say the supercharger, the stronger differential and the free-er flowing exhaust are musts. As good as the other options are, they’re not necessities in my opinion.That still brings the Harrop package in at $20,000 less than a HSV GTS – and adds $16,525 to the price of a $62,990 Clubsport.VERDICTIt’s not a HSV GTS but it’s a worthy alternative for those who can’t quite stretch the budget to $100K drive-away for the real deal. The most complete, refined and “normal” feeling aftermarket supercharged HSV I’ve driven.Harrop HSV ClubsportPrice: $62,990Engine: Harrop supercharged LS3 6.2-litre V8Power: 500kW and 900NmSupercharger: $12,500Exhaust: $2110Strengthened diff: $1925