HSV News

"It has its own following," says McDonnell about the V8 ute.  "It's a hero for us. It's close to our hearts." The first Maloo was launched in October 1990 at the Sydney Motor Show as the first V8 sports ute.  It still holds the Guinness record for the fastest ute with a speed of 271.44km/h set in 2006. In its 20th year, HSV celebrates the Maloo's milestone with a special model limited to just 100.  The new ute goes on sale in October and will be a highlight at the Deniliquin Ute Muster (October 1-2). The new Maloo features large air scoops at the side, 20-inch black wheels from the GTS, matte black hood scoops and a bi-modal exhaust."It's more aggressive than in the past," says McDonnell.

HSV engineering general manager Joel Stoddart says it had been difficult enough for company management to overcome the "taxi mentality". "It was even harder to understand this and implement it in a performance car," he said. HSV boss Phil Harding says the decision was made two years ago when petrol was about $1.60 a litre and rising. "Fuel isn't that price now, but no one will be able to tell me what the price will be in future," he says. The HSV liquid propane injection (LPi) system was developed with Orbital Engineering. The LPI system features a multi-valve fuel delivery module, meaning that each one of the engine's eight cylinders has both an LPG injector and a petrol injector attached to it. Stoddart says they designed the system to look like original equipment, "not an afterthought". There is no loss in peak power or torque as the engine switches to petrol over 4000rpm. Stoddart says there is little change to the power and torque curves when running on gas, either. "Maintaining engine and handling performance was important. We didn't want to dilute the car," he says. The engine starts in petrol mode, then switches seamlessly between LPG and petrol as required. Running on LPG, CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 15 per cent and fuel costs can be decreased by up to 50 per cent, depending on the price of LPG and driving styles. The boot loses about 165L of space and weight is increased by about 100kg when the LPG tank is full. LPi is a $5990 option available on all but the ClubSport R8 Tourer and costs $6390 on the Maloo ute as a new tub liner is required. It is also eligible for the government's $2000 gas rebate. The LPi system was tested over two years in five vehicles increasing to nine recently. Testing included one major hot trip to Darwin and several to Kununurra in Western Australia with cold and altitude testing in the Alps during the "bumper snow season this year". It also included marathon 450-hour endurance sessions on the factory dyno and simulated crash evaluation for the tanks.

Instead of increasing power for the new HSV E Series 3, the performance car company has chosen to fit a range of hi-tech electronic gadgetry to its E3 models, offer dual gas/petrol power, increase the price by up to $1000 and give it a facelift. So the HSV range stays with the 317kW/550Nm 6.2-litre V8 (GTS and Grange are 325kW), while FPV will this week release its new range with a 335kW/570Nm five-litre Coyote V8.  HSV boss Phil Harding says that while there is no increase in power and torque, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are marginally down.  “We didn’t have increased power and torque on our list of actions for this model year update,” Harding says. Engineering general manager Joel Stoddart admits the 6.2-litre V8 engine is “getting close to its maximum potential”.  There is no talk yet of moving to the coming compact global GM V8. VALUE Prices have increased by $1000 on all but the Senator which is up $560.  HSV justifies the price rise on the increased technology and inclusion of standard satnav and reversing camera. The E3 range also includes a 20th anniversary Maloo ute model which is limited to 100 vehicles. It costs $67,600 in manual which is $3000 more than the standard model and $69,600 for the auto. TECHNOLOGY HSV boss Phil Harding says the E3 is “more than just a facelift”, pointing out three “firsts” for an Australian manufacturer.  They are an automatic liquid propane injection (LPi) system, side blind zone alert system (SBZA) and an enhanced driver interface (EDI) which is like a computer game for the performance car. “There are more ideas generated internally than we can afford to make business decisions on,” Harding says.  “We’re never short of ideas on sales, product, marketing and manufacturing to make our business more efficient and exciting.” HSV is proud of its LPi system that automatically and seamlessly switches between gas and petrol, even though they only expect about 5 per cent take-up.  It is offered as a $5990 option ($6390 on Maloo) on all but the ClubSport R8 Tourer. Stoddart says it has the same performance as in petrol-only mode, although it does switch seamlessly back to petrol when the car operates above 4000rpm.  The EDI is an elaborate graphic system displayed on Holden’s new touch screen that provides a wealth of information from G forces to “race” information such as brake and throttle percentages and a stopwatch. The information system was developed in conjunction with race technology company MoTec and details can be downloaded on a USB stick and analysed on a laptop just as a race engineer would in Formula One or V8 Supercars. The Windows-based software can also work with the GPS satnav system to record lap times on major Australian racetracks which are loaded into the vehicle, or plot new tracks. SAFETY The $1990 optional blind spot warning system is similar to the one developed by Volvo.  When selected it shows a blue light on the side of the dashboard which turns red when the ultrasonic sensors detect a vehicle in the blind spot. If the driver indicates and moves into that occupied spot, it flashes. There is no audible alarm. The system can be turned off and it defaults to how it was left when the car was last used. To overcome continued adverse comments about the dangerous lack of rear vision caused by the rear spoiler, all HSVs now come with a reverse camera with rear parking assist sensors and a lower spoiler. STYLING Inside are new trims colours and materials, more leather, restyled instruments and gauges, and a HSV welcome and build number displayed when the touch screen is switched on. Outside, there is more chrome, a “superflow” rear spoiler, chrome exhaust tips integrated into the rear bodywork like in the Honda Civic Type R, a new fascia and, for the first time, the Grange gets an engine power designation badge on the boot to mark the increase in power to match the GTS.HSV E3 Prices: ClubSport R8 $67,600 (manual) $69,600 (auto),ClubSport R8 Tourer $68,600 (m) $70,600 (a)Grange $88,900 (a)GTS $82,900 (m) $84,900 (a)Maloo R8 $64,600 (m) $66,600 (a)20 years of Maloo R8 $67,600 (m) $69,600 (a)Senator Signature $83,990 (m/a)Engine: 6.2-litre V8Power: 317kW (325kW GTS, Grange) @ 6000rpmTorque: 550Nm @ 4600rpmTransmissions: 6-speed manual and auto (Grange auto only)Options: SBZA $1990 (standard on Grange and Maloo 20th);LPi $5990 (ute $6390)Turismo Rosso leather $1490 (GTS and Senator)

The Enhanced Driver Interface is already confirmed for the HSV flagship, the WM3 Grange, and is expected to be standard across the E3. The EDI streams a dizzyingly variable array of real-time vehicle dynamics and performance data to a touch screen located in the centre console upper, taking a big step up and beyond the touch-screen console already fitted to Holden's own VEII Commodores. The WM3 upgrade list also includes Side Blind Zone Alert, a bi-modal exhaust, reversing cameras, daytime running lights and satellite navigation. Power increases from 317kW to 325kW – the figure emblazoned on the Grange’s rear for the first time – and torque remains at 550Nm. HSV says the V8 output will be unaffected by the major new option for the brand, its $5990 Liquid Propane Injection system. But it claims the propane system reduces emissions by up to 15 per cent and running costs by as much as 50 per cent. While the hi-tech system is eligible for the Federal Government’s $2000 rebate on factory-fitted LPG systems, the Grange is still subject to a Luxury Car Tax hit. While final prices will not be confirmed until the full 2011 HSV range is launched on September 21, HSV predicts $900 as the maximum increase. And HSV is confident the new Grange will continue to win sales from European brands. “With the combination of the Grange’s power and new technologies we are confident the HSV Grange retains its position as the ultimate Australian-made luxury performance car,” says Darren Bowler, HSV’s general manager of sales. Our Grange buyer expects the best appointed car in our range, and with this much equipment as standard we are sure they won’t be disappointed.” The seemingly-intuitive touchscreen EDI system was developed in conjunction with industry specialist MoTeC, which also supplies computer controls and digital dashboards to V8 Supercar teams. Its array of graphics and display pages was designed in-house by HSV’s styling department. Modes include a stopwatch, data logging, corner G forces and dynamics. A race page uses GPS to set tracks, record lap times, record fastest lap, as well as time gain and loss on individual laps. A number of circuits – including Bathurst and Phillip Island – are already programmed into the system. While EDI is being touted as the HSV hero feature, the LPI is a new application of LPG to high performance motoring, injecting LPG into the cylinder as a liquid rather than vapour. This is said to allow for cooler combustion and better fuel metering, which in turn ensures outright engine performance can be maintained when it is incorporated as a dual-fuel system that, while delivering significantly reduced emissions and significantly lower running costs. The WM3 also receives exterior and interior re-touches including a new front and rear design and daytime running lamps to bring luxury flagship into line with the rest of the HSV range.

I might not be racing a car, but I'm racing around doing a lot of PR as are most of the drivers.  And the teams are also playing catch up on work, plus catch-up on a well-deserved break.Our workshop has plenty of work to do building a brand new race car for Skaifey and me for Phillip Island in September and Bathurst in October.  The benefit of this break is that we can also rotate our staff through some holidays to catch up with some well-deserved rest because they worked right through Christmas last year to get our new Holdens built.  So we basically have a skeleton crew on all the time at our Banyo headquarters.Mark is really excited about the new race car.  We both have to get comfortable in the car which is difficult for him and me because he has longer legs and a shorter torso than me.So getting the seat, steering wheel and pedals in a comfortable position for both of us will end up as a bit of a compromise.  I will have to stretch a bit more to the pedals, but I'll be closer to wheel.We drove together for HRT in 1999 and had a two-stage steering column we could push or pull about an inch, which is something our team is looking at.  Obviously you can't change the seat which is anchored down, so our legs will be a bit compromised for space, but we've got away with it in the past.Speaking of car-building, it's good to see V8 Supercars has now started building two prototypes to iron out any problems before the teams start building their race cars.  It's definitely a good concept and will make racing cheaper.However, with the chassis and components identical and only different Ford and Commodore shells, there is some skepticism among the fans about retaining that all-important Ford-Holden rivalry.  The teams will also have a challenge coming to terms with some of the technical issues such as the 100kg lighter weight and independent rear end.I hear they are thinking of staying with the spool diff, but having a custom housing so we can swap in a Detroit Locker or Salisbury. Interesting to hear that we may get those options for varying circuits and conditions.Our team, along with FPR, HRT and SBR have been testing various diffs to get the feel of where they work and where they don't, how they hook up and how they change the feel of the car.  Either has its pros and cons. It doesn't matter to me which one they go with.We've given our feedback and now it's up to the category to make their decision.  The idea is to allow more passing, particularly for drivers to dive down the inside into a corner and still have enough turn to be able to avoid running into the side of the car they are passing.All drivers are scared of that because you don't want to gain a place only to cop a points penalty through contact.  The other reason for the possible change of diff is to minimise the amount of damage our cars are doing to the tracks.The initial cost of all the car of the future changes will be huge, but in the long term it will be cheaper on running costs.  It should also make it safer with bigger wheels and brakes, and lighter cars.I was surprised and delighted at the weekend to see that Valentino Rossi has made a comeback to MotoGP just weeks after breaking his leg.  The sport really needs a charismatic rider like him and it was almost a fairytale comeback with a fourth place, denied of a podium by our very own Casey Stoner.No doubt he would have had the best doctors, best prep and best recovery, but it still takes an enormous  amount of personal courage and talent to come back so quickly after the biggest accident of his career and then to perform so well.  What a star.I'll also see a few F1 stars when my wife, Nat, and I fly to Europe for the Spanish GP in August.  However, I'm a little disappointed because I have to fly home before the Sunday race for a rookie day and test day the next week.  It would have been nice to see Mark Webber win another race, but at least we will be there for the practice and qualifying.

For the past decade, the event has run from Darwin to Adelaide as a solar car race every second year, but in 2009 the organisers added a production-car ‘Eco Challenge’ category which won a lot of support from car brands - with entries from Mini, Hyundai, Holden, Ford, Suzuki and others - but sparked controversy over the judging and procedures.Competing vehicles were assessed by how much better their crews could drive them in comparison to their official fuel-economy ratings.  Since the Green Challenge runs down the Stuart Highway, one of Australia's straightest and flattest roads, the advantage fell instantly to cars with relatively-poor showroom rankings.The road conditions made it much easier to get a percentage improvement on a poor overall rating than a good rating, since running at a constant, low average speed boosts the relative efficiency of big engines.The run down the Red Centre was won by an HSV Maloo R8 ute, which used 7.74litres/100km to fuel its 6.2-litre V8 engine over the entire 3000km route, notching up a 48.76 per cent reduction on its official figure of 15.1litres/100km.However, the Maloo’s consumption was still double that of some of the smaller cars, with the Suzuki Alto, Ford Fiesta Econetic and diesel Mini all coming in under 4litres/100km.  So the South Australian Motorsport Board, that oversaw the event, is meeting at the end of next month to analyse and review the event to set the rules and regulations for the next running of the Global Green Challenge in 2011.“Obviously this was the first event of its type, and the board is looking to improve it in every possible way. The event was a success, with plenty of interest – but there is room for improvement,”  Challenge spokesman Mike Drewer says.“They will consider whether there need to be changes in procedure, route and even the types of car that enter.  There has been a reasonable amount of criticism from the manufacturers who participated, and the board is going to discuss that and make decisions for the future.”Apart from the method of judging, Drewer says the board will also discuss the route and types of competing vehicles – which last year included large car and medium SUV categories.“There was considerable criticism about whether some of the cars were of the types that should be in the Eco Challenge,” Drewer says.“There will be an analysis of whether they are really what the public perceives as ‘eco’ cars – and whether the format should be changed to encourage other kinds of vehicles, such as hybrids.  The board wants to improve the event both for participants and for public perception of eco-friendly cars."

The prized cluster of Holdens, Fords and Chevrolets has been trucked to Sydney to be auctioned in two weeks. It includes one of just two Holden Special Vehicles HRT 427 coupes which fetched a record $920,000 price tag two years ago. The auction follows two companies associated with Shawn "Chooka" Ryan, Ausco Firestop (NQ) Ptd Ltd and Ryan Group Holdings Pty Ltd, being placed in receivership by PriceWaterhouseCoopers with debts of $10 million. Pickles Auctions auctioneer David Hyde said it was the finest collection of muscle cars to go under the hammer in his 30 years experience. He said since the auction on June 7 was advertised there had been "an absolute frenzy". "The phone has gone into meltdown and the internet has gone crazy," Mr Hyde said. "The competition for these cars is huge," he said. "These cars are absolute top shelf, many with extremely low kilometres. Some of the cars have low build plate numbers." Receiver Guy Edwards confirmed the auction and the debt. He said the major creditor was the National Australia Bank. Read the rest of this article at cairns.com.au.

But peak motoring body the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries believes consumers are confused enough to warrant a broad-ranging education program about what ESC is and what it does.The Transport Accident Commission has already been running an ad highlighting the merits of curtain airbags and ESC. It has been endeavouring to lift awareness among buyers about what they do, via websites like howsafeisyourcar.com.au.But with Victoria moving ahead for the compulsory fitting of ESC to all passenger cars from January, the FCAI believes now is the time to increase awareness among car buyers.Despite TAC's efforts some carmakers like Honda believe consumers are still confused by the different acronyms used to describe the various systems. However, FCAI spokesman, James Goodwin, believes it will be difficult to mandate a single naming strategy."It comes down to marketing," he says. "All systems are different to some degree."Goodwin also believes it would cost too much to standardise the terminology on imported cars because the volumes are relatively small. Carmakers use different terms for the proprietary electronic stability program invented by Bosch and co-developed with Mercedes-Benz.Subaru Australia spokesman, David Rowley, says Subaru's own research shows a higher awareness among buyers of its own electronic stability control system, called vehicle dynamic control."Our customers tend to look in depth at the features of our cars," Rowley says. He backs an education program as “something worth considering" but balks at a name change. "A lot a brands have invested a lot of intellectual time in creating a point of difference with their various stability systems," he says.What they call it -Electronic Stability Control (ESC) - Holden, HSV, JeepElectronic Stability Program (ESP) - Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes Benz, Renault, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Skoda, Peugeot, SuzukiDynamic Stability Control (DSC) - Ford, FPV, BMW, Mazda, Land Rover, Aston Martin, JaguarVehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) - ToyotaVehicle Stability Control (VSC) - LexusVehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) - Nissan, SubaruDynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) - VolvoElectronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) - Audi, VolkswagenActive Stability Control (ASC) - MitsubishiVehicle Stability Assist (VSA)- HondaAutomatic Stability Control + Traction (ASC+T)  MiniMaserati Stability Program (MSP) - MaseratiPorsche Stability Management (PSM) - PorscheStability and Traction Control - FiatStabiliTrak -Hummer

It will join the three Heritage Retro series models that HDT Special Vehicles have produced since long-time Peter Brock friend Peter Champion bought the company in 2007. Heather Smith who manages Champion's Brock Experience, a museum in Yeppoon near Rockhampton, says the anniversary car will be limited to 30."We're still costing it up but it will be about $80,000 to $120,000 depending on options," she says. "There are no orders yet because people don't know it's coming. No one has even seen it yet. We have good security at our workshops."Smith says the anniversary car will feature the same performance package as the current series Blue Meanie. The Blue Meanie in standard trim has an 350kW V6 but can be optioned up with a supercharger and a seven-litre V8 engine, bringing peak power to as much as 800kW. By comparison the HSV Club Sport produces 325kW.The Holden Dealer Team was Holden's unofficial racing team from 1969 until 1987. In the 1980s, Brock produced modified high-performance Commodores under the HDT name until his break with Holden. The brand had been dormant since then with two different owners producing parts but not cars until Champion, a Central Queensland mining equipment millionaire, bought the company.Smith says that in the past 18 months they have produced about 70 vehicles in three models at their Smeaton Grange workshops in western Sydney. The Heritage Retro VC, VH and VK Blue Meanie are based on the VE Commodore SV6, SS and SSV models."We're going to do a VL next year and a Champion Series next year with a modern look. It won't be a heritage series as we have had. Our cars are not like a HSV, they are more powerful and exclusive. Only 250 Blue Meanies are being made. The Blue Meanie has been our most popular so far."HDT also makes spares and reproduction parts for the old HDT cars produced in the Brock years."Holden has a commercial relationship with HSV, but we're on our own," Smith says. "Our business is growing. We believe there is a market for performance vehicles. Most of our buyers are diehard Holden supporters who are passionate about the Brock name. Some Holden dealers sell cars for us but not HSV dealers. Holden tends to frown on dealers that sell them. We're not even a blip in the numbers that HSV or Holden sell, but we don't want to rock any boats."The Brock Experience museum features most of the HDT vehicles built by Brock, including a 1989 Ford EB Fairmont Ghia Brock built after the parting with Holden. The museum started as Champion's private collection of all things Brock over two decades. It was sitting in a Blackwater shed until Brock suggested to Champion that he should turn it into a public museum.The museum features many of Brock's race cars, including his first Austin A30, Bathurst winners, rally cars and his Bathurst 24-Hour Monaro. The only other Ford in the collection, apart from the HDT Fairmont, is his Sierra touring car.There are also trophies, race helmets and suits, videos, memorabilia and even an "Energy Polarizer", a mystical invention that Brock believed gave his cars more power and better handling. Smith says they are in the final stages of restoring the Daytona coupe rally car in which Brock died. Tour guide Emma Holmes says it will be exhibited in a separate extension yet to be built. "It will be a personal choice whether you want to see it as it may upset some people," she says. "People do get emotional. We have a man who has been to seven of our special events and he leaves here crying every time."The museum attracts 10,000 visitors a year.

The Walkinshaw Performance 6.0-litre V8 gains a WP190 supercharger that lifts power from 270kW to 450kW with torque from 530Nm to 770Nm. The power pack supercharger uses Eton internals and the rest of the V8 is massaged with water-to-air intercooling, WP cold air intake, high-flow injectors and a bi-modal exhaust. Walkinshaw's sales and marketing manager, Tony Harris says the Superwagon is a first for them."We've never done a wagon before," he says. "We really wanted to showcase the family element. It's a really user friendly every day car."Harris says the car is aimed at some of the hot German performance wagons. To complete the upgrade there are special colour-coded bonnet scoops, lowered suspension, special 20-inch wheels and tyres and WP engine covers, mats and headrests. Walkinshaw Performance also adds on a high-end Rockford Fosgate stereo system, available on VE product for the first time. The audio upgrade does not compromise any of the car's existing electronic functions, like Bluetooth connectivity.The Walkinshaw tweaks are not limited to the Sportwagon. They are available on the VE Commodore SS, SS-V, Calais, the Statesmen and Caprice, sedans and utes. Packages start from $3590 but enthusiasts can spend as much as $50,000 upgrading their cars.Harris says the company "has never been busier" because of the peace of mind available with the no-cost warranty on performance upgrades."The warranty offer has been a catalyst for more business," he says. Harris says the company expects to modify about 1000 Holdens this year. The warranty deal applies equally to customers with a new Holden or Holden Special Vehicle car."More than 50 per cent of our inquiry is from Holden customers and the fact we are now offering a warranty on supercharged engines gives owners peace of mind," he says.The warranty extends for the balance of the manufacturers' new car warranty. If a customer brings in a three-month old car in for a performance upgrade, Walkinshaw will cover the driveline for the remaining 33 months. Walkinshaw has not yet released performance figures for the wagon but it's tipped to hit 100km/h in under 5 seconds.The full upgrade on the Sportwagon does not come cheap. The SS-V Sportwagon costs $57,290 but the full-blown WP treatment adds another $43,990."We had one customer who owned a 2008 HSV GTS who ended up spending $25,000 upgrading the car's performance," Harris says.