HSV News

Lexus claims its cars are all about the pursuit of perfection -- but Toyota’s luxury division has made a less than perfect claim for its new V8 coupe unveiled at the Detroit motor show overnight. The company says the Lexus RC F has the “world-first use” of a Torque Vectoring Differential in a front-engine, rear-drive sports vehicle.The problem with that claim is that both the Jaguar F-Type convertible and coupe and Holden Special Vehicles GTS sedan introduced torque vectoring technology last year; Porsche’s 911 has had it for two years, although it is a rear-engined vehicle. “Torque Vectoring” is geek-speak for technology that can prevent a car from having a rear-wheel skid. Lexus claims its system works differently to others, however, the result is the same. Meanwhile, the world’s motoring media became frustrated with Lexus’ decision to not reveal more details about the performance of its new hero car, a pointer to the upcoming Lexus IS F replacement. Although Lexus appears to have over-hyped that claim too. Lexus said the RC F had the “most powerful ever Lexus 5.0-litre V8”, but the company would not say how much power or how fast the car would complete the 0 to 100km/h dash.One of the most popular automotive websites in the US, Jalopnik, summed up the mood at the show when it vented on Twitter: “The Lexus RC-F is faster than a Shelby Cobra, maybe. We dunno.” “The Lexus press conference debuting the RC F Coupe wasn't just slim when it came to details. It was totally devoid of them. No official specs, no nothing,” wrote Jalopnik.Lexus said the V8 concept coupe had “at least” 335kW of power and 520Nm of torque. The current Lexus IS F V8 sedan has 311kW and 505Nm. So no rocket grenade improvement, then. The end. Next story please.      

Police in Dubai have Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins and Porsches -- but the NSW highway patrol has the next best thing. The long arm of the law has a new weapon against high-speed criminals, and it just happens to be the fastest and most powerful car ever made in Australia.NSW Police have just taken delivery of a brand-new HSV GTS. Powered by a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 it can reach the speed limit in just 4.3 seconds. The one-off project funded by the NSW Centre for Road Safety joins the supercharged Ford Falcon GT (funded by the Motor Accidents Authority) that joined the police fleet last year.The HSV GTS won't be used for regular highway patrol duties, instead it will join the arch rival Ford at regional shows and enthusiast events across the state to drive home the road safety message."This car is a conversation starter," says Superintendent Stuart Smith, from the NSW Police Traffic Services headquarters. "Whether you're a young hoon or just curious, this car is an opportunity for offices to engage with the public and educate them about road safety."The $100,000 HSV GTS has about $20,000 worth of performance upgrades, lifting power from the standard 430kW output to close to 500kW, more than a V8 Supercar. "It's designed to showcase our best police technology and also get people talking," said Superintendent Smith.If motorists don't see the police HSV GTS in their mirrors, they still have plenty to fear.  Almost every NSW Police car now has onboard video cameras (front and rear), as well as roof-mounted cameras that can in milliseconds read the licence plates of cars travelling in either direction.The automatic number plate readers can detect stolen or unregistered cars, and wanted criminals. This equipment is in addition to the mobile radar unit, drug and alcohol testing devices, and road spikes in the boot to stop fleeing drivers in their tracks. With all the onboard police computer and radio systems, the modern police car is almost a mobile police station.The HSV GTS will be doing "high visibility" police work in the lead-up to and over the summer holidays. You have been warned.

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  

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.

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. 

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 

Walkinshaw Performance has unleashed a new W375 upgrade kit for naturally-aspirated Gen F HSV models. The kit lifts outputs to the 375kW of power reflected in its name, beyond the standard 317kW, 325kW and 340kW versions of HSV’s 6.2 litre LS3 V8. It also adds at least 106Nm of torque beyond the standard variants, with a new total of 676Nm. These W375 boosts comes thanks to ceramic coated headers, high-flow catalytic converters, a sonorous stainless steel cat-back exhaust system, a revised cold air intake system, plus ECU revisions to make the most of the kit’s improved breathing ability.“Our sister company HSV have delivered an incredible vehicle straight out of the box. But for those who want more, our W375 package offers the best naturally aspirated drivability result imaginable,” Walkinshaw Performance General Manager Tony Harris says. “This package puts you in serious European sports car power territory while costing a fraction of the European price.”Priced at $6,495, the package is signified by a W375 build plate and badging on the rear, and Walkinshaw will back the kit for the duration of HSV’s 3yr/100,000km factory warranty.The W375 package joins the existing 310kW W310 kit that arrived earlier this year for 6.0 litre V8 VF Commodore models. Walkinshaw Performance hasn’t specified performance gains for the W375 package, but it’s bound to take your Gen F Clubsport, R8, Maloo or Tourer that much closer to the 4.4 second 0-100km/h figure of the  supercharged 430kW, but $92,990 HSV GTS.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn