HSV Reviews

When Mercedes invited us to the Race the Runway charity event at Edinburgh Airport, we lept at the chance.

We had a run in the wild Walkinshaw Performance supercharged V8 Commodore a few years back and it was a mind bending experience as well as chassis bending.

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.

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

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 Things are so bad that the geriatric superseded model is continuing alongside the newcomer and still finding plenty of friends.Nissan dealers have a backlog of unsold 5.6-litre V8 heavyweights and there is a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."

the HSV Clubsport has always been about offering big performance without the massive price tag.

Australians love an underdog whether it’s on the sporting field or in Hollywood. But when it comes to cars we have few opportunities to strut our stuff. The arrival of the new HSV GTS -- the fastest and most powerful production car ever designed, engineered and built in Australia -- is our best chance yet at hitting the big time. And not a moment too soon.As reported earlier the new HSV GTS is a fitting exclamation point for the Australian car industry. The 2017 ‘Commodore’ will likely be a globally-developed hum-drum front-drive sedan that’s about as Australian as a Toyota Camry.We’ve been blown away by the performance and refinement of the new supercharged HSV GTS but what we really wanted to know is how it compares on a global stage. With all due respect to the highly capable Ford Falcon GT -- in particular the limited edition R-Spec version released last year -- the new HSV GTS has moved beyond the decades-old Ford v Holden comparisons.Both local hero cars may have supercharged V8s but the hot Holden and all its technology (forward crash alert, heads-up display, blind-zone warning, self-parking and cross traffic alert when reversing) means it really is in another league these days.There really is only one rival, the twin-turbocharged Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG. It’s a bit of a tongue twister but the ‘S’ is important. It’s not just any E63 but the updated 2014 model with an optional Sports pack (standard in Australia) that delivers the same power as the HSV GTS (430kW) but an epic 800Nm of torque from its twin turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 (instead of the HSV’s also-considerable 740Nm from its supercharged 6.2-litre V8).With those numbers the Mercedes absolutely flattens the fast sedans from Audi and BMW; by comparison they look plain pedestrian. That only leaves the small matter of a rather large price difference, a pair of keys and an open road to explore. PERFORMANCEDon’t worry we won’t keep you in suspense. The HSV GTS is a fraction slower to the speed limit than the Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG. But the Mercedes’ 0.3-second advantage costs $150,000 -- or $50,000 for every 0.1 of a second if we use the manufacturer claims as the benchmark. HSV says the GTS can reach 100km/h in 4.4 seconds, Mercedes says its car in “launch mode” can achieve the same feat in 4.1 seconds. We didn’t get near either time in either car.We squeezed a 4.7-second time out of the manual HSV GTS and a 4.5-second time out of the automatic Mercedes-Benz. So a $75,000 difference per 0.1-second then. Both cars struggled to get grip off the line despite wearing identical Continental tyres (20-inch diameter on the HSV, 19-inch on the beastly Benz). They both used electronic wizardry to try to ration their power as gently as possible but it turns out you just can’t keep good engines down. And power really is nothing without control.A sidenote, we actually got a better time out of the GTS by launching it ourselves rather than in HSV’s launch mode (press a button, step off the clutch and hope for the best; we got repeatable 4.8-second times if you’re curious).We’re assured the automatic HSV GTS is slightly quicker than the manual version and we believe it, especially as the manual needs to grab second gear just before it eclipses the 100 mark. Can you feel the acceleration difference between the two? Can you #@*% what. The Mercedes’s twin turbo 5.5-litre V8 has much more oomph from lower revs and the adrenaline boost lasts longer.What the 0 to 100km/h times don't show is how the Mercedes in much more toey, more ready to launch at any moment from whatever speed you're doing with just the slightest dab of the throttle. Its in-gear acceleration is significantly quicker than the HSV.The only minor letdown with the Benz is the gearbox. Mercedes’ seven-speed multi-clutch auto can be a little sluggish between gears when it’s not being floored (even with four shift modes to choose from). The HSV is no slouch but the Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG snots it in the right conditions. The power is, quite simply, more readily available.PRICEWould a Mercedes customer ever consider a Commodore? Don’t scoff until you’ve sat in the new Holden. The HSV GTS has a much more upmarket feel to it. Sure, few potential buyers of either of these cars are going to cross-shop them. The only downside is that, inside, the GTS looks exactly the same as the HSV Clubsport R8. In the GTS you’re paying for an engine, a heavy-duty differential, a gaping front bumper, big yellow brakes and three years of engineering work. If you can comfortably afford a Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG then there really is no need to consider anything else -- from Germany or Australia. But if you simply can’t bring yourself to part with a quarter of a million dollars on a car that, unlike property, will ultimately go down in value, then the HSV GTS may be for you. It may even hold a little more value in the long run given that it’ll mark the end of an era in Australian muscle cars.In isolation the new HSV GTS seems expensive but when you consider it in this company the numbers start to add up. You could buy a manual and an automatic GTS and still have change from the purchase price of the Mercedes-Benz.The HSV GTS starts at $92,990 plus on-road costs. The price of the Mercedes-Benz has crept up $9500 to $249,900 but comes with the lot, including an AMG diff and the power upgrade (from 410kW/720Nm to 430kW/800Nm) that other countries must pay a hefty premium for.HANDLINGBoth of these cars can easily handle the daily grind or a race track. The HSV GTS rides on suspension technology shared with Ferrari; tiny magnetic particles adjust the amount of damping in milliseconds. The result is the most comfortable HSV to date despite riding on massive 20-inch wheels and tyres. The press of a button makes it switch from being suited to track work or city cruising.The Mercedes-Benz is just as comfortable and adjustable but without as many gadgets. The slightly lighter and lower body of the E63 means it doesn’t lean as much in corners as does the big Commodore. The Mercedes just feels lower and more agile.The biggest surprise, however, was the difference in braking performance. The HSV GTS has the biggest brakes ever fitted to an Australian production car (390mm discs up front, clamped by six-piston calipers, just in case such detail comes in handy on a trivia night) and they feel utterly superb.The brakes, sourced from AP Racing but wearing a HSV label, have a level of precision that makes the mighty GTS feel as lithe as one of those tiny hand-built club cars with frames that appear to be made out of old tube steel offcuts.The Benz has smaller brakes (360mm discs and six-piston calipers up front) but has slightly less weight to pull up. As hard as this is to believe, however, especially for Euro-philes, the Benz brakes feel quite basic in comparison, lacking the bite and precision of millimetre perfect adjustment of the HSV.VERDICTPatriotic pride and price differences aside the Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG is a knockout winner -- not least of which is because it highlights the many strengths of the homegrown HSV GTS. This is the closest an Australian car has ever been to matching the world’s best sports sedan, which is all the more remarkable given the $150,000 price difference. If this were a World Cup soccer match, the score would be Germany 2, Australia 1. That we landed one in the net against a bigger team with a vastly bigger budget is a victory in its own.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  HSV GTSPrice: $92,990 plus on-road costsEngine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8Power: 430kW and 740NmTransmission: Six-speed manual or six-speed torque converter auto ($2500 option)Weight: 1881kg (manual), 1892.5kg (auto)Safety: Six airbags, five-star ANCAP rating0 to 100km/h: 4.4 seconds (claimed), 4.7 seconds (as tested)Consumption: 15.7L/100km (auto), 15.3 L/100km (manual)Warranty: 3 years, 100,000kmService intervals: 15,000km or 9 monthsSpare tyre: Full size (above boot floor)Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMGPrice: $249,900 plus on-road costsEngine: Twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8Power: 430kW and 800NmTransmission: Seven-speed multi-clutch autoWeight: 1845kgSafety: Eight airbags, five-star Euro-NCAP rating0 to 100km/h: 4.1 seconds (claimed), 4.5 seconds (as tested)Consumption: 10L/100kmWarranty: 3 years, unlimited kmService intervals: 20,000km / 12 monthsSpare tyre: inflator kit

It is the fastest and most powerful car Australia has ever produced -- and likely ever will produce. And we’ve got the first one freshly minted off the production line.There really was only one place to take the new Holden Special Vehicles GTS: the high temple of horsepower, Mount Panorama Bathurst.We wouldn’t be allowed to cut loose like the late great Peter Brock or the myriad of modern-day Holden V8 Supercar heroes. Mount Panorama is, after all, a public road with a 60km/h speed limit when it’s not being used as a race track.But we weren’t complaining. Having sampled the new HSV GTS in all its glory at Phillip Island a month ago we have no doubt about the car’s giant-killing ability (see sidebar).Want the short version of this road test? The new HSV GTS is pin-your-ears-back awesome. In addition to the slingshot acceleration it has a level of grip not seen before on an Australian performance car, due in no small part to a clever electronic solution borrowed from Porsche that keeps the rear end glued to the pavement no matter what.A quick recap: until the updated $250,000 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG arrives in Australian showrooms later this month the HSV GTS will briefly be the most powerful sedan of its size in the world.The car that starts life as a Commodore has borrowed the epic supercharged 6.2 litre V8 from North American racing versions of the Corvette and Camaro -- and a Cadillac.Installing the engine and all the other necessary hardware was the largest joint engineering effort by Holden and its performance partner HSV in their 25-year marriage. (The car starts life on Holden’s Adelaide production line before the finishing touches are added at HSV’s facility in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton).If you’re unclear what a supercharger is all you need to know is that it’s the equivalent of a massive pump that force-feeds more air into an already formidable engine. You need plenty of oxygen to burn plenty of petrol. And when you burn plenty of petrol you make plenty of power. And the HSV GTS has that in spades (430kW of power and 740Nm of torque for the tech heads -- or more grunt than a V8 Supercar race machine for the non-converted).For now I’m just trying to navigate Melbourne’s stop-start peak hour traffic and not scratch the first HSV GTS to leave Clayton without the supervision of the company’s engineers. The early signs are good: I haven’t stalled it. The first surprise is that despite the heavy-duty hardware, the manual gearbox and clutch are light and easy. Not quite like a Toyota Corolla, but not like a Kenworth either.TECHNOLOGYI quickly discover the dial in the middle of the console (borrowed from the new Corvette) that changes the exhaust note as if it were a volume knob. One turn of the noise dial won't quite wake up the neighbours, but those in the traffic around you will hear the extra bass from the mufflers.It’s just one part of a suite of technology that’s in the new HSV GTS. You can personalise settings for the suspension, steering, throttle and stability control at the tap of the touchscreen or a turn of the dial. In fact, the new HSV GTS has more computer gadgetry than the geek icon, the Nissan GT-R.The mapping for every race track in Australia is already preset -- and there is room for six others if and when they eventually get built (fingers crossed). In reality, though, after you’ve shown-off the system to a few mates you’re rarely likely to delve into its depths.ON THE ROADBut that’s not going to stop us. Heading north up the Hume towards Bathurst we’re effectively retracing the same path that Brock, Moffatt and co took when the racing legends drove their race cars to Bathurst in the golden era of the sport. The traffic is of course a lot worse these days -- but the roads are better, albeit dotted with speed cameras seemingly every few kilometres.On the northern outskirts of Melbourne we drive past the front door of the Broadmeadows head office and car assembly line of Ford, a formidable Holden rival for the past 65 years. Ford fans are hoping the Blue Oval brand will deliver one last hero car before the Falcon bows out in 2016. If it does, this HSV GTS is the car they will be trying to beat.As anyone who has travelled the Hume Highway knows, the road is achingly dull. But the new HSV GTS removes much of the boredom. As with the Holden Calais-V on which it is based it has a digital display of the vehicle’s speed reflected into the windscreen in the driver’s line of sight.It also has a forward crash alert warning if you’re about to hit the car in front, and a lane departure warning if you cross white lines without indicating. Technophobes can turn these systems off. But I left the speed display on. It’s amazing how relaxing it is not having to avert your eyes to check the speedometer every few moments -- even if you are set in cruise control.The route to Bathurst from Melbourne is fairly straightforward, and not as winding as the trip from Sydney over the Blue Mountains. In effect, you turn left a little north of Albury on the NSW-Victoria border, zig-zag your way to the fringes of Wagga Wagga and then it’s almost a straight line coming into the back of Bathurst.Unlike the Hume, there aren’t service stations and fast food chains every half hour. And the road is not as well kept. Which was both good and bad, for it threw up some nasty potholes and bumpy bends that had us wondering at times if we may need the spare tyre, which is a space-filler as opposed to a space-saver.Because HSV needed extra room under the car for the massive heavy-duty differential (it’s about the size of an outboard boat motor) and its cooling equipment, the spare wheel is secured on top of the boot floor, not below it. But at least you get a spare. European performance sedans come with an inflator kit and the phone number of a tow truck service. Out here you’d be waiting a while.Finally we reach Australia’s motorsport mecca. It’s late in the afternoon and road workers are busy finishing yet more track upgrades before October’s Great Race. During a symbolic one-lap look-around we share the mountain pass with tourist coaches, local P-platers and fitness freaks on foot using the steep climb to get their hearts racing.No matter how many times I’ve been here, though, Mount Panorama never ceases to amaze. The steep incline, corners which seemingly fall away and sheer cliff faces mean that it wouldn’t pass modern regulations if it were built from scratch today. Yet it survives because it is a part of history -- and because of countless costly upgrades. Sadly, the homegrown Holden Commodore will soon be assigned to the history books. When this generation Holden Commodore bows out in 2016 it will be replaced by a front-drive sedan which may or may not be built in Australia.That leaves the new HSV GTS as a fitting exclamation point for the Australian car industry, and a future collector’s item. It is the result of every piece of Australian automotive knowhow in one car (albeit with a little help from a North American supercharged V8). No matter how you look at it, though, there will not ever be a homegrown car like this ever again. And that is a tragedy.ON THE TRACKThe new HSV GTS is epic on the road but you need a race track to explore its full potential. Thankfully HSV hired one for the day. HSV claims the new GTS can do the 0 to 100km/h dash in 4.4 seconds with automatic transmission (yes, it’s faster than the manual off the line, but the manual is faster once you’re already on the move). The best 0 to 100 times we could get out of the manual were a string of easily achievable 4.7-second runs. In launch control mode it did 4.8-second runs ad nauseum.Acceleration is only one part of the story, however. The handling has stepped up a notch. Finally, the magnetically-controlled particles in the suspension deliver on the promise of comfort and handling. The GTS now rides better over bumps than the HSV Clubsport.Best of all you can feel the computer magic dabbing the rear brakes to help control the rear end from sliding out. The electronic torque vectoring is the same type of technobabble that Porsche uses. At first you think your driving skills have improved. Then reality sets in.The highlight for me, though, apart from the obvious adrenalin from the acceleration, is the new brake package. They are the biggest brakes ever fitted to an Australian-made production car. And they are superb. They have a precise feel typically found on sports cars, not 1850kg sedans. There is no doubt the new GTS is the most complete package HSV or Holden has ever built. We don’t hand out such accolades lightly, but the team that created this machine should take a bow.HSV GTSPrice: $92,990 plus on-road costsEngine: 430kW/740Nm supercharged 6.2-litre petrol V8Transmission: six-speed manual or six-speed auto ($2500 option)Weight: 1881kg (manual), 1892.5kg (auto)Economy: TBASafety: six airbags, five-star ANCAP rating0 to 100km/h: 4.4 seconds (claimed)Service intervals: 15,000km or 9 monthsSpare tyre: Full size (above boot floor)

My first drive of the new VF and it's everyone's favourite: the Maloo ute. And not just any Maloo, but the top of the whiz R8 SV Enhanced version with 340kW underfoot --  more than the old GTS. From the outset it was apparent this was a much more refined, sophisticated beast. It's not just about cranking it over, revving it up and listening to the roar from the V8.