HSV Reviews

...and made some changes for the better with its range up date for 2009.The first HSV wagon since the Avalanche will be $1000 above its R8 sedan equivalent at $65,990 and available with the new six-speed manual or a re-calibrated six-speed automatic, which ups the pricetag ante to $68,320.The recalibrated auto and new Tremec TR6060 manual transmission are part of the MY9.5 HSV model upgrade, which also includes some engine recalibration.As is de-rigeur for the HSV models, there's a bit of a bodykit - focussed mainly on the nose and side skirts - with the rear remaining largely similar to the Sportwagon.Unlike the sedan variants, HSV has left the rear lights alone, something that would have cost $1.5 million to alter and the company is taking a measured approach to this wagon.The company will get just over 160 built but the orders already stretch well into the first quarter of 2009 - even HSV boss Phil Harding wants one, but he's waiting patiently for sales to be fulfilled first.The interior gets upgraded seats (full leather trimmed versions are $2490), a new rear seat, dual-zone climate control and also adopts the new white-faced instruments and centre-pod of gauges, which will go range-wide for 2009.The Tourer is also fitted standard with a reversing camera and rear park assist and gets a shorter final drive ratio.It sits on 19in wheels with 245/40 front and 275/35 rear rubber as standard, but can be optioned up to a 20in wheel with slightly lower profile tyres for $2500.The R8 Tourer is 20 per cent firmer in its suspension but has a reduced rear roll bar diameter.HSV chief engineer Joel Stoddart said the aim was to leave the wagon driver with the same wheel-time experience as that of a sedan."One of our main objectives when we decided to embark on this car was that the driver should lose nothing in the driving experience in this car over and above the sedan," he says.The suspension tune differs a little bit from its sedan sibling as the HSV engineers have tweaked a few things during the development - it's about 20 per cent stiffer all round, with the same rear dampers as the Maloo utility and a smaller-diameter rear anti-roll bar than the Clubsport R8.On the launch drive through the hills north-east of Melbourne, the first R8 Tourer sampled had the 20in wheel option, which gives the handsome wagon a more aggressive look.The company was working from a more-than-competent base with the Sportwagon and the suspension tweaks - with either wheel package bolted on - has only enhanced the drive experience.The tighter tune keeps the body under control but rolling (and oversteer) from the rear takes a lot more provocation before it becomes evident.For the driver, the addition of a new six-speed manual to the range almost overshadowed any other changes - while HSV says it's not a massive change from the old gearbox, the new six-speed is quicker and sharper to change, with better defined gates and a cleaner action.The six-speed auto also benefits from recalibration and the benefits are most felt in sport mode.It's not a hyper-aggressive alter-ego and seems to have a little more in the way of smarts on the way into corners under brakes.The addition of the camera makes parking and manoeuvring quite a bit easier - given the whopper D-pillars it probably should have been there from the get-go at Holden.For those shopping for load-luggers and/or kid carriers but not interest in SUVs, HSV has plenty to offer.In terms of performance wagons, they are few and far between that could match the R8 Tourer for pace, let alone on price - Audi has its $270,000 RS6, Benz has the $146,000 C63 and $239,000 E63 wagons.The R8 Tourer seems to have the versatility of a wagon and the performance and driving manners of a home-grown hotrod sedan.

But it happens more in expensive machinery and the number of times is largely proportional to the vehicle's price tag.Being let into traffic is a rare experience in top-end luxury and sports cars (yes, I can hear the violins ... thanks), but it's not an issue in an $80,000 car if it has humble origins.For better or worse, the HSV GTS is a Commodore. With the VE as a starting point that's much less of a sneer than it might have once been, but it makes a difference to those in traffic around you.Getting behind the wheel of a Holden Special Vehicle has always prompted a couple of expectations — but other drivers don't seem to hate your guts. The first is there's unlikely to be a shortage of power and torque, and the second is that if it's a manual, swapping cogs is not going to be the nicest change ever experienced with a gear lever.It has improved, it must be said, but other high-performance carmakers have toiled with this particular transmission and then headed elsewhere within the Tremec catalogue.The T56 six-speed manual has been a faithful servant to Holden and HSV, improving in shift quality and feel with every update, but its time seems passed. Luckily for the driver, there's only a need to make two or three shifts, with 317kW at 6000rpm and 550Nm (arriving 200rpm later at 4600rpm) on offer.First would only be needed for a hill start on a serious incline and sixth is still a long-legged cruise gear. The engine doesn't really quibble about what gear the car's in, it just goes, now with a little more force than before. Mind you, adding an extra 10kW once you're over the 300kW hurdle is like pouring a jerry can of petrol on to a fire.The 6.2-litre LS3 power plant — which is donated by Corvette — feels like the torque curve is a little broader than the outgoing LS2 engine, which helps with flexibility in traffic.Starting off in second and heading for fourth or even fifth is not beyond the realms of possibility; anything to keep fuel use down, as the trip computer displays figures around 18 litres per 100km if you've had any fun.The other thing that sets the GTS apart from its HSV kin is its wheels: big, chunky 20-inch alloys with 35 front and 30 rear-profile tyres, which, thanks to the magnetic ride control system, don't detract from the comfort of the GTS over the bumps. The other thing the 20s allow for is big brakes, which are welcome when hauling 1845kg of Australian muscle car back to a standstill. The GTS has 365mm front and 350mm rear ventilated and grooved discs, gripped by four-piston calipers.HSV claims the system brings the GTS to a halt from 100km/h in 36m. If the stoppers don't work in time and events take a turn for the worse, the car's electronic safety systems (which assess a wide range of inputs 30 times a second) will use anti-lock braking, stability control, and dual front, side and curtain airbags to help reduce the damage. In the wet, the stability control is a welcome assistant, as the outputs can overcome the rear end, as you'd expect, but such is the nature of the beast any shenanigans are largely controllable. In the dry, there's plenty of grip and the GTS shrinks in perceived size, stressing the Bridgestones less than previous HSVs and showing poise and pace beyond its considerable mass.The sales of specialist V8s hasn't slowed much in the face of higher fuel prices. The sweet scream of this V8 at full noise has its appeal, but such fun comes with an 18 litres-per-100km price.Such thirst can be tempered with less frenetic use of the throttle and more torque-driven cruising, but it's still a buying consideration. But V8 lovers are a faithful breed and there's much for them to love with this new powerplant.

The obvious and easy way is with the best set of numbers in Australian motoring.That means 427 cubic inches, 375 kiloWatts, 620 Newton-metres, 250km/h, and 4.7 seconds for a 0-100km/h blast.The thumping combination qualifies the car as Australia's first genuine supercar — at least since the GTHO Falcon and Torana A9X from the 1970s — with performance to punish a Porsche and frighten a Ferrari.But there is no way to escape the biggest number of all — $155,500.That is a powerful pile of cash for a Commodore, even one which now qualifies comfortably as the top dog in Australian motoring.There has never been a Commodore as costly or as quick as the W427, which has picked up the seven-litre V8 engine from America's king-of-the-hill Corvette as part of a final 20th birthday celebration by Holden Special Vehicles. The rest of the package is just as impressive, from 20-inch alloys and brilliant Brembo brakes to re-calibrated electronic dampers and even an active exhaust with big-bore three-inch pipes.The body bits are also new, including a carbon fibre blade across the boot, but the cabin is strangely subdued and lets the car down badly. It does not even have a build plate to remind the driver that they have made the right choice in splashing their $155k on the commemorative Commodore.And the top dog also has a thirst — officially 17.1 litres/100km — which will make it costly to run.Still, 90 people have already made their decision on the W427 and will get a car sometime between now and the end of the year. Another 110 were originally expected to follow, but HSV is not sure where demand will settle and only plans to limit production at 427 cars — if it can eventually move that many."We can build as many or as few as the market genuinely wants. We are literally only building cars against a confirmed customer order," says Scott Grant, managing director of Holden Special Vehicles.He reacts sharply to any complaints about the car, and particularly its price.“We reject that it's a Commodore, to start with. When you drive the car it's quite a different proposition,” he says.“For that price tag it's a good value proposition. It's a hell of a lot of car for that money.”But the same money, or less, will also buy a BMW M3 or Mercedes C63 and those are pedigreed performance cars from two of the world's top brands.The story of the W427 began more than two years ago when HSV management was planning the 20th birthday party for the hot Holden shop. The idea was to create a car with as much — or more — impact than the very first 'batmobile' HSV VL Commodore in 1988.“This is the car that HSV has always wanted to build,” says Grant bluntly.Planning quickly zeroed-in on the Corvette in the USA, and its monster LS7 motor, with the same top-dog approach to every component and the ultimate result.“The development program has been very extensive. It's got every safety system we could throw at it. This car had to have HSV's best-ever braking package . . . it had to have the best handling,” says engineering boss Joel Stoddart.And W427? The name is a nod to HSV boss Tom Walkinshaw and the capacity of the 7-litre V8 in old-fashioned cubic inches.The price was originally forecast in the $125,000 range when the car was previewed at the Melbourne Motor Show in March, but has blown out after final costings — partly because of a luxury car tax hike — to the final figure at $155,500.“A lot of money has been spent in specific performance parts, but also in the engineering and testing. That's what makes the W427 unique and iconic,” says Grant.So the W427 has a full three-year, 100,000km warranty and each will be virtually hand-built in a special section of the HSV factory at Clayton in Melbourne. Owners will be invited to watch their car being assembled. DRIVING:“Mate, it wasn't too long ago that a V8 Supercar went like this,” says Mark Skaife as we thunder towards turn one at Calder Park raceway.The speedo needle is twisting rapidly towards 200km/h — from a standing start at the bottom end of the pitlane — and Holden's big man waits way, way late before stomping the brakes and hustling the car into the first tight right-hander. The W427 just stops, turns, then erupts again.It proves in a handful of seconds that it is a new benchmark for Aussie muscle, not just in the engine room but also in brakes which do a fantastic job and suspension which can put 375 kiloWatts onto the road.Skaife makes a difference, but the W427 is supercar fast. It's not as nimble as a pedigreed Euro like the M3, that's for certain, but it more than compensates with brash and brutal brilliance.Rain clouds are closing fast on Calder so there is too little time for me to push right to the limits, but the W427 is surprisingly easy to punt along very, very quickly. The engine is absolutely brilliant, pulling like a locomotive to the 7000 redline, and the brakes are easilly the best on anything which has ever worn an HSV badge. Thankfully.The gearshift is also nicely light and direct — the best in any hot Commodore in memory, including the original Brock-mobiles — and the steering is direct and responsive. The car rides tight with good body control.On the track, the W427 is brutally quick but could cope with more race-style suspension control in the MRC dampers. It also triggers the traction control too early and there would be more cornering grip and drive with better support for the body.Out on the road the W427 is surprisingly docile. It thunders at start-up but the idle is quiet and it will easily pull away in fourth grear.The real worry is drifting past the speed limit without doing anything more than tickling the gas pedal. The lungs are so big in the 7-litre that it always seems to have plenty in reserve.The gearbox is a delight in traffic, the brakes are great and — despite some crash-through at the back over bumps — the suspension control is good.The car is clearly held back at the top end, almost reaching its 250km/h limiter at Calder, and HSV insiders believe it would probably run to 300-plus in the right conditions. They are also talking about tackling the Nurburgring in Germany to measure their big banger against the world's best.But, any way you want to go, the W427 already sets a new benchmark for Aussie muscle.Even so, the cabin is a major letdown and barely different from an SS Commodore. Where are the W427 logos, and the build plate, and something different in either colouring or stitching or equipment or seat shape? It needs more to be truly memorable.The fuel consumption could also set a new benchmark, for the wrong reasons.Neither shortcoming is likely to have the slightest effect on people who want to park a W427 in their garage, either as a piece of collectable automotive indulgence or for some great days of muscle car mania.The top dog is best in show and we cannot help loving it. And counting the days to another romp . . . BREAK-OUT:Creating the W427 took more than just an engine transplant from the Chevrolet Corvette.The heart of the car arrives in a crate from Detroit — engines are shipped across the Pacific, 20 at a time — but the real work is in the installation and adaptation from the HSV GTS.For a start, the radiator is tilted back to clear a straight path for the air intake to the motor. And the engine room is re-organised to make space for an oil catch tank, an essential piece of the engine's dry-sump lubrication system.The transmission is a new six-speeder, the TR6060, with the same ratios as the existing HSV manual but with wider gears and bigger input shafts. A lot of work has also gone into the operation of the clutch and clutch pedal and there is a beefier limited-slip differential.The suspension is set 30 per cent stiffer than the GTS, sits 20 millimetres lower and is fitted with stiffer rear-suspension bushes. The calibration of the Magnetic Ride Suspension system is new.The brakes are six-piston Brembo units on the front and have 50 per cent greater pad area, as well as pads with more bite.The exhaust is a marvel, starting with ceramic-coated extractors feeding three-inch pipes and active bi-modal rear mufflers. The system is tuned to bark at start-up, run quieter from idle and in traffic, but turn noisy and nasty again at full throttle.In the end it takes 165 unique parts to create the W427, as well as an estimated three days of hand assembly in the final finishing bays created for the car at HSV headquarters in Clayton.Related Stories:HSV W427: video test driveHSV W427: in detail

You can rant and rave all you like about gas-guzzling V8s and big cars.But you only have to ride in one for a week to realise why those who can afford them love them so much.Take, for instance, Holden Special Vehicle's Grange. Suspension, brakes and engine, along with a few body bits, have been targeted for work that makes the Grange only slightly less plush than a Caprice in the ride department but which turns the Grange into a real wolf in sheep's clothing.On the one hand, you have the plush leather interior, all mod cons, bells and whistles and amazing passenger space and on the other, the HSV 6.2-litre Chev V8 that becomes, if you stick your boot into it and leave the pedal to the metal, a snarling rocket ably backed up by uprated brakes and suspension. If you happen to be taking two persons of the female persuasion to the airport for a long trip with their copious amounts of luggage, don't worry. The Grange boot gobbles up almost anything you can throw at it and even allowing for a long-legged teenager in the front passenger seat, there is still enough room in the back to hold a party. Well, almost.It is not until you get in a car like the Statesman or Grange that you realise just how compact even larger European and Japanese cars really are.The Grange, with luxurious leather seats, DVD screens in the back of the front seat headrests and room to really stretch out, lends itself to back-seat passengers.In fact they can have almost as much fun as the driver.DRIVINGwhile it still has claims as a limo, the Grange is really a driver's car. Treat the throttle gently and it moves along with just the merest hint of a burble from the four exhaust pipes. And keep the suspension on plush rather than sport and you could be in a Caprice.If the red mist descends and the road ahead is winding and empty, the six-speed auto becomes a tiptronic, the magnetic ride control stiffens up the suspension and lots of throttle produces lots of acceleration and noise.While the Grange is not in the sportscar handling category, it does get round corners remarkably well, the big fat tyres hanging on and the stiffened suspension keeping the bulky car, 1.94 tonnes, on track. If you keep the ESP on, and there is no valid reason for turning it off on public roads, there will eventually be a little bit of oversteer before the electronic guardian angel decides enough is enough and pulls the pin on a few cylinders.Those dirty big brakes also come to the party. Given they have to deal with more than two tonnes if there are a couple of people on board, they perform predictably with good progressive pedal feel. Perhaps a race track may stress them more but in normal road work they performed faultlessly.When it comes to getting from corner to corner, 6.2-litres of Chevrolet V8 does the job as well as anything, as you might expect when 317kW (440bhp) is put to work, work that will eventually see it hit 250km/h if you can find a track with a decent straight.Between induction noise and exhaust burble, you know you are making those cubic inches earn their keep. In fact, that V8 symphony is a bit of a tease and the urge to hear it can often overcome the urge to keep a clean licence.The Chevrolet symphony should only be played when those in the car are the only ones listening to it.What about finish and fit?Is it as good as the European efforts? By and large yes. There is precious little noise in the cabin and most of that is from the tyres and varies with the road surface. The biggest indictment of the test car cabin was perhaps that the front passenger's glovebox popped open under some particularly vigorous cornering on a rough surface.That, of course, may well have been due to the fact it was not shut firmly in the first place.GM claims a combined (urban/highway) fuel consumption figure of 15litres/100km.On the open road at a steady cruising speed the big US donk sipped anything between 8-11 litres/100km depending on the surface and gradient and if you booted it around town the figures became little short of frightening.Anyone keen to equal or better the claimed figure would need a light foot and disdain for that delightful Chevrolet symphony.Apart from the HSV go fast bits, the Caprice already comes with almost everything designed to pamper, including: fixed-front seats cup holders and rear seat pop out cup holders, airconditioning with individual climate control for each front occupant and a rear seat climate control, power windows front and back, speed proportional power steering, four-wheel ABS, electronic traction control via ABS and engine management, a 10-speaker Bose stereo system, DVD/VCD with display screens on dash (only when stationary) and backs of front seats, cruise control, trip computer displaying average speed, average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption and range for remaining fuel, smart key, including central locking, memory seat adjustments and radio settings, just to mention a few.HSV WM GrangePRICE: $84,690ENGINE: 6.2-litre LS3 aluminium alloy 90 degree OHV V8, cross-flow heads, twin knock control sensors compression 10.9:1.103.2 mm bore, 92.0 mm stroke,POWER: 317kW @ 6000rpmTORQUE: 550Nm @ 4600rpmFUEL: PULP, 73 litres 14.5 litres/100km (claimed combined) Using 95RON (PULP) or lower will not cause any problems, but will result in slightly less engine performance and economy.BRAKES: Front: 365mm ventilated discs. Four piston calipers Rear: 350mm ventilated discs. Four piston calipersTRANSMISSION: 6-speed Automatic Transmission with active select Limited Slip Differential with HSV specific ratio Sports Suspension with MRC Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Brake Assist (EBA), Traction Control System (TCS)WHEELS/TYRES: 19" x 8" front alloy wheel with 245/40 R19 98Y full size spare 19" x 9.5" rear alloy wheel with 275/35 R19 96Y

IT'S not the most expensive model in the range but HSV's iconic GTS is certainly the spiritual leader.With runaway fuel prices, this may well be the last roll of the dice for the big V8-powered sports sedan but somehow we don't think so.It's hard to imagine a GTS with a hybrid power train or for that matter a diesel or dual fuel LPG model.In April HSV replaced the 6.0-litre engine with a larger, more powerful 6.2-litre 317kW V8 across the range in the never-ending quest for power.A 7.0-litre model is also in the pipeline.The 6.2-litre LS3 engine is put together in the US and is, in fact, the same engine that powers the current Corvette.GTS's two main competitors, the Falcon GT and Chrysler 300C SRT8, run a 5.4-litre 315kW/551Nm and 6.1-litre 317kW/569Nm V8 respectively.There's not much in it.Why go for a larger engine that uses even more fuel?Well, in this market it's all about size and, in manual form at least, the larger engine uses only a tenth of a litre more at 15.3 litres/100km.That's still a lot fuel in any money and anyone considering the purchase of this vehicle should be aware of this fact.If and when petrol hits $2 a litre, it means the GTS will cost $30 in fuel for every 100km travelled, or about 30c every time the odometer clicks over another kilometre.That's before you even think about putting your foot down.The six-speed auto uses significantly less fuel at 14.5 litres/100km.Although all the trio cost about the same and deliver a similar level of performance, it is pointless trying to pick a winner.Suffice to say few Holden fans are going to cross to the dark side and buy a Ford and vice-versa.The macho-looking SRT8, however, is every bit as good and remains a tantalising option for both camps.Our test vehicle was a six-speed manual GTS finished in gleaming red with 20-inch wheels and matching red brake callipers.It's a magnificent looking car, one that commands respect from other motorists who tend to give it a wide berth.We've driven plenty of high-priced Euros, but none of them seem to stir as much interest as a big V8.The 6.2 litre engine delivers a massive 317kW of power at 6000rpm and 550Nm of torque at 4600rpm, compared with 307 at 6000rpm and 550 at 5100rpm previously, using top grade 98 premium.Although rated at 15.3 we were averaging 14.8 litres/100km in mixed driving.The noise from the V8 is raw and powerful, just the way God intended and we found ourselves frequently dropping down a gear just to hear it.The manual change was a revelation, a quantum lead forward from the previous HSV we drove.We'd stop short of calling it smooth, but it is much easier to use with a lighter clutch action.Having said that, it still doesn't like to be hurried and doesn't deliver sports car precision.The manual can blast from 0-100km/h in less than five seconds and is fitted with HSV's controversial magnetic ride control which is activated by a switch on the dash.It offers the choice of performance or track modes but, to be honest, we had trouble telling the difference. We will say that the ride is excellent, nothing like the harsh cars of the past. Cornering and braking are impressive and the electronics don't intrude on the fun.A full size alloy spare is provided, but being smaller than the rear tyres its use is limited on the back.It's the best GTS yet but at the end of the day it's more about what this car misses out on that what you get, so check out the equipment list.

All eight cylinders are firing hard at Holden Special Vehicles and the punch will only get strong with the arrival of V-Series cars with an LS3 V8 under the bonnet.

That's despite sitting slap-bang in the middle of the nation's knife-edge economy, diminishing disposable income, plummeting large car sales and soaring petrol prices.Last year it sold 5222 cars, up 42 per cent on the previous year — and a long way north of the 421 sales it made 20 years ago, in its first year of trading.HSV managing director Scott Grant says his company was bucking the big-car sales spiral.“Our customer order book is very strong,” he said. “There's a two-and-a-half month waiting list for some of our models.“WA, for example, is extremely strong because of trades and mining booms. We could sell another 100 Maloos a month in WA.“We can sustain a volume of 4000 to4500 units a year for the next three to five years. That's a great position to be in.”The average age of an HSV buyer is 38. But within that figure is specific groupings. Grange owners average in the low 40s and Astra (yes, there's still the VXR) buyers are in the low 30s.HSV's buyer profile is changing from buyers who primarily desired the big-bore engines to more professional customers getting out of European sports sedans: “About 20 per cent of our sales are `conquests' to buyers trading in Audis and BMWs.”Grant makes HSV's position a clear distinction from Holden.“We are a stand-alone unit. We are for customers who want a premium product and that's not discounting Holden, it's just to show that we have very different customers. The VE is an outstanding platform.”And to appease its customers, there's a new model with a numerically bigger boot badge.HSV last week launched a significant running change to its range, slotting in the Chevrolet Corvette's hot 317kW 6.2-litre LS3 V8 to justify the distinctive “317” boot badges.The engine goes into the E-Series models — ClubSport R8, GTS, Senator Signature and Maloo R8 — and the stretched WM Grange. Technically, the LS3 gets a bigger 103.25mm bore — yet retains the outgoing engine's 92mm stroke — for 317kW at 6000rpm and 550Nm of torque at 4600rpm.Valve lift is higher, exhaust ports are wider, and intake valves jump to 55mm diameter from the LS2's 50.8mm. There are new cylinder heads and, probably more significant, a stronger engine block that puts more meat around the bores.Gearboxes have also been revised, with the six-speed Cadillac auto getting partial lock-up in the top three cogs and a quicker sequential change.Play with the auto box and you'll discover neat features, such as subtle engine run-on when down-changing to keep it on the boil when cornering.The auto gets a standard oil cooler that improves fuel economy by allowing the box to change up at lower revs.HSV engineering manager Joel Stoddart says the LS3 changes up at lower revs than the LS2. “That improves economy and comfort when driving gently,” he says. “Overall the new engine offers better driveability thanks to improved torque and power.”The MRC adjustable suspension remains on selected models without change, though there is a ride and visual enhancement in the form of new 20-inch Pentagon alloy wheels.These are standard with the performance pack on the Maloo R8 and GTS, and a $2500 option on the rest of the fleet.HSV adds new colours to the 2008 palette, including Sting (red), which teases buyers into making a statement and the more restrained Karma (grey).Buyers wanting to turn their car up to “loud” can go red paint with 20-inch Pentagon alloys and red-painted brake calipers.“These buyers want to show off their car,” says HSV sales and marketing manager Darren Bowler.“To them, it's the number on the boot; a case of “mine is bigger than yours'. That's part of the reason why there's a bigger number each model.“The VS was 195kW; now we have 317kW. Buyers want badges.”However, not all get them. Grange and Senator owners will smugly make do with having all the numbers but no flagrant display. Even the brake calipers are silver.At the top of the tacho, around 6500rpm, the latest LS3 engine sounds like a muted V8 Supercar. The exhaust note is a guttural roar yet it's delivered with a clean and fuss-free spin, like the engine has found its sweet spot.HSV doesn't make a song and dance about the new sound on the street. But it makes delightful background music to what's happening under the right foot.Where the LS2 could sometimes bog down at low speeds, the LS3 is confident. It's an easier engine to drive and that's helped by a smoother clutch action and slightly better shift changes on the six-speed manual. I say slightly because it still needs a firm hand, and demands you follow every angle of the shift pattern's bends.But the package feels immensely strong. You can be an absolute bastard to the box and the engine and it'll just cop it without complaint.The auto loses no points in acceleration — the same 100km/h sprint time of 4.96 seconds as the manual — but gains heaps in driver ease. The sequential change is crisp and quick and the availability of six cogs puts any four-speed light years behind.Tickle the accelerator and there's that 550Nm of torque raising its head. It makes driving the manual an easier experience but its immediacy is more pronounced with the automatic transmission. Steering is firm yet nicely weighted — more appreciated at cruising speeds — and is razor-sharp for fast corners and impromptu lane changes.The MPC adjustable suspension — standard on the GTS, Senator and Grange — is a two-stage affair giving a firm, sporty ride for fast corners and track work, and a surprisingly compliant and quiet ride for suburbia.It makes a substantial difference to the turn-in for the big cars and doesn't hurt the kidneys unless the bitumen is especially irregular.Seat comfort and cabin room are first class, naturally borrowing from its VE Commodore donor.It makes the most of the grunt but, surprisingly, keeps its rear wheels incontact with the bitumen — most ofthe time — because of its weighty rear fibreglass deck cover and sticky big wheels.The Maloo even feels perkier than the sedans, though that's more attributable to the mileage on the odo.

The jaundiced might view HSV's Clubsport R8 as quintessentially 'Strayan as seafood at Christmas, inviting a mate along on your honeymoon, or claiming a catch off an Indian batsman's pad.A bit retrograde. A boganmobile.If you're a little more wide-eyed, the Clubbie is a blissful manifestation of roaring power in aspirational yet affordable form. It's the performance sedan that a Commodore owner is meant to covet — going up to the Clubbie, as it were.It's also true that a Commodore owner might be dismayed by its too close a resemblance to that most utilitarian device. Against that — heavily against it — is the glaring fact that the Clubsport can be sensibly spoken of as an uber-cheap AMG, at least in terms of its chief purpose in life.That'd be getting across the landscape with contemptuous, apparently effortless speed.Those ferocious Mercs are the only bent-eight sedans of similar size able to dispatch the HSV in a straight-line run from standing to 100km/h.The official time for the latter, with the six-speed automatic we guiltily enjoyed over the standard manual, is five seconds flat. The extra 0.4 second (using claimed figures) the HSV takes over an E63 AMG saves some $160,000. And some testers reckon the margin narrower still. Hmm ...So if there really is a conundrum about the Clubsport R8, it didn't bother us past the first few hours of an acquaintance that became a fast friendship (or as fast as you'll allow yourself at a time when the road is lousy with revenue collectors armed with radar guns). Given the truly staggering go-for-the-dough equation, you begin not to mind that the interior, despite very pleasant and generous leather-trimmed seats, ain't so very far departed from the stripper Commodore.Outward visibility is not great — the sloping A-pillar is bollard-like, the wing mirrors are compact by contemporary standards and the rear spoiler might have been borrowed from a light aircraft.The built-to-a-budget impression isn't dispelled by doors that don't thunk, window buttons that have to be held down to raise the pane and plastics that fail to inspire confidence as to the long term. Gratingly — given that the petrol gauge needle does seem perennially pointed south — a 'low-fuel' read-out cancels the digital speedo until the tank's thirst is slaked.Given the licence-threatening readiness with which the Clubbie responds, and the difficulty of reading the conventional speed gauge with its unevenly spaced numerals, the digital jobbie is of the essence.As to the exterior statement, if the SS-V is a working-class man, the R8's a light-blue-collar worker.The VE Series HSV has 301 different parts to the VE Commodore.Not sure that you could call that body kit, spoiler and artificial side vents stylish per se, but at least the HSV doesn't shop at Lowes.Whadd'ya want, anyway? Pose, or poise under pressure?The Clubbie has the latter in spades, with extra power and torque wrung out of the 6.0-litre LS2 V8.The 307kW at 6000rpm and 550Nm at 4400rpm are a slight but gratifying boost over the $11K cheaper SS-V.If the lurid power sliding of which the Clubbie would be abundantly capable isn't really on through the Royal National Park, the way this long and heavy jigger tracks around corners is readily appreciated.Some might find that the level, fat, steering wheel wants somewhat.I think it's right on the money.Turn in is precise, body roll is restrained if not contained, the stance flatter than expected.Taut suspension and big fat 19-inch wheels hold where a lesser Lion's grip would slip. Busting out of the bend, the tail can twitch, prompting a gentle but decisive electronic correction.The guardians have been set just about perfectly you'd have to say, smiling benevolently at a boy while he plays, but stepping in firmly before it all ends in tears.Downshifting through the manual mode — configured correctly forward for downshift — is welcome and if the Holden's transmission isn't so slick as Ford's ZF, it'd have to be close.Crucially (given that it weighs in at two big blokes under two tonnes), the stoppers are huge (365mm up front and 350mm at the rear all with quad piston callipers) and their power prodigious. The superior feel and bite over the SS — and the priceless peace of mind they bring — is alone worth the price of admission from VE to E-Series. Simulated emergency stops on very B-grade roads from more than 100km/h brought it up hard and true. The price for the enhanced performance is cheap indeed — mild skittering over the sort of irregularities that wouldn't perturb a Commodore.The firm yet compliant ride is the perfect example of how Australian tuners do it best for Australian roads, even on the nightmare tracks of NSW.While you might only seldom have the opportunity to push its performance envelope, the Clubbie is a wonderfully comfortable everyday proposition. After all, a bloke needs to relax from time to time. The bottom lineThis one is a hell of a lot more than a glorified Commodore. Snapshot HSV Clubsport R8Price: $64,890 (auto)Engine: 6L/V8, 307kW/550NmEconomy: 15.3L/100km0-100KM/H: 5.0 sec (claimed) The rivalsFPV Force6Price: $71,590Engine: 4L/6-cylinder turbo; 270kW/550NmEconomy: 13L/100km0-100KM/H: 5.4 seconds Holden Commodore SS-VPrice: $54,490Engine: 6.0L/V8; 270kW/530NmEconomy: 14.3L/100km0-100KM/H: 5.7 seconds Mercedes-Benz E500Price: $160,300Engine: 5.5L/V8; 285kW/530NmEconomy: 13.6L/100km0-100KM/H: 5.5 seconds 

The queue for a new Maloo is out to May. The five-month wait reflects the instant success of Holden Special Vehicles' new load carrier.Not that anyone who buys a Maloo R8 is likely to be carrying much beyond their toys and a big, big smile.It is all about sports truck performance and enjoyment, with a 307kW V8 engine and the sort of brakes and suspension you expect to find on a top-drawer car.Holden has been pushing the two-door sportscar line for the ute since it unveiled the VE earlier this year and its sales figures reflect the popularity of the new pickup.More than 60 per cent of utes going out the door at Holden dealerships are V8-powered SS models, and when you add the hottie SV6 the figure rises to more than 70 per cent.So you are unlikely to see any bricks, barrows, glass or plumbing pipes in the back of a HSV ute.But you are also unlikely to see a Maloo because demand for regular utes has choked supplies from GM Holden's factory in Elizabeth to the HSV production line at Clayton.Things should ease sometime next year, but the waiting time is unlikely to shrink to anything less than three months.The Maloo goes all the way for Holden and, like other E-Series Commodore models, it is further away from the regular ute than previous models.The tail-end treatment is unique — even if some of the lamps look stuck-on — the nose is all new, the cabin is more upmarket and even the lift-up load cover has unique HSV power bulges and a different but not as effective locking system.The result is a ute that turns heads with a supercar-style 0-100km/h sprint time, and a relative bargain at $59,990.It costs more than the turbo six from Ford Performance Vehicles and is above the basic 5.4 V8 ute, but matches the Super Pursuit on the bottom line.The HSV machine gets its edge with a full 6.0-litre LS2 V8 that does big kilowatt numbers but, more importantly, makes 550Nm.It is a little hidden up beyond 4000 revs, but dominates the character for the car.HSV is doing plenty of Maloos with the six-speed automatic gearbox, a surprising but effective choice, and the rest of the package includes monster brakes with 365 millimetre discs on the nose, electronic stability control, fully independent suspension, giant wheels and tyres and the same red-lit instrument cluster used in HSV's R8 and GTS sedans.The seats and wheel in the cabin are the same, with smooth leather trimming, and the safety gear includes front and side airbags, and anti-skid brakes with brake assist.It is an impressive package and one HSV is proud to tout.“It's a hot sexy product. We think we've absolutely nailed it,” the new HSV managing director, Scott Grant, says.“Maloo is our newest model and so the waiting time is the longest. But the Clubsport is about two months at the moment and the Grange is still selling at more than 20 cars a month, against our forecast of 10 a month.”He says HSV will easily set a sales record at the end of the month, up more than 1000 cars over its previous mark in 2005, with Maloo contributing about 600 sales a year. On the roadThe Maloo is a terrific drive. It is sharp, responsive and very, very quick.Most people would find it impossible to pick it from a HSV sedan, without looking over their shoulder, which is about as good as it gets in uteland.FPV does a similar job in upgrading Falcon utes, but even theirs are not as refined or car-like as the new Maloo.If you try a similar comparison with any of the imported Japanese one-tonners, even the benchmark Toyota HiLux, you come up with working-class vehicles that are much more work than play.I have already run the regular SS ute through the test program and it came out with classy marks, but the Maloo goes a significant step further. And it's not just a hot-rod.It is smoother and more refined than the SS, thanks to a compliant suspension that is surprisingly good.I did not try the Maloo with much of a load, but most owners want them as sports cars and they will get a winner.It turns like a sedan, rides like a sedan and grips like a sedan, even when you push hard. That's when most utes turn into sliding, wheel-spinning monsters.The Maloo tester had an automatic gearbox and it would be our choice. That's partly because it smooths the engine response and partly because it has the excellent manual shift system, but mostly because it damps out the violence of gearshifts, which can often be a problem in utes. (Holden does not have paddles on the steering column).So the Maloo is quick and responsive, and only a little dull against the R8 sedan. As well, it has a classy and comfortable cabin.There is plenty of legroom, with reasonable storage space behind the seats, which can be tricky to tilt, and the sound system is good.But parking and lane changing are awful. The shape of the cabin restricts over-the-shoulder vision and the lumpy luggage cover takes a huge chunk out of the rear view. Thank goodness for parking radar. But vision is the only niggle and the HSV Maloo is one of my favourite drives of the year.  The bottom lineAn all-Aussie success, and a genuine sports truck. 81/100  Snapshot HSV Maloo Price: $61,990 as testedEngine: 6.0-litre V8Power: 307kW at 6000 revsTorque: 550Nm at 5100 revsTransmission: six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive.Body: Two-door utilityDimensions: Length 5040mm, width 1899mm, height 1481mm, wheelbase 3009mm, tracks 1952/1590mm front/rearSteering: Power-assisted rack-and-pinionFuel tank: 73 litresFuel consumption: 14.9 litres/100km (claimed, combined)Weight: 1852kgSpare tyre: Full-sizeBrakes: Anti-skid four-wheel disc with brake assistWheels: 19x8 front, 19x8.5 rearTyres: 245/40 R19 front, 275/35 R19 rearSafety gear: Front airbags, electronic stability control, anti-skid brakes, traction control, brake assist with brake-force distribution.Warranty: Three years/100,000km FeaturesAirconditioning 4Cruise control 4Alloy wheels 4Climate control 4Leather seats 4Heated seats 8Parking sensors 4Automatic wipers 44 standard equipment8 nonstandard equipmentHow it comparesHolden Commodore Ute SS: 80/100 (from $39,990)FPV F6 Tornado: 78/100 (from $54,670) Fast factMaloo is an Aboriginal word meaning thunder. 

It speaks volumes for the HSV brand image and appeal that it can sell $125 million worth of merchandise — clothes and caps, not cars — in its 20 years of existence.The company also manages to retail around 4700 cars annually in recent years and is now riding a wave of 12 consecutive record sales months.HSV managing director Scott Grant said business was booming on the back of the VE/WM-based E-Series.“We've now had 12 very strong months with the sedan range and we think the Maloo will add yet another strong pillar to our sales potential,” he says.The Maloo R8's appeal is strong if the reaction from primary school kids at the fence is any indication — and that was just idling by.The VE-based range has the Clayton factory punching out 30 cars a day — it was around six a day when the company started 20 years ago — and the Maloo R8, pictured right, won't make life any less busy for the HSV staff.The ute product is the company's second-biggest seller behind the Clubsport sedan and the new model has the visual appeal to keep its numbers healthy.The new Maloo R8 gets a sleeker profile using a broader “HSV Performance sail plane” on the B-pillar which, when combined with the HSV hard tonneau, gives the ute a coupe-like look. The tonneau even now operates like a very big boot for a two-door sportscar — the new SMC tailgate now holds the locking mechanism that can be remotely operated from the key fob.The Maloo R8 gets a different tailgate to the VE Ute, with HSV claiming a 10-15 per cent weight saving from the new version — made from a sheet-moulded polyester resin compound.It also gets an extended tail-light motif that looks more like decals and a little underdone.The side-skirts get an extra vent that HSV says takes its inspiration from the Walkinshaw Commodore but also looks a little Lamborghini-esque as well.Apart from the odd tail-light set-up, the rear end gets quad exhausts within a diffuser.Under the skin the Maloo R8 now has stiffer spring rates over the R8 and GTS sedan models — the figures are 40 per cent at the front and 50 per cent at the rear — but it retains the same brake package.There's plenty of gear in this ute that rams home the message this is anything but a tradie's ute — a chunky leather-wrapped sports steering wheel with audio and cruise control switchgear, trip computer, Bluetooth phone connection, alloy faced pedals and a leather-wrapped gear shift.The rear vision is restricted by the hard tonneau, which has made the rear parking sensors a must-have for parallel parking and general safety.The Maloo R8 also gets automatic headlights, HSV sports instrument cluster, an upgraded Blaupunkt 6CD MP3-compatible five-speaker sound system, suede/cloth trimmed sports seats (with leather option), dual zone climate control and only dual front airbags, no side airbags.The engine is the now-familiar six-litre alloy V8, offering 307kW and 550Nm of torque with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission (a $2000 option).The automatic has been given a make-over by the electronic boffins to get rid of the awkward Sport button. The lever flicks to the left for Sport mode.The manual change function is also now accessed on the left but the new Sport mode complete, with downshift throttle blip, does a more-than adequate job.The rear wheels put those considerable outputs to ground via a limited-slip differential and stability control (which can be switched off).HSV says the ute offers 0-100km/h in 5sec and a top speed limited to 250km/h, but that's only half the story.The Holden VE Ute provides plenty of rear-end grip and HSV have built upon that excellent base.The HSV suspension tweaks don't include the sedan's Magnetic Ride Control. Chief engineer John Clark would have liked to put it on but says that the extra cost was a large chunk of money.“Some of the hardware would have carried over, the front would have but the rear dampers would have been different, then the calibration to do it all adds up to a significant cost,” he says.The tauter springs do detract from the ride quality a little, but body control and grip (thanks in part to a bigger rear tyre) in the corners puts many passenger cars to shame.One disappointment in the Maloo was the change from the VE Ute's easy-to-use seat-flip lever to a system that is more difficult to reach and harder to use.At a tickle under $60,000, the Maloo R8 is a couple of grand cheaper than its predecessor and offers serious performance.But only time will tell if the HSV badge, the extra gear and some extra grunt is worth the $13,000 jump from an SSV.