Melbourne 2008: HSV unveil Commodore with 500HP Z06 Engine

[Hidden_Hunter]

HOLDEN'S performance-car division is due to unveil at the Melbourne motor show this morning the fastest, most powerful - and most expensive - Australian-made road car of all time.

It is based on the humble Holden Commodore sedan but thanks to a heart transplant is powered by a massive 7.0-litre V8 from a race-bred version of the Chevrolet Corvette in the United States.

The Holden Special Vehicles super-sedan is likely to cost in excess of $150,000, more than twice the price of the most expensive model currently. It will have the biggest brakes ever fitted to a Holden, will meet the latest vehicle emissions requirements and won't use much more fuel than current Holden V8s.

"Holden and HSV have had record sales of V8s over the past 12 months and we believe there is definitely a market for this car," HSV boss Scott Grant told the Herald.

"Despite the hype around petrol prices, the passion for performance-based cars in Australia is stronger than it's ever been. Buyers have clearly demonstrated this by voting with their wallets and continuing to buy V8s."

The car should be in showrooms in July. HSV will build each car by hand alongside its Holden Racing Team headquarters, but the car will still be covered by the regular Commodore's three-year, 100,000-kilometre warranty.

"This is everything we've learned about V8 Supercar racing and building special road cars, but in one vehicle," said Grant.

HSV claims the car will sprint from rest to 100kmh in a Porsche-quick 4.7 seconds but its top speed will be limited to 250kmh, the same as its German rivals.

To ensure it has sufficient grip to handle the extra power (said to be 370kW, 20 per cent more than the most powerful V8 available in a Holden) HSV is due to fly a test car to a specially made automotive ice rink in Sweden to calibrate the car's stability control system. The idea is that if it can grip well on ice, it will grip even better on tarmac.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/28/m...-super-hsv-se/

[Necx0]

What the hell??? Why have the fastest model limited to 250km/h when the lesser versions will crack 280?? That has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

Those wheels are also appalling, and the front sucks.....and there is no wing.

*Sigh* brilliant idea but poor execution I feel.

Why not just grab a GTS, stuff the motor in, upgrade everything that needs it, perhaps make it look a bit angrier and bobs your uncle.

[Hidden_Hunter]

Originally Posted by Necx0

What the hell??? Why have the fastest model limited to 250km/h when the lesser versions will crack 280?? That has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

Those wheels are also appalling, and the front sucks.....and there is no wing.

*Sigh* brilliant idea but poor execution I feel.

Why not just grab a GTS, stuff the motor in, upgrade everything that needs it, perhaps make it look a bit angrier and bobs your uncle.

They won't without removing the speed limiter, same deal as the German stuff

[Jacobfox]

weird looking grille. since when were commodores lancer evo lookalikes

[Necx0]

Originally Posted by Hidden_Hunter

They won't without removing the speed limiter, same deal as the German stuff

The VE stuff is speed limited??? Hmm thats news to me. How silly.

[Paul_The_Aussie]

Sorry to say this but that is one ugly HSV. Good on them for putting something decent out there though.

[Hidden_Hunter]

Originally Posted by Paul_The_Aussie

Sorry to say this but that is one ugly HSV. Good on them for putting something decent out there though.

I think it's the colour more than anything, in black or similar I think it will look much better

[flyingfridge]

I like the idea of the 7.0 in a HSV, but with that front end and those wheels, I'll pass thanks. what a shit looking car.

[powah]

I was really looking forward to this. Not anymore

[watto]

It should look like a $150,000 Holden.

It looks like a $75,000 Holden.

Not good enough.

But the engine sounds great!

[SV]

Those wheels....

[Dsemaj]

Without a doubt, it will be one hell of a drive.

But I am disappointed by the exterior. I wanted a VE version of the GTS-R

[Hidden_Hunter]

They showed it on the news a couple of minutes ago and it seemed to look a bit better there, so we'll see come sunday when I go and take a look

[Cobol74]

Under executed great idea or what!!!? Necx0's got the right idea -

Why not just grab a GTS, stuff the motor in, upgrade everything that needs it, perhaps make it look a bit angrier and bobs your uncle.

EDIT/ Oh and while you are at it make the thing a deep Red or black like HH suggested.

[eddysdaman]

Fresh from the Melbourne Motor Show.

[Bakis]

4.7 seconds is only .2 quicker then what HSV claim the GTS can do 0 - 100 in. Still i dont see the need for 7 litre, the 6 is good enough and if u want more supercharge that.

[fbc]

A big thumbs-up for the mechanical package - but that front is awful. Good to see they sorted out the appearance of the wheels for the show car though - in the first pic they look terrible.

[flyingfridge]

yeah, the show car wheels are much better. still, if I was buying one of these i'd be throwing away that awful front clip and throwing a GTS one on there. much better

then again, I wouldn't buy one because it'll be selling for near as makes no difference to R35 GT-R money.

[Quadrax]

Just echoing those wheels are ghastly and the front end reminds me of some of those ugly ricer bodykits that you see on assorted shit-boxes.

"This is everything we've learned about V8 Supercar racing and building special road cars, but in one vehicle,"

Hmmm..... reminds me of the recent Honda adverts likening the new civic to the honda f1 car.

[Hidden_Hunter]

Originally Posted by Quadrax

Just echoing those wheels are ghastly and the front end reminds me of some of those ugly ricer bodykits that you see on assorted shit-boxes.

"This is everything we've learned about V8 Supercar racing and building special road cars, but in one vehicle,"

Hmmm..... reminds me of the recent Honda adverts likening the new civic to the honda f1 car.

This is probably at least somewhat closer than the aspirations Honda have when likening the civic to an f1 car (it kinda looks the same for instance )