The last Holden in the Series 25 update is the HSV VS GTS-R, a V8-powered monster saloon that is known to be one of the rarest machines to exist only in the Land Down Under and now that I got my hands on this rare beast, it's time for explanations.
Based on the VS Commodore, the HSV GTS-R is powered by a 5.7L V8 engine, which is a 5.0L engine improved by the folks from Harrop Engineering, producing 215kW of power and 475Nm of torque while mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and a Hydratrak LSD.
In terms of design, the GTS-R features three-spoke wheels finished in charcoal, rear wing inspired from its V8 Supercar racing machine, carbon-fiber panels, yellow cloth inserts in the interior, and only one exterior color offered in this car: XU-3 Yellah.
With the quick explanation done and since I'm on my well-deserved break from Festival activities, time to take the GTS-R for a little street scene to see what's like to drive one of the rarest Aussie beasts ever existed.
The recent Forza Horizon 4 series update pays tribute to Holden, the Australian carmaker that is set to be disappeared at the end of the year following General Motors' decision to stop selling their cars in the right-hand drive market. The first one on the list is the HSV E Series 3 GTS.
The E Series 3 version of the VE Commodore-based HSV GTS is powered by a Corvette-derived 6.2L V8 engine producing 437hp of power and 405ft-lb of torque, while mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It can get through 0-60mph in under five seconds. The E Series 3 GTS features the same features as the E Series 2 but with added features such as Enhanced Driver Interface, Liquid Propane Injection, and Side Blind Zone Alert. It features the same look as the Series 2 but with a revised interior.
With the quick introduction done, let's give the E Series 3 GTS a quick roar on the meadows to see what's like living with an Aussie great.
In the history of Australian motoring, Ford introduced the world's first coupe utility in the year 1934, ten years after Ford Australia was established. In 2017, the Holden VF Commodore Ute will go down in history as the last Australian ute hero as the upside-down country reaches the end of the era for vehicle production this Autumn. Much to the dismay, I am giving one last go with the last of the Aussie V8 utes before saying goodbye to the coupe utility that was made for all work, all play.
Seen here is the craziest Holden VF Commodore Ute of all, the HSV Maloo GTS, which is powered by the same supercharged V8 as the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. I know that I have driven this before since the start of the Horizon Australia journey but why am I driving it again?
Although I occasionally drive the car that started my road to make the festival famous, I have some deep thoughts about this hot version of the VF Ute because as car manufacturing in Australia is coming to a complete and bittersweet end, this rolling thunder will surely be missed because there was never been a ute that is more enjoyable as this.
We have all seen Holden Utes in history doing a lot of things. It attracted a lot of dogs more than other utes in Australia, it created a storm, and it changed through times, the Holden Ute has been at the forefront of every Australian country folk who wants something that is all work, all play, something that the Australian Ford Falcon Ute has done over and over.
Even in this limited-edition GTS Maloo, with its 6.2L Supercharged LSA V8 engine producing 430kW of power and 740Nm of torque, it's hard to fathom that there was never been a coupe utility that has the beating heart of an American muscle car and satisfies the cravings of real Aussie men who think that all work, no play, made them dull. Sure, Aussie men took them to do some full-time jobs but on their day-offs, they've been used for tailgating, hooning, car meets, annoying the cops on a Saturday night, even driving through every man's points of interest like a beerhouse, a gym, a shooting range, anywhere an Aussie man desired to go. That's what the ute is made for, doing the most out of every bloke's desires.
Recalling my experience with the Maloo, I wouldn't realize that a ute like this, it behaves like a muscle car. Very dynamic, very challenging to handle, and it takes guts to get things right but because this is Australia, the Maloo feels at home with its rolling thunder that brings smiles to anyone who drives it while this is basically a challenging car to drive, you can get used to its looks, its behavior, and its Australian heritage, and if you are getting addicted to it, you'll be sure that the Maloo became your favorite Australian muscle car from the very start and you prefer this one more than high-performance European saloons, American muscle cars, and Japanese street cars.
To give a little thank you card to the last Australian ute hero, time to give the Maloo the sendoff it so truly deserved...
Don't get me the idea why I made this but it truly brings out the ute's character to it because a ute isn't just a vehicle, it's a lifestyle because when they took it for a spin, they can go to any action-packed outdoorsy stuff they can run about but unlike the crossover, an Aussie V8 ute is a lot more enjoyable to drive. Life couldn't get even more fun especially when you're Australian living life to the fullest.
Anyway, since the Maloo is one of the starter cars of Forza Horizon 3, I've called on some of the other starter cars for a battle across Byron Bay. This is where we separate the rookies from the debutantes and looks like the Maloo is ready to deliver the final blow a ute like this truly deserves to the world.
Ready? Let's get rolling!
What a way to say goodbye to the last Australian ute hero, the Holden VF Commodore Ute, in the HSV Maloo GTS guise. The ute has been part of the Australian car culture since Ford introduced it and with General Motors Holden the last to have one, the coupe utility will surely be missed, along with the Aussie V8 power in it. How tragic for the Australians to say goodbye to the ute and the V8 engine along with it but even when the Aussies stopped making those, rest assured that they will always be one of the beating hearts of Aussie motoring.
Goodbye to the great Aussie ute and goodbye to Aussie V8s. They will be sorely missed.
HSV's w427 is a special-edition model based on the E Series lineup made by Holden Special Vehicles. It was launched in 2008 in celebration of the company's 20th anniversary. It was based on the HSV GTS but it has the 7.0L LS7 V8 engine lifted from the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. This produces 375kW of power and 640Nm of torque.
The naming is somewhat a combination of factors; W refers to Tom Walkinshaw and thr 427 refers to the engine capacity in cubic inches but it was a tribute to the HRT 427C, which won the 2002 and 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour.
Even when production of the w427 was ended and even when Top Gear Australia was axed for good, they're still one of the most fondest memories only a Top Gear Australia fan would love.
Students of Top Gear will remember this as the HSV Maloo R8 but this one's a little bit different from the one Top Gear fans saw because this one now is sold in Britain as a Vauxhall.
The Maloo naming is Aborigine for thunder but HSV's former managing director, John Crennan, said they coined the naming from a book of Aborigine places. Strictly speaking because it was made in the country that hadn't signed up to the Kyoto treaty, this isn't a pickup truck, it's a ute. It was the world's fastest ute ever made, with a top speed of 168mph. It lapped an impressive 1:27.1 round the Top Gear Test Track, on par with the Aston Martin DB9.
What's a ute? With thanks to Richard Hammond from Top Gear, it started out in the 1930's when a farmer's wife wrote to Ford Australia complaining that there was no car that can take her to the church on Sunday and the pigs to the market on the Monday. The answer was the ute and the Aussies have worshiped those ever since.
For the first time, the HSV Maloo R8 has arrived in the United Kingdom as a Vauxhall Maloo VXR and it's essentially based on the E Series 3 version of the Maloo R8. You now have a two-seater ute that features a unique shockwave grille on the front, daytime running lamps, quad exhaust outlets, remote locking hard tonneau with alarm protection, cargo bay liner and lamp, rear park assist, E3 sports alloys, and the Enhanced Driver Interface that was last seen on the latest version of Top Gear's favorite muscle cars, the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS.
Under the hood lies a 6.2 litre LS3 Generation 4 Alloy V8, the engine that once powered the Chevrolet Corvette. It produces 425bhp of power and 405lb-ft of torque. It would go 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds and top speed limited to 155mph. Combined fuel economy is 21mpg and CO2 emissions is 320g/km. It is mated with a 6-speed manual transmission.
You might think that this is just a piece of farm machine with a big engine on it, drag racing is all it can do. Not so because the Maloo loves corners thanks to its incredible traction, sportscar poise, a limited slip differential, and tuned suspension. However, the Maloo can be carried away and adding weight on the back doesn't work that well either.
My Comment:
This is the first time the Maloo has finally landed on the United Kingdom where it was sold now as a Vauxhall. Since it's encounter at Top Gear, we were very sure that the Maloo is the kind of Aussie muscle that definitely give us a laugh and it's here in the UK and it's available at selected Vauxhall dealerships rather than specialist importers. We like the Performance, Ride, Handling, and the safety features (perhaps this was governed by an electronic nanny). What I really don't like was the fuel economy but it doesn't matter. The Maloo is one heck of a party crasher and this Aussie muscle really made the rain transformed. Imagine that..."I am lightning, the rain transformed"
Some say, we saw this car on Top Gear's original video called "Top Gear at the Movies" where it overtook the Ford Mustang Boss 302. Some say, we last seen this one on the internet when The Stig blown up the caravan in celebration of BBC Top Gear's 10 million Facebook likes. All we know is...wait, what? Why are we doing this?
Outta my way, Germans!
Oh, now I see the point. The February ALMS Pack, now on sale, for Forza Motorsport 4, featured the latest version of the Commodore-based GTS saloon car from Holden Special Vehicles (HSV). Like other European 4-door sports cars like the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, the HSV GTS is the kind of saloon that you would probably go bonkers. That car was made from the country that hadn't signed up to the Kyoto Protocol. Take note that the latest version of the HSV GTS is sold in United Kingdom as the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS and it was featured at the Top Gear original video titled "Top Gear at the Movies" where Richard Hammond imagines what if Bullitt had to be remade. Surely, the Boss 302 Mustang is a lot faster but when the VXR8 GTS overtook the Boss 302 after a spinout, the VXR8 GTS stayed ahead to the very end.
"If Bullitt had to be remade, Steve McQueen will be driving a Vauxhall" - Richard Hammond, Top Gear
A peek inside the HSV GTS
You should know that this car is sold in Britain as a Vauxhall VXR8 GTS
Another fast fact that the 2011 HE HSV E3 GTS won last year's Fleet World MPG Marathon where it scored a fuel consumption of 11.4km/L (32.14 MPG UK), a 53% improvement to the factory-rated fuel consumption of 7.4km/L (21.0 MPG UK). Bear that in mind that in real life, a driver's habit is the key to a better fuel economy rather than focusing on the factory-derived fuel economy, especially the EPA rating or the JC08 mode test cycle. But that's not we're talking about. When I tried this car on Forza Motorsport 4, I am very impressed about the sound of the 6.2L V8 derived from the Corvette. That 4-door executive saloon car has the noise of the American muscle car! Oh, thanks General Motors.
It's a spindle grille! That's what matters...
This car drove me mental because the HSV GTS is completely insane on the corners and you'll have much chances of getting yourself thrown out unless you fit this car with the right performance parts in terms of handling. I once bought a suspension part and I made it stiffer. Also, I bought some anti-roll bars and some Sport Weight Reduction. My HSV GTS lapped the Top Gear Test Track in 1:25.9. I was on par with the BMW Z4 M's lap time from the show but no matter. This car is a great value because while the BMW M5 F10 costs 90,000 CR while the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG costs 100,000 CR, the HSV GTS cost about 65,000 CR! Outta my way, Germans!
If you were the 10 millionth Facebook fan of BBC's Top Gear, this car is for you because The Stig drove it while blowing up the caravan with some explosions.
You might think that hybrids and diesels always win the Fleet World MPG Marathon, but chances are that you are wrong. On the Fleet World MPG Marathon, the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS emerged as the champion on this kind of fuel consumption battle.
R U KIDDING ME? Owws? Hindi Nga?!
The Vauxhall VXR8 GTS, British version of the HSV GTS, emerged victorious on the two-day, 350 mile fuel consumption battle but how? This Vauxhall VXR8 GTS was driven by Top Gear online editor, Chris Mooney, along with Vauxhall archivist and eco-driving expert, Andrew Duerden.
The VXR8 GTS's fuel consumption is 7.4km/L (21.0 MPG UK) but Mooney managed to improve it even further by 53%, resulting to 11.4km/L (32.14 MPG UK)!
Looks like there is a lesson learned that fuel economy is not relied on the car itself but for the driver himself that makes the difference, whichever comes first...
After its hiatus a few years ago, the super saloon that was designed and engineered in Australia, the Vauxhall VXR8, is back and the latest VXR8 minor change came with a new name called VXR8 GTS. The Vauxhall VXR8 is the Great Britain version of Holden's HSV E-Series based on the Commodore sports sedan. Australia's HSV E-Series 3 Clubsport is sold as Great Britain's Vauxhall VXR8 GTS. The main disappointment is the pricing because of the currency rates. The pre-facelifted VXR8 used to be priced by about 35,105 British Pounds Sterling but because of the British Pound Sterling's weak currency rates against the Australian dollar, the new Vauxhall VXR8 GTS priced to an expensive 49,550 British Pounds Sterling but the optional automatic transmission adds 1,700 Pounds to the pricing. Despite the ultra expensive pricing, it's still much more affordable than the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, BMW M5, Cadillac CTS-V sedan, or even the Jaguar XFR.
In terms of design, the new Vauxhall VXR8 GTS looks abruptly impressive because of its new face that scares the competition away. This minor change sounds convincing and the interior is considered to be "premium amenity" in the eyes of a London getaway driver. The VXR8 GTS features Enhanced Driver Interface that allows the driver to check the VXR8 GTS's status such as lap times, performance stats, friction check, suspension check, body acceleration, tires, and so on. The EDI can also be added with the optional Side Blind Zone Alert for added safety on unexpected blind spots.
2011 Vauxhall VXR8 GTS interior
The VXR8 GTS is powered with the 6.2 LS3 V8 engine sourced from the Chevrolet Corvette C6 that releases a power output of 431PS/6000rpm, torque output of 550Nm/4600rpm and it comes with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Vauxhall VXR8 GTS 6MT grade can accumulate 0-100kph in 4.9 seconds and fuel economy of 7.4km/L in a combined figure while the VXR8 GTS 6AT grade can achieve 0-100kph in 5 seconds and fuel economy of 7.3km/L in combined figure. The new VXR8 GTS comes with the all new Magnetic Ride Control suspension system that digitally controls the suspension system within various situations like for instance; the mountain passes or circuit corners. With various settings the VXR8 GTS is born to slice through different corners like you have never seen in a sports sedan. The fun feature on the VXR8 GTS 6MT grade is the launch control feature. If turned on, the VXR8 GTS starts from standstill to its full potential. This is great when you want to take the lead at the first lap.
The new Vauxhall VXR8 GTS is available in ten exterior colors ranging from Heron White, Sting Red, Hazard Yellow, Nitrate Silver, Phantom Black, Alto Grey, Voodoo, Karma, Sizzle, and Poison Ivy.
My comment:
Despite its heavy pricing because of the weak Pound Sterling against the OZ dollar, the minor change VXR8 seems to be getting a full respect to the VXR fans across the Great Britain. With the new name, VXR8 GTS, this high-performance super saloon picks it up where its pre-MC model left off after its two year hiatus to the Vauxhall lineup. Seems like the new Vauxhall VXR8 GTS wants to relieve the glory of being Britain's V8 super sedan which has the striking familiarity of the Lotus Carlton, a Vauxhall Carlton modified by Lotus. Come to think of it, this minor change is one heck of a masterpiece only a true Brit can ever salivated for it.
