Forza Horizon 3: Last Australian Ute Hero

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.

Vauxhall Maloo VXR

2012 Vauxhall Maloo VXR

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"