http://www.fquick.com/images/articles/13751.jpg

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.

OMG :thumbsup:

Hotness!!!

:hail:

YES :driving:

this is awsome

Rims are hideous

Rims are hideous


My thoughts exactly. But the rest of the car has very nice lines.

ZR1 will kill it

ZR1 will kill it

Obviously. But I'm pretty sure that the intended competition is uber sedans like the M5.

http://www.hsv.com.au/news/news.asp?ID=792

http://www.hsv.com.au/w427/

For $150K AUD, it should have the LS9. Either way, I like it.

Rims are hideous


That's about the 1st thing I noticed. WTF were they thinking?

The front looks like Audi's new shnoz.

Looks like my camera will be getting a serious workout at the motor show next week...

Looks like my camera will be getting a serious workout at the motor show next week...


Yes please take some pictures and share!

Where exactly will autoshow be held at in Melbourne?

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/gallery/w427/DSC_0144.JPG

Rims look better in this shot
http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/gallery/w427/DSC_0155.JPG

Yep, the wheels look better at an angle. From the first pick all you see is a gumby looking figure.

Wow!

I can't really say I like the front of it from that angle. Something about all the black in it throws it off for me. It does however look very very aggresive!

I don't understand the blanket fascination with lipless wheels. It seems like there are no wheels out there right now with a lip; what's the deal? Kinda bothers me. Besides the practical concern - it is much easier to scrape a rim when so much of it is sticking out there - what about the fact that so many of them look so awful?

Car looks great however that's pretty pricey unless that Australian dollars...? Anyways I love the look of those wheels. I would like GM to offer wheels like that. You guys think they're just too worried about bent rims?

ZR1 will kill it

ZR1 is also less practical.....

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/gallery/w427/DSC_0144.JPG

Looks like a concept for the movie "Transformers"
I'm with LS2GTO on this one, from this angle, it ain't pretty.

Russ

Aussie dollars. You can tell where they compare it in price to the other models.

That's about the 1st thing I noticed. WTF were they thinking?

They weren't mate.
Goes to show that even the boys at HSV can "F" something up if they really put their minds to it.

ZR1 will kill it

So will a Ferrari F-430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Maserati, Porsche GT2 & Yamaha R1....what's your point?
ZR1 is a two seater sports car. This is a 4 door family saloon with a boot (trunk) big enough to put you and your family in.
Different ball game, ridiculous comparison.

So will a Ferrari F-430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Maserati, Porsche GT2 & Yamaha R1....what's your point?
ZR1 is a two seater sports car. This is a 4 door family saloon with a boot (trunk) big enough to put you and your family in.
Different ball game, ridiculous comparison.

No ****. Thats kind of the point.

You all miss the "427 Rat Motor" connection to the special 427 'vette. Commemorating the 43rd (?) anniversary of the 427 Rat's debut in Junior Johnson's NASCAR stocker that turned in a phenomenal 166 mph at Daytona in 1963, Chevy punched out a LS2 to create the LS7 for the 2006 ZO6, a small block version of the legendary big-block 427 some of us grew up on. 427 StingRays were HOT! This began the displacement wars and eventually over 200mph in true "stock" cars

Maybe they ought to bring back the "true" Pontiac engine, intermediate between small and big blocks and unique to Pontiac. 428 H.O., Super Duty 455, experimental 427 Hemi SOHC.

I like everything about it....except the price and the fact that we won't see anything on our shores that's similar.

Car looks great however that's pretty pricey unless that Australian dollars...?

AU$150,000 = US$140,500 @ current exchange rates (.9366 AU/USD). Still *****en expensive!

You guys will be able to buy G8 GT's for around US$33,000 right? The equivelant Calais V8 here in aus costs about AU$50,000! I might move to the US!

AU$150,000 = US$140,500 @ current exchange rates (.9366 AU/USD). Still *****en expensive!

You guys will be able to buy G8 GT's for around US$33,000 right? The equivelant Calais V8 here in aus costs about AU$50,000! I might move to the US!

We'll take you to one of the most American of restaurants when you get here - OUTBACK :gr_jest:

We'll take you to one of the most American of restaurants when you get here - OUTBACK :gr_jest:

the entire kitchen better be filled with BBQ's!!

we can't talk though, there's "Charlies" (Chaplin) and "Liberty Diner" just in Adelaide alone, not to mention all the HJ's (Burger King) are all decked out in 50's James Dean and Marilyn Monroe posters, old US number plates and car posters. complete with lots of red and black & white checkers everywhere.

How patriotic are we!?

Talk about funny. The first time someone posted a pic with a Hungry Jack's in it, I thought it looked like Burger King's we have here. But, I couldn't shake the image of Hungry Jack in America. That company makes biscuits & pancakes....that you cook at home. :gr_jest:

Hungry, Hungry Jack, you swallow 'em down and the plate comes back for Hungry Jack!

Here are my show photos:

It looks much better in the flesh.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/isszy/100_6138.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/isszy/100_6139.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/isszy/100_6140.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/isszy/100_6141.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/isszy/100_6142.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/isszy/100_6143.jpg

Why so much for a car with a detuned LS7? I know the hand built LS7 cost around $15,000 but wow that's a lot of money for a car that cost almost twice as much as a BMW M5. I wouldn't mind a G8 with that engine but I will be tuning it for more like how they did with the LS2 pushing 414HP instead of 400HP.