First Drive: HSV W427 - Australia's Most Powerful Performance Vehicle Yet!

[JoeT]

First Drive: HSV Launches Lighty New Flagship

David Hassall
22 July 2008
www.goauto.com.au

HSV's wicked W427 finally races in and shows itself to be an everyday supercar.

Holden Special Vehicles this week officially launched its new flagship model – the 7.0-litre W427 that first appeared at the Melbourne motor show in March – and announced a final price of $155,500 (including the increased luxury car tax).

Customer car production started at HSV’s new dedicated W427 assembly area in Melbourne on Monday as the media launch commenced at and around Calder Raceway with a handful of pre-production cars.

As we reported last month, production will be limited to 427 units over the next two years or so and the initial batch of 90 – determined by the availability of the LS7 engine from Detroit – will be finished by the end of this year.

HSV managing director Scott Grant said that the first 90 orders were processed with $10,000 deposits in the past three weeks, so the first batch is a sell-out.

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HSV W427 – First Drive Of Australia’s Most Powerful Car Yet

Toby Hagon
23 July 2008
www.drive.com.au

It’s been a long time coming, but at last we’ve jumped behind the wheel of the HSV W427, the most eagerly anticipated Australian-made car in years.

The W427’s 7.0-litre V8 engine is the standout for the Commodore-based performance vehicle. With 375kW of power and 640Nm of torque, the HSV W427 is the most powerful Australian-made car ever. Click here to learn about the W427 name.

Our initial taste test took place at Calder raceway on the outskirts of Melbourne. With a car capable of reaching 100km/h in 4.7 seconds it makes sense to put the W427 through its paces in a controlled environment.

From the minute you turn the key of the HSV W427 there’s a more notable rumble from the four exhausts, now tuned with a bi-modal muffler system that makes the exhaust more vocal during hard driving. It’s a not-so-subtle indication the W427 is a step up from the regular HSV brethren.

From a standstill the larger capacity of the W427’s engine – its 7.0 litres is more than 10 per cent larger than the 6.2 litres used on the rest of the HSV line-up – endows the large sedan with more effortless acceleration.

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HSV W427: A Species At The Apex

Joshua Dowling
26 July 2008
www.drive.com.au

The HSV W427, the fastest and most powerful Australian-made car ever, has arrived. Joshua Dowling drives it - and wonders whether it will be the last of its type.

As the world's car makers embrace cleaner and greener technology, Holden's performance division has released the fastest, thirstiest and most powerful Commodore of all time. And guess what? The first batch of 90 cars is sold out, despite the $155,500 price tag - more than double what was previously the most expensive Commodore.

Among its many achievements, the super sedan with a whopping 7.0-litre V8 also has the dubious honour of emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other locally made car - and even more than a Lamborghini Gallardo V10.

But before greenies start chaining themselves to the wheels and climate change advocates begin tut-tutting, it's worth noting the background to the car Holden Special Vehicles calls the W427, a name likely to be revered in Australian performance car history alongside the famed Ford Falcon GTHO of the 1970s.

Indeed, if the GTHO is the car that started Australia's love affair with muscle cars, the W427 could well become the last of the breed, for even HSV is busily working behind the scenes on a new generation of fast cars with improved environmental credentials.

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Drive.com.au Video - HSV W427 First Drive
CarsGuide.com.au Video - HSV W427 First Drive
HSV Announces Production W427 Details - $150,000 375kW/640Nm 7.0L LS7 Bruiser!

[prototype66]

I just wet myself

[tomcat_cool17]

Originally Posted by prototype66

I just wet myself

I was wondering when a comment like this would show up. Would be a fun car to drive for sure.

[Rick_VT]

is there a level above GXP over there?? now this would really help Pontiac be the sports car division.

[eb110americana]

GXP is currently the top trim for Pontiac, but it's only a recent addition. Before that we had the GTP Grand Prix, SSEi Bonneville, WS-6 Trans Am/Formula Firebird, and probably others I'm forgetting as well as many historical tags like SD and H.O.. As cool as that drivetrain is, no one would pay anywhere near $100K for a Pontiac. It could do 0-60 in 3 seconds, offer every option a luxury vehicle could package, lap the 'ring in 7:30 and they'd still rot on dealer lots if it had a Pontiac badge sitting next to the $150K price tag. Sad but true.

[Aych Es Vee]

still ugly .... DAMN IT.
I was hoping different colors would make it feel different.

[gopedxr7]

i like those gauges above the radio way better than the digital ones in the G8

Alan

[Baz]

It looks good but it's not unique enough all round to make it stand out overly from other HSV's. The interior is something that should have been redesigned specifically for the car, it's current one is identical to the Clubsport/GTS/Senator....

[Joe88]

There is something inadequate about those Drive.com.au reviews... for one, isn't Elfin counted as an Aus car maker...e.g 0-100 in around 4.4?.. and that's their figure anyway. It would be nice if he had a decent car show here... or at least Top Gear UK do more features on Aus cars.

[Baz]

We will have Top Gear Australia soon. Whether it will suck ass or not is another question.

[redTT]

Originally Posted by Joe88

There is something inadequate about those Drive.com.au reviews... for one, isn't Elfin counted as an Aus car maker...e.g 0-100 in around 4.4?.. and that's their figure anyway. It would be nice if he had a decent car show here... or at least Top Gear UK do more features on Aus cars.

Elfin and HSV are owned by the same company. The top of the line Elfin would be in the low or even sub 3 second 0-60 range.

I dont see why HSV just doesnt make their own LS9 or even a Twin Turbo LS3, why should the vette have the top of the live gadgets and engine? HSV never bothered to follow this rule before, why should they now? Come on HSV build us a 750hp lightweight supercar.



Mark Skaife as driver, this should be good.

[SpaceCowboy]

Considering the final buld of these cars is pretty labour intensive I guess the price is justified, but CSV will do a similar conversion with the same engine for you and I don't think it's quite as pricey, but it also doesn't have the same R&D testing that this does. In all I reckon it's a good thing, sure the bodykit makes it look a little tall and wide in the front, but at least they didn't just take a GTS and add/remove some body coloured bits.

Personally I prefer a minimalist kind of look so this is okay with me, not too extroverted, but then able to whip an M5 or E63 on the track. It would have been nice to keep the stripped out concept of the HRT427 Monaro but I guess this is a more useable, practical compromise.

[redimpss5]

Crikey!! I hope it's worth it!

[CaptainDan]

Looks to me like a lot of real nice parts that are going to bolt right into a G8.

[JoeT]

Originally Posted by SpaceCowboy

Considering the final buld of these cars is pretty labour intensive I guess the price is justified, but CSV will do a similar conversion with the same engine for you and I don't think it's quite as pricey, but it also doesn't have the same R&D testing that this does.

First LS7 Holden Commodore Unleashed: More Power Than The Z06!