HSV Expects To Sell 400 GTO Coupes This Years

[JoeT]

HSV Expects To Sell 400 GTO Coupes This Year

Paul Gover
03 March 2006
www.carsguide.com.au

The last Holden Monaro has gone, but it is not the end for the Commodore coupe.

Holden Special Vehicles says it will build its Monaro-based models until the end of the year and expects to deliver as many as 400 cars before it ends the coupe project.

It also hopes to ship as many as 100 cars to Vauxhall in Britain.

None will be priced as high as the last Monaro, which sold for $187,000 in an eBay auction.

HSV plans something extra for the final GTO coupes.

"We have the one model, but we will do some interesting limited-edition runs between here and the year's end. We'll add to the historic nature of our final build," HSV chairman John Crennan says.

"We will run it right through to the end of the year. We'll probably build the last cars about October, but with the build-up of stock we'll be looking to retail the car right through to the end of the year."

The HSV GTO has survived the Monaro cull because its six-litre V8 engine was certified for the latest Euro 3 emission regulations, which came into effect in Australia at the start of January.

"It was pretty good that we got the LS2 V8. It was more good luck than good fortune that we got it, because we were not planning on the end of the donor vehicle from Holden," Crennan says.
"The calibration for the six-litre engine didn't require conversion to meet the new regulations. That would have been a massive investment."

Crennan says HSV has done well with its coupe, though it is back to the single model after previous runs with the GTS and Coupe 4.

"We have built, so far, only five cars off 3000 coupes. We have done 2995 cars and we're looking to build and sell another 400 this year.

"So we'll be close to 3500 in total. That includes the Coupe 4 and some GTS versions. So it's been a very significant model for us."

Crennan says it's too early to talk about plans for the final HSV coupe, but admits the GTO will be tickled several times this year.

"There will be some price variations. But, essentially, the price today of $78,990 will be held."

HSV is also supplying cars to Vauxhall in Britain for its high-performance VXR division, though the plan for the coupe is still being completed.

"We are just waiting for their final build-out requirements. It may be another 100 cars."

Crennan says the overall HSV business is running strongly despite the downturn in Commodore sales.

"It is pretty much the same as last year, so 4000 cars. The ClubSport represents nearly 50 per cent of our volume, but Maloo has been terrific as well, and we'll do roughly 500 of those."

[asim]

I heard that the last cars will have the 7.0L LS7 from the Corvette...but I doubt that they will ship the engine to australia...

[kenman923]

Will they be dubbed "collector's editions"?

[johnny smallblock]

Originally Posted by kenman923

Will they be dubbed "collector's editions"?

If they have the 7 liter then they won't have to.

[JoeT]

GTO Turns Heads

Chris Riley
13 April 2006
www.carsguide.com.au

About the only thing you need to know about this car is that it's guaranteed to turn every head in the street.

That's before you even fire up the 6.0-litre V8.

Bearing in mind that it's one of 100 limited edition HSV GTOs and one of just 25 red ones (the ones that go faster), we can't say that we're surprised.

The GTO LE (ours was number 81) could be the last hurrah for the coupe which is not part of the new VE Commodore lineup due for launch later this year.

Holden is still exporting the GTO to the States which guarantees supply for a while, but for how long is anyone's guess.

According to HSV, production will continue in a "limited fashion" in 2006.

"This is possible because the HSV Coupe shares certain powertrain components with the export Pontiac GTO for the US Market," it says.

After the run of special editions is finished, HSV's Paul McDonnell said production will return to normal, but stumps have been called for August.

There's already talk of a new Monaro and of course that means a coupe from HSV to go with it, but even if there is – it's not likely to be a ridgey-didge Commodore based one.
"That's the end of the model," McDonnell said. "The HSV GTO is effectively the last Aussie coupe."

We spent the weekend in the HSV GTO LE only to find ourselves the centre of attention wherever we went.

It's an accolade that soon wears thin, especially when every man and his dog wants to race.

As an owner you'd also grow paranoid pretty quickly about parking the thing anywhere – but it's all part of the fun.

As well as the you-beaut red paint job with white accents, our GTO LE came with matching red Indiana leather trim, enough to put any self-respecting Alfa to shame.

There's also a discreet roof spoiler over the rear window instead of the usual boot mounted job, stainless steel dual exhaust system with quad tail pipes and the car sits on spectacular 19-inch 10- spoke alloys with ultra low profile 35 series rubber.

This car just oozes machismo.

Inside, you get Bluetooth and premium dash highlights as part of the package.

Brakes, meanwhile, have been upgraded to an AP Racing 4 Piston Premium System, with adjustable APS suspension system optional – front discs are 343mm are rear are 315mm.

Just to cap things off our car came with the Victorian number plates "LSTWO".

Power comes from HSV's 297kW LS2 V8.

The 6.0 litre LS2 is a lift from the American Corvette and produces 297kW of power at 6000rpm and maximum torque of 530Nm at 4400rpm.

Fitted with a Tremec six-speed manual transmission, it accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds.

That said, it didn't feel anywhere near as quick as the Senator we drove recently which in auto form is good for 5.1 seconds.

A four-speed auto is also available.

Like the Senator, it will spin the wheels going from first to second gear, regardless of whether traction control is turned on or off.

For such a large engine fuel consumption during testing came in at a respectable 13.8L/100km, with plenty of freeway cruising thrown in – but it will chew through the juice as quickly as you want to go.

Our passengers were surprised to find the coupe seats four, not five, people – so it's worth reiterating.

For night driving we found the standard lights even with the fogs turned on lack lustre and would have liked to have seen xenon lamps part of the package.

The optional sunroof fitted to our test car restricts headroom and the 260 watt Blaupunkt 10-speaker sound system is a bit ordinary when it comes to handling the low notes.

The HSV GTO LE is priced from $83,990.

HSV's limited edition GTO has incredible street presence

[Slick_Holden]

The best way to send this car out with HSV is with the GTS name.
Even if it hasn't got the 7LT, tweak the LS2 a touch give it the VE power.

[BBDOS CV8]

All the coupe shells are finished - the auto-trim company who supply the inside door trims have now finished doing so as OEM and are now producing them as spare parts according to someone I know who works there. VE power? HSVs VE are getting the same LS2 as the current cars with 297kw/400hp.

GM gave Holden a truckload of non-production Corvette C5R Le Mans racing engines which Holden used for the Nations Cup Monaros and were to be used in the HSV 427, so I don't see why Holden wouldn't be given the LS7, given it is a production engine. The 'special' last HSV coupe has not been officially confirmed, but deposits have been paid on them. Should hear something soon.

[Slick_Holden]

So what do you think it's last name should be.
GTO or GTS ? Or HRT-427

[JoeT]

It has to be GTS. No other name will do.