HSV To Follow Holden With Hybrid Performance Vehicles?

[JoeT]

HSV To Go Hybrid?

Toby Hagon
15 June 2007
www.drive.com.au

Holden’s performance-car division could go green if its new boss has his way.

Australia’s favourite muscle cars could soon have a green tinge. The epitome of V8 performance machines – Holden Special Vehicles – has not ruled out a petrol-electric hybrid car in its future line-up as it works on expanding its model range.

HSV is now under the control of recently appointed managing director Scott Grant, formerly of Toyota and Lexus (the world’s biggest sellers of hybrid cars). Under Grant, the company has grand plans to expand its predominantly V8 line-up and explore opportunities with environmentally friendly performance alternatives.

‘‘Diesel, hybrids, fuel economy . . . who knows where all of that is going to go over time?’’ Grant told Drive on his first day on the job last month.

‘‘There are two schools of thought,’’ he says. ‘‘One is that we’re a V8-based niche market so we don’t need to be concerned about those sorts of global changes. So in that sense we may be immune.

‘‘[And] there’s another argument that says we need to consider what changes are occurring. Maybe in the future there will be an HSV product that is a very different offering to what we have today in terms of fuel economy and powertrain.’’

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Hybrid Hype

CarPoint Editor
4 November 2007
www.carpoint.com.au

At the recent E-Series Maloo R8 drive day, Scott Grant, Managing Director for HSV, happened to mention the 'HSV hybrids' story that figuratively pushed everything else off the front pages of Australia's automotive media a few months ago.

"I didn't actually say there'd be hybrids in our future. I think someone asked me words to the effect of when it might be possible and I said 'anything's possible'. I think that was then reported as 'everything's on the table'.

Simon Frost, HSV PR manager, followed up by saying "A [well-known media organisation] journalist took a liberty with that and then produced a graphic of a GTS with a power cord coming out of it."

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[tomcat_cool17]

Just as long as they are PERFORMANCE hybrids.

[BlueMontreal]

Originally Posted by JoeT

HSV To Go Hybrid?

Zeta based hybrid. Suddenly, this thread lost most of it's impact :

2008 Camaro: Dead on Arrival?

[GMusa]

This would be good for GM!.. But they need to do a performance hydrogen car!!

[Aych Es Vee]

Please god, dont let there be another V6 HSV unless its turboed or something....

Hybrid? yeah, fine, as long as the car sounds good and is still fast.




Hybrid REALLY takes away from the whole 'modern muscle' thing HSV are about....

[vt6banger]

hybrid + performance? no freakin way get rid of this guy now, is chevy doin hybrid corvette? not likely. whats he gonna do have the sound of a v8 piped to speakers near the exhaust to make it sound right LOL. he is from toycar, thats gotta be a warning sign right there. every1 get in an buy a HSV now before they become lawn bowls specials with a free cardigan!!!

[jbernie]

I made some comments in a previous thread about the dual mode hybrid system GM is developing. I really think it is something HSV should try and put in with its V8s.


The Grange & Senator are already at prices points where the extra cost won't be 50% of the vehicle cost and with those two being aimed at the corporate executive the boss can drive a hot fast car and be somewhat environmentally friendly at the same time.

It would also make their product more appealing to someone who might look at the long term costs of a v8 daily driver in city traffic who might otherwise have stayed say with a V6 Calais or Statesman, not necessarily the best example maybe, but the economics of owning such a car can be appealing.

[JoeT]

Hybrid's are something I think HSV should steer clear of... for now.
A Hybrid V6 powertrain should be offered across the entire Holden range as soon as possible.

[mikmak]

Scott Grant just lost all cred. ALL cred. Hybrid performance vehicles are not for HSV IMO. The performance Lexus, whilst great in a straight line, is a total appliance. If someone wants a hybrid, wait for Caddy to get here and offer them. HSV is not a Lexus competitor.

Please Mr. Grant (you ****ing ignorant wanker) do not multi task a specialist branch. Thats what makes Holden Special Vehicles special ya moron!

[Generation IV]

i completely agree with what mikmak said. HSV is not a hybrid specialty branch and should not be the first Aussie manufacturer to do this. If anything Holden should do this first to see how the market is and just to test out the cars, but HSV hybrids, not yet. A performance hybrid would be good, like a turbo or supercharged 6 with electric motor assistance would really go, and would probably sell pretty well. But a naturally aspirated 6 with electric motors does not sound HSV, Holden maybe, HSV, no. Something more than a V6 hybrid........maybe. A cool, high tech hybrid LS2 would be awesome. A hybrid standard 3.6L HFV6, is certainly not performance inspiring. Lets see some superchargers and turbos and what about an experimental V8 hybrid, very interesting. But maybe Holden should go first.

[fan]

Maybe a hybrid setup with AFM 6.2 liter engines would work. In day-to-day driving, the engine would run mostly on 4 cilinders providing good mileage. However the power would be there if needed.

[RWD60]

i don't think HSV should offer hybrids. now, if they want to make hybrids of the high-end Holdens that just so happen to be faster than many of the non-hybrid versions then go ahead, but they shouldn't be made marketed as HSV models.

it'd be like having hybrid Caddys sold as V-series, or BMW's as M's, Benz's as AMG, etc... two good ideas that shouldn't be mixed. yes these brands should have hybrids until we get something better, and the should ALWAYS have the hi-po line. but don't mix them unless/until we have to (due to goverment regulations or something like that).

[MonaroSS]

.

I'm all for a HSV Hybrid. Just as long as it's an electric motor added to the 2.9 TD with 185kW/550Nm. Add a 65kW/150Nm electric motor and then you're talking.

Hybrid TD: 250kW/700Nm

LS2 V8: 307kW/530Nm

With grunt like 700Nm, who needs a petrol V8. And it would get great FE as well.

[chrisbenz]

Originally Posted by vt6banger

hybrid + performance? no freakin way get rid of this guy now, is chevy doin hybrid corvette? not likely. whats he gonna do have the sound of a v8 piped to speakers near the exhaust to make it sound right LOL. he is from toycar, thats gotta be a warning sign right there. every1 get in an buy a HSV now before they become lawn bowls specials with a free cardigan!!!

Hybird Corvette. MPG 29 city/35 highway and 600 HP!!!!

[ogg vorbis]

a good ac motor adds instantaneous torque...regardless of rpm. it's just a matter of carrying the motor/inverter and battery...if it improves lb/hp, i'm for it.

as for a v6 turbo instead of a v8: garrett recently launched the GT6131 and GT6152 ball bearing turbos. they spool up incredibly fast even with a 3.6l v6, work with stock torque converters (very driveable), and are capable of 600+ hp. gn guys are running deep into the 10s on 93 octane and alcohol injection - no intercooler!

a v6 based on the ls v8 would already be a hairy chested 4.5L - 274 cu in for old school stage 2 buick guys. put a gt6152r on it, and it'll whoop everything on the road (save for the z07). and get 30 mpg it just needs a 6L80 behind it for strength and consistent shifts.