Review: HSV HRT Clubsport Limited Edition

[JoeT]

HSV HRT Clubsport Limited Edition

Joshua Dowling
24 April 2006
www.smh.com.au

Be quick, sport, or you will miss out.

Trivia: Holden Special Vehicles has released two limited edition models to commemorate the end of the current Clubsport range - the Holden Racing Team edition (red with white stripes) and the Toll Dealer Team edition (black with orange stripes). Only 50 of each will be made.

HSV says: "From the first day HSV opened its doors for business, motor racing has been intricately woven into the very fabric of the company's existence."

What they mean: We own the race team and we own Holden Special Vehicles. So we've given the last batch of Clubsports the racing treatment before an all-new model arrives late in the year.

Who's buying it: Holden enthusiasts who want a true collector's item.

Why you'd buy it: This is the first HRT Clubsport series and each car is numbered from one to 50. The next generation Clubsport is likely to be heavier, so the current model will hold its own in the performance stakes.

Why you wouldn't: Not everyone is a fan of the white wheels and the white flash down the sides, both of which are a nod to the race team livery. The race tyres are super adhesive but have a shorter life than conventional tyres.

Standard equipment: The HRT edition starts life as a Clubsport but gets the high-performance R8 brakes and suspension. Cloth seats are standard. Safety gear includes dual air bags and side air bags, anti-lock brakes, traction control and really sticky Pirelli semi-slick tyres (designed for amateur track day use). Also, being an HSV, it comes with a fire extinguisher in the boot. A nice touch.

Engine: The LS2, 6.0-litre, V8 engine sourced from the Corvette remains untouched but it still has a healthy 297 kilowatts of power and 530Nm of torque. This is a gem of an engine with a broad power band. It is surprisingly economical on the open road (you can average 9 to 10 litres per 100 kilometres if you take it easy). It sounds like a powerhouse but is not as crisp-sounding or as loud as the Ford GT's exhaust.

Transmission: Six-speed manual only with this model.

Handling: The better suspension and sticky tyres make the HRT Clubsport a nice package for those who enjoy driving. The 18-inch wheels and tyres mean it doesn't jolt as much over sharp bumps as it would with the 19-inch rubber that the Clubsport is usually fitted with. The Pirelli Corsa tyres are only slightly noisier than regular tyres. Worth the compromise for the extra grip.

Brakes: The HRT edition gets four-piston AP Racing brakes. Good pedal feel, little to no fade. These brakes are good, but for some reason HSV left the best ones as options, the six-piston AP Racing brakes. Given that Ford has gone to six-piston front callipers, one wonders why HSV didn't go the whole way with this special model.

Quality: No complaints.

Warranty: Three years/100,000 kilometres; the industry average.

Audio: Below average sound from AM/FM radio, with six-disc in-dash CD player. I wish HSV could tune the sound system as well as it tunes the rest of the car.

Cost: The HRT Clubsport is $65,790, an increase of $3200 over a regular Clubsport. If you want one, be quick. HSV has just finished building these cars and almost half are already sold. The black Dealer Team cars are being built now and half of those are sold, too.

Verdict: The HSV Clubsport bows out in style.

$1.00 Aust = $0.74 US 24/04/06

[Gm786]

Nice nice car!

[Martino_z]

very, very old news for this to just get onto the ticker. Anyhow didnt know some of those details and stats so thanks. They seem to be pretty sweet cars and it'd be a shame if they didn't get some track time... Well some of them anyway.

[JoeT]

Originally Posted by Martino_z

very, very old news for this to just get onto the ticker.

The only related thread to the HSV HRT Clubsport Limited Edition was on its impending release.
This is a new review released a month and a half months later.

I like the Mark Skaife Senator the best. I think the Senator & Coupe4 are the classiest looking HSV's.

[BigAls87Z28]

Or, you can get a GTO with the Sport Package, and save 20k.

[mikmak]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Or, you can get a GTO with the Sport Package, and save 20k.

I didn't realise that the GTO runs the LS2 in the US. When did that happen? Also the rigidity and weight of the Clubsport is superior to the GTO/Coupe.

[BigAls87Z28]

LS2 came in the 2005MY car along with the larger brakes and dual side exhaust....oh yeah, and the hood scoops.

[Gm786]

Still good looking though.

[FPV GTHO]

Not much of a review, but it is from a paper and not a magazine

[BBDOS CV8]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Or, you can get a GTO with the Sport Package, and save 20k.

Yeah, Big Al, but there's more to a HSV GTO than just an LS2.....

Besides, if the Oz dollar was still worth 50c US as it was when GM did the deal for Pontiacs in 2002 and not 74c, you'd find it a lot closer on prices.

And I don't know if I'd agree about the rigidity of the 4-door shell vs. the 2-door esp. after 2003 when it was redesigned. Weight, yes compared to Clubsport which is based on Berlina - due to extra stuff in the coupe, but compared to a V8 Calais with the same equipment level they're the same or slightly lighter.

[Stormin]

Originally Posted by mikmak

Also the rigidity and weight of the Clubsport is superior to the GTO/Coupe.

I always thought a two door was more rigid than it's 4 door counterpart. Certainly was when I owned my Torana in the old days. Only if it's a pillarless version does the rigidity drop away, as in earlier Monaros.

[FPV GTHO]

It would depend on each individual car/model. For instance, the Mazda 6 sedan is stiffer than the 5dr hatch, which is why the 6 MPS is only coming in 4dr

[Stormin]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

It would depend on each individual car/model. For instance, the Mazda 6 sedan is stiffer than the 5dr hatch, which is why the 6 MPS is only coming in 4dr

Forgot about hatches. Any hatch (almost by definition) would be less rigid than an equivalent sedan.

[FPV GTHO]

Im sure its close enough that a rear strut brace can solve the problem, ala 350Z

[mikmak]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

Im sure its close enough that a rear strut brace can solve the problem, ala 350Z

For a hatch yes, but the coupe doesn't have the rigidity afforded by a shorter boot line and C pillar reinforcement where the door meets the body. Just a long flexible panel running from front door to rear wheel arch. Didn't know about the strengthening in 2003 though.