2017 Holden HSV GTSR On Racetrack With 635HP – Video

We knew that the Australian auto industry would look a lot different in a few years. The next-gen Holden Insignia has already been shown off in its Opel guise, and while it is not a bad looking car, it doesn’t hold a candle to the badass RWD cars that preceded it. GM and Ford have both decided to end production in Australia, which is bad news for the awesome Holden models that Americans know better as the Chevy SS. Luckily, HSV, Holden’s performance tuning division, has decided to release three amazing new models as part of its final hoorah.

The flagship model is the GTSR W1, pictured in orange. This incredible sedan is powered by a 6.2-liter LS9 supercharged V8 that once powered the C6 Corvette ZR1. This sedan packs 635 hp and 601 lb-ft of torque, which goes out to the rear through a six-speed manual. The available colors include Heron White, Nitrate Grey, Sting Red, Light My Fire Orange, Slipstream Blue, Spitfire Green, Son Of A Gun Grey, Regal Peacock Green, and Phantom Black. Only 300 units will be built of the GTSR W1, all of which will be manual transmission only. There will also be a less extreme GTSR model which comes with the 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V8 from the previous-generation Camaro ZL1.

 

 

The LSA packs 583 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque, which is certainly nothing to scoff at. The GTSR will be available with a six-speed manual as well as a six-speed automatic, and can even be ordered in the Ute body style. The W1 comes with a unique SupaShock damping system, which is similar to Commodore racecars, while standard tech features include Magnetic Ride Control, AP Racing Brakes, 20-inch wheels, and Pierlli P Zero Trofeo R tires. These final HSV models really show how much we will miss the Australian muscle car. The Chevy SS is the only Australian car that is on sale in the US, and its 415 HP V8 seems tame by comparison.

We wish that HSV would bring some of these new models to the US before it stops producing them all together. HSV will also give updates to its other models like the GTS sedan, ClubSport R8 sedan, ClubSport R8 Tourer wagon, Maloo R8 ute and Senator Signature sedan in the form of more power and torque vectoring. These changes all coincide with HSV’s 30th anniversary of awesome cars.