After rumors and even spy photos of a hardcore Holden VF Commodore coming to Australia, Carsguide.au seems to have the scoop.
Found on Jalopnik, the four-door road missile is apparently to be called the HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) GTS, and will send 575 horsepower to the rear wheels thanks to a supercharged 6.2L LSA V8 engine (found in the Cadillac CTS-V, Chevy Camaro ZL1) coupled with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Word has it that such a vehicle isn’t currently planned for the U.S. market as some up-level version of the Chevrolet SS.
It’s also said that the Zeta-based GTS will feature torque vectoring, which will transfer power to the outside rear tire during cornering, increasing the car’s handling abilities. Yum. And to help compensate for the extra weight of a supercharged motor, the HSV GTS will reportedly use more aluminum.
Comments
This is just my jealousy speaking, but why do the Aussies always seem to get the coolest GM performance stuff?
@Marc but they don’t get the Camaro or Corvette. Also, stay tuned for some Ute/El Camino news for North America (within the next hour).
I could be wrong, but I don’t think emissions are a huge concern downunda. I’m sure @holden4life can shed some light.
They are for consumers buying normal cars but HSV customers don’t care. Holden Commodore has had declining sales figures for a decade and more recently fell from No.1 (there for 15 years) to No.6 as the VE became too old.
If you have the money buy an SS sedan and do a LSA transplant.
someone wealthy will certainly play doctor with the SS.
Could make for a nice limited edition for the SS next year.
Nice send off for the Zeta.
This is the car I expected the SS to be.
andrew,
emissions are not the issue, aus do not have cafe rules, our gov prefers to bend us over at the gas pump instead, if your willing to pay the gas tax this will burn, go for it.
todays price in melb $1.30lt for 91 ron (around $5.30 us gallon) expecting a price hike in the next few days to around 1.45lt ($5.90 us gallon)
th premium stuff this will use is close to $7.00 gallon us.
I’m in Canada, I feel you at the pump. Filled up yesterday at the US gal equivalent of $4.75/US Gal
And we have the damn oil! Well, about 25% what’s left in the Earth, with a possibility of up to 40%.
Emissions/CAFE is what I was referring to, Canada has similar regulations as the US, but from the little I know that bureaucracy, CAFE standards and the consumer are, more or less, indirectly affecting one another. Sure the auto companies need to sink money into R&D for new fuel efficient technologies and alternative power sources, and that money they use comes from sales (ie the consumer), but it isn’t like we actually see that on the bill of sale at the dealership.
Where as gas is high in AUS and Canada because of the government taxing it. The Can Federal Goverment taxes everyone equally at 10%, provinces vary their tax from 9-21%, then there are cities that charge local taxes on gas, then add typical sales tax of 5-15% (again, depends on province).
I’ll speak for Ontario since that’s the province I’m in, which is the heart of the country and basically the cash cow for the country (we support the weaker provinces). 40% of what I pay at the pump is direct taxes.
At the same time, without those taxes, and our higher (in comparison to the US) sales tax and income tax, we’d have a failing infrastructure and shit education system (among other things), like the US.
Its the Automotive section of the Newspaper, the Daily Telegraph not a Magazine.
Also, Wheels Magazine (Aus) stated on Facebook that they have seen the car in person and looks nothing like the rendering Carsguide posted. Also, some info stated by CG is incorrect.
When will we get it in the US?