2005 HSV SV6000: Fast Car History Lesson

Back in 2005 there wasn’t much to suggest that HSV’s brand spanking SV6000 would help you go faster than a standard Clubsport R8.

Unlike the 1989 VN-based SV5000, the new ‘SV’ had a 6.0-litre V8 churning out the same 297kW and 530Nm, with the same suspension as well.

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Its secret weapon instead had more to do with, well, you. This was the first HSV to feature a data-logging function and if you’ve ever had someone point out your dodgy braking points and rushed throttle inputs then you’ll know how useful telemetry can be for reducing lap times. And track work was something the SV6000 did well, with big AP Racing brakes and the just-updated VZ Commodore’s rear-drive platform.

The onboard data-logger was known as the Dynamic Driver Interface. It was a tablet-style device that lived on the centre console, just to the left of your elbow. Being a Dell-built palm pilot, it also carried out GPS duties, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, and other nifty things that were saved for fancy Euro cars those days.

On top of that, the memory card within it could also record almost any type of data you’d need, from wheelspin to charge air temperature, ready to be analysed later on a computer.

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Sure, Nissan may have shown everyone the way to integrate this stuff gracefully in the 1999 R34 Skyline GT-R, but there’s no denying this was high-tech for an Australian-made family car back then. Perhaps you need to be reminded of HSV’s brilliant Enhanced Drive Interface on the Gen-F2 range to grasp the weight of its legacy.

The SV6000 came in black or yellow, with a six-speed manual or four-speed auto, and retailed for $79,900 on the brochure. Don’t expect to pay massive bucks for one these days, the SV6000 lacks the pedigree to command the same penny as full-blown classics like a VS GTS-R. Although, only 50 units were released to buyers, so they’re hard to come by. And that counts for something.

2005 HSV SV6000 SPECS
Engine: 5967cc V8, OHV, 16v
Power: 297kW @ 6000rpm
Torque: 530Nm @ 4400rpm
0-100km/h: 5.6sec (estimate)
Price: $79,990 (estimate when new)