How quick is the HSV GTSR W1?

Off the back of his sterling work with the HRT Supercar team, MOTOR’s very own Warren ‘Wazza’ Luff has taken on the role as HSV’s development driver.

And he seems to be enjoying the work, too, managing to get a W1 prototype around Winton in central Victoria back in December last year in a time of 1.33:2, more than four full seconds faster than the previous best set by a GTS during HSV’s own testing.

To put that in perspective, during testing for PCOTY 2016 Luffy clocked a 1min32.5sec lap in a $300K Mercedes-AMG GT S, while something closer to the W1’s price bracket, the Mercedes-AMG C63 S, managed a 1min36.3sec lap with carbon-ceramic brakes and Cup tyres. So what’s the goss, Luffy?

“Right from the outset, I was so impressed with this thing. By turns three and four – so, like, within a few hundred metres of hitting the track – I’m thinking this is something really special. And it’s not like they’ve just bunged a set of R-specs on it or a set of high-end shocks; the tyres and Supashocks really complement each other.

“For a car as heavy as this, the mid-corner speed and turn-in is phenomenal. You really wouldn’t expect an 1800 or 1900kg front-engined car to feel as nimble as it does around a tight circuit like Winton. It makes you realise how much work has gone into it, and I’m so pleased that HSV has decided to give the big girl a proper send-off. She’s going out with a bang.

“And the lap-time everybody is talking about wasn’t done with that specifically in mind. We didn’t tip 20 litres in, strap on a brand-new set of rubber and go for a lap-time. The lap was done at about 1pm on a stinking hot day and the car was weighted to check for guard clearance and all sorts of things. So if you wanted to just go for a time, I reckon it’d go a heap faster.”

Sounds like a challenge to us, but with HSV still mulling over whether to do a press vehicle, we might have to rely on a generous owner. If you are that generous owner feel free to drop us a line at motor@bauer-media.com.au.

To read more on HSV's 2017 range click here.