Sprung! HSV’s final model line-up caught in the wild

IMAGES of what are believed to be the last Holden Commodore-based HSVs to roll out of the company’s Clayton-based skunk works have appeared online – including one featuring what may be the 476kW GTS-R W1.

The series of images posted to social media include sedans and utes with the front and rear features, wheels and front guard-mounted badges under heavy disguise.

5

Three of the cars, posted to Photobucket, allegedly show new colours that will be introduced to the HSV range as part of the last hurrah for the Zeta-based performance range – Spitfire Green, Light My Fire Orange and Son of a Gun Grey.

But it’s the gold-coloured car that has the most interest for us – it appears to have significantly more disguise down the rear than the other cars snapped, potentially hiding an amped-up rear wing that will become the signature feature of the throwback R-badged car.

5

It also features much more disguise around the side air vent built into the front guard, suggesting the car will gain special badging compared with the more pedestrian versions in HSV’s final model line-up.

HSV has remained tight-lipped over plans it has to sign off on its 30-year association with the locally made Holden Commodore, although rumours leaked late last year that as well as a GTS-R, the final line-up will also feature a monstered GTS-R W1. However, HSV’s network of specialised dealers are believed to have already taken pre-orders for the cars, confirming the final batch of the fastest, most powerful HSV-badged cars ever.

5

The W1 will be powered by the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’s LS9 engine, with a power output in the region of 476kW and a massive peak torque number of 820Nm. The cost? It’s rumoured to be as high as $170,000, which would make the GTS-R W1 the most expensive and powerful Holden Commodore ever made.

Production is expected to be limited to just 250 GTS-R W1s due to limited availability of the LS9 engine. However, the GTS-R will remain available as long as Holden’s Elizabeth plant remains operational, and will sit between the W1 and the $96k, 430kW, 730Nm GTS in terms of performance and price.

5

Having the LS9 wedged under the bonnet should make the W1 the fastest production vehicle ever made in Australia, with a 0-100km/h sprint of four seconds (and quite possibly less), and a quarter-mile timeslip close to 12-seconds flat.

There will only be a manual transmission available, with the automatic allegedly too costly to integrate with the chassis.

The previous most-expensive Commodore available was the W427, which was powered by a 7.0-litre LS7, and cost almost $150,000.