HSV GTSR track review

Okay, so everybody’s talking about the W1, but with just 300 examples to be built, it’s the GTSR on which the W1 is based that will be the HSV we mortals will aspire to. Is tragedy, no? No, not at all.

And, in fact, the GTS-R gets a bunch of the W1’s good bits including the bold new look, headlined by those fattened front fenders and the new front bar that goes with it. And inside, while you don’t get the full alcantara business, you do get some of it, crucially with that gorgeous diamond-stitch thing going on.

It’s also a seriously good thing to drive whether you’re in the sedan or the Maloo version. The dyno might notice the extra five kiloWatts, but I’m tipping you won’t (I didn’t). But that doesn’t mean the thing isn’t still a riot, because the LSA remains a force of nature.

By far, the biggest improvement is, of course, the new braking hardware. While the GTSR stuff doesn’t get the W1’s R-spec rubber, it does get fairly snotty ContiSportContact 5Ps which will wear better and actually work on a wet road. No cause for sookin’ there, then.

And, man, the whole package really hauls the big guy down. The pedal feel is excellent and if you can make these mothers fade, you’re a better butcher than I am.

The other big selling point for the GTSR as opposed to the W1 is the fact that you can option the automatic transmission which is going to broaden its appeal no end.

In fact, with the paddle shifters the two-pedal HSV stuff gets as standard, there’s even one less reason to opt for the manual. And with the seamless urge that the auto tranny provides we’d be very tempted.

The other massive advantage held by the GTSR is the dollar thing. While the W1 will get you two-beers’ worth of change from $170,000, the GTSR and GTSR Maloo come in at $109,490 and $96,990 respectively. Enough left over to build a shed to keep it in.

SPECS
Engine: 6162cc V8, OHV, 16v, supercharger
Power: 435kW @ 6150rpm
Torque: 740Nm @ 3850rpm
Weight: 1886kg
0-100km/h: 4.4sec (claimed)
Price: $109,490 (sedan), $96,490 (Maloo)