Holden Special Vehicles E-Series: 5.0 Scintillating Seconds 

By Feann Torr - 22/Aug/2006

Melbourne, Australia — By the time you read this, you'll be able to wander into your nearest HSV dealership and slam down $62,890 for the R8 ClubSport HSV E-Series - and then head home at warp speed because these things are ludicrously quick. 

HSV has released it's official performance figures, and the new LS2 6.0-litre V8 engines that drive these burnout behemoths will propel some models from 0-100km/h in less than 5.0 seconds, potentially making them the fastest Australian-made production cars in history.

If proved correct, such performance specs would mean that the new HSV E-Series vehicles are world-class quick, and will make FPV's similarly marketed products look outdated, asFord's quickest modified performance sedan is the F6 Typhoon, which is roughly a 5.8 second 0-100km/h proposition in nominal conditions.

But don't expect Ford Performance Vehicles to sit still after hearing such news. There could be some noise coming from FPV in regard to its updated BF MkII models before year's end, but right now the spotlight is on HSV, and it must be said that its new cars' certainly do look rather striking, creating a modern muscle caraesthetic that'll no doubt be bolstered by their storming 307kW mills.

Though some people in this office have already accused the new HSV E-Series of being "oversized Skylines and WRXs" the radical new look will certainly attract attention - except for the Senator Signature model, which has been toned down to compete with the conservatively styled 8-cylinder performance sedans that are built by the German marques, like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

The R8 ClubSport and GTS models get the more radical bodywork, featuring triangular foglight elements and recessed front air dams. Both these features dominate the front end, and HSV has steered away from dramatic bonnet sculpting, forgoing vents or bulges in favour of cleaner, tighter lines. 

New look grilles also make the grade up front, and just behind the flared front wheels arches are large vents that would presumably allow the heat in the engine bay or from the brakes to be siphoned away (in a perfect world), but are cosmetic garnishes designed to make the cars look cool.

As well as the new vertically stacked fog lights, the brakelight clusters also get dynamic new look, and together with the quad exhaust pipes and reasonable wing spoiler, the rear ends of the GTS and R8 Clubbie make quite the impression, communicating flat out performance with crystal clarity.

As the most important weapons in any performance car's arsenal, the wheels and tyres have also been beefed up, with the R8 ClubSport and Senator Signature sitting on 19-inch alloys. The GTS model gets massive 20-inch rims and all models are shod withBridgestone RE050A tyres with 245 profile (95Y) tyres up front, and 275 (97Y) profile rubber at the rear, suggesting that these vehicles will be capable of not only covering the road in a pair of molten rubber lines by "accidentally feathering the throttle", but also of surpassing 250km/h. 

Burnout bandits will also be pleased to hear that all models come with full sized spare wheels.

So, HSV has released three new E-Series models; the R8 ClubSport, Senator Signature and it's good to see that the GTS has returned too. The Clayton-based company has revealed that the ClubSport and Grange models are resting, and the Maloo utes are not ready for conversion as the donor car (Commodore-based ute) is still in its VZ phase.

But from these three newly divulged models we can see that Holden and HSV have not happy with FPV's surging sales, and the response to this has been profound. Not only are the new HSV models fitted with 307kW and 550Nm V8 engines, but models like the GTS come standard with a new suspension gizmo that is expected to provide these big V8 bruisers with even more mid corner grip despite the increase in weight.

Like the lumpy new LS2 V8 engine, HSV is also sourcing the MRC (Magnetic Ride Control) system from the American-built Chevy Corvette sports car. In a nutshell, this system provides the cars with more cornering grip by continually adjusting the compression and rebound damping rates in the shock absorbers.

But before we get to the particulars of MRC, let's have a look at the performance of the new HSV E-Series.

First up, the 6.0-litre V8. With 16-valves and pushrods, you'd think this engine was an archaic contraption from the '70s -- and you'd be partly right. But because the motor is so large and has been given a high rev ceiling, it develops big numbers as petrol and air combust within its eight oversized cylinders.

Generating 307kW @ 6000rpm, these are quick spinning V8s, and even peak torque hits relatively high in the rev range: 550Nm @ 4400rpm. The new E-Series models are supplied with slightly more powerful versions of the LS2 Gen IV 6.0-litre V8 that was first seen in Australia in HSV's VZ range in 2005. Some of the modifications HSV claims to have made to the 8-cylinder engine include changes to the ECU and new extractors, and together with the new 6-speed M10 manual gearbox, which features a shorter final drive ratio of 3.7, the vehicles will be capable of reaching 100km/h from rest in 4.96 seconds. 

Because of the LS2 engines sheer power (and partly because bragging rights are important), the HSV engineers have also tuned the traction control systems very carefully, which allows the vehicles achieve improved standing starts to minimise wheelspin and maximise traction under heavy torque loads. A new 6-speed automatic has also been specified for the E-Series (a $2,000 option) and this will propel the vehicles to 100km/h from rest in just over 5.0 seconds, and though no top speeds have been mentioned, 270km/h wouldn't be impossible.

If you like getting down to legal off-street drag racing on the weekend, you'll also be interested to know that these new Holden Special Vehicles are not only very quick off the mark, have copious amounts of power across the entire rev range, and are able to record quarter mile sprints of 13.2 seconds. The days of the Lancer Evolution and WRX STI being able to rival Australia's V8 performance sedans will be well and truly numbered if HSV can deliver on its performance promises.

With the new performance gains come fuel consumption losses - the E-Series is thirstier than the HSV Z-Series by 0.6L/100km in the auto and 0/4L/100km in the manual. In other words, the 6-speed automatic HSV's drink an average of 14.6L/100km and the manual HSV's use 15.4L/100km, but die-hard fans of the Aussie muscle cars probably won't be worrying when they get behind the wheel and experience the acceleration on offer.

Matching the new E-Series' engine performance are the high tech chassis, which now employ the kind of tricks that were once the reserve of European nobility. As mentioned, the MRC (magnetic ride control) system works by physically changing the viscosity of the 'magnetorheologic' fluid within the shock absorbers, which leads to more relevant suspension adjustment on the fly. It works as if by magic - but science can explain how the suspension instantly stiffens or softens.

The 'magnetorheologic' fluid within the shockers contains small flecks of metal that, when stimulated with an electric current, will change the fluids thickness or viscosity, which HSV reckons will improve corner speed by up to five per cent over a vehicle without MRC. Manual gearbox GTS and Senator Signaturemodels cost $74,990 and get the MRC as standard, and as well as reducing body roll through corners HSV reckons that the system even helps to smooth out bumps and can improve acceleration and braking by reducing pitch. And that's impressive.

At present, only a few vehicles in the world use a similar system to the MRC, including the Chevrolet Corvette, the next generation Audi TT Coupe and the Ferrari 599 GTB, so you can't accuse the new E-Series of keeping poor company.

As well as continually varying the damping rates, the MRC system also offers two modes. While the GTS gets Performance and Track modes, and the Senator Signature gets Luxury and Performance modes, which is also indicative of the target demographics for the different models.

The safety systems that are carried over from the VE Commodore donor car include ESP and ABS, which have both been recalibrated to suit the sportier nature of the HSV E-Series. The brakes have also been beefed up to such an extend that the roughly 100kg of added weight that the E-Series brings to the table makes no difference to the vehicle's deceleration - in fact it's even been improved. All three launch models get 4-piston AP Racing brake calipers, 365mm front discs and 350mm rear discs. 

Of course, the interiors have also been given the HSV treatment, and if you're a fan of loud colours and daring styles, you'll probably dig the new designs. New look instrument clusters greet the drivers, as do restyled and more aggressive sports seats for the driver and front passenger, while a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel will imparts a sense of motor sports. In addition to the many HSV logos splashed about liberally, HSV cars also get a trio of secondary dials to stare at, including oil temp, pressure and battery voltage. While the $75k GTS and Senator Signature models come standard with leather upholstery, the R8 ClubSport comes with cloth trim, but can be upgraded as a $2,490 cost option.

So there we have it - HSV's newest creatures have been exposed, and what a sight they are. But as well as striking a delicious balance between sports and style, the new E-Series has been given an ambitious injection of anabolic steroids in the form of the 307kW motor, the wider 19- and 20-inch tyres and of course the intriguing new MRC continuously variable damping system. It all adds up to a package that's sure to get even the most ardent Ford fan tossing up between HSV and FPV, and Holden Special Vehicles has even made it's intentions clear that it wants to sell more product in Europe where V8 performance vehicles with similar performance figures and features cost about twice or three times as much.

And let's not forget about the models that are missing too. HSV hopes to have the budget-priced ClubSport back on the book in a year's time, while the Maloo ute models will be offered before that. And what's this about the GTS-R model that's rumoured to be heading our way packed with an altogether larger V8 engine? Whether pure speculation or something more, we'll find out soon enough...

HSV E-Series Pricing:

ClubSport R8: $62,890 ($64,890 auto)
Senator Signature: $76,990 (auto only)
GTS: $74,990 ($76,990 auto)