HSV W427: Australian Super Car

By Feann Torr - 25/July/2008

Melbourne, Australia — "It's not a super car," said the bloke standing next to me at the 2008 Melbourne Motor Show. 

During the HSV W427 unveiling back in March 2008, he said it was "...just another Dunnydore with a body kit."

If this fellow had spoken to HSV after the W427's global debut in Melbourne - which virtually stole the thunder from the just-launched FG Falcon - he would have discovered that it does have the makings of a super car.

What makes a super car?

Well, first and foremost it's performance. Does the car accelerate, brake, and handle far more adroitly than a normal performance car? Looking at the stats of this new HSV behemoth, it would appear so.

Holden Special Vehicles will begin selling the vehicle in the third quarter of 2008 - construction will start mid-year - and it will be powered by the LS7 V8 engine. 

This 7.0-litre mill, or 427 cubic inches in the old money (hence the 427 part of the name) will feature a new exhaust system not dissimilar to the items Ford is using in its XR8 and FPV 8-cylinder models. 

It makes use of active 'bi-modal' rear mufflers that have two modes depending on engine speeds that that alter exhaust back pressures to increase/decrease the exhaust note volume. 

The neighbours will love the new muffler system as it's quiet at low engine speeds, and deafening at higher revs.

The show car's massive V8 mill grinds out a pulverising 375kW of power @ 6500rpm, which is about 500 horsepower. Together with a monstrous 640Nm kick @ 5000rpm, it's clear that HSV's unique tuning of the LS7 engine gives it a race car character - it likes to rev.

But this is still preliminary stuff. HSV's Scott Grant stated that final power outputs may be even greater than the current show car spec: "Make no mistake, while the specifications of the car unveiled on the stand today at the Motorshow may change slightly between now and when production begins, this car is destined to make as big an impact as the original Walkinshaw twenty years ago."

HSV's managing director Scott Grant also said the new model could be the fastest in Australia and though no official benchmark times were released, we could be talking about a 4.5 second 0-100km/h car here with a top speed of more than 300km/h.

This would make it faster than some Aston Martins and see it inching very close to Ferrari and Lamborghini velocities.

"The W427 will be quite possibly the fastest road registrable super car ever produced in Australia and among the quickest anywhere around the world," said Grant.

The braking and safety systems will also be beefed up significantly: "A new six piston front braking system will provide a 50% increase in pad area, while the W427 also receives a revised ESP calibration, six air bags, improved handling and new Magnetic Ride Control settings," said the HSV boss, Scott Grant.

Featuring 2-piece floating front rotors measuring 380 x 35mm (up from the GTS's 365 x 32mm one piecers), together with high performance, high friction brake pads, the new braking system should be up to the task of slowing what will be a heavy vehicle.

Then there's the handling, which as Scott Grant mentioned will be improved thanks to a recalibrated version of the Magnetic Ride Control (MRC). We tested the MRC system in our comparo of the HSV Senator vs FPV Force6, and to call the system very good would be understating the effect it has on the cars handling.

As well as a hardcore version of MRC, the HSV W427 has a more aggressive suspension setup, with new springs that are 30 per cent stiffer than the current GTS's. It also rides 20mm lower than the GTS for a lower centre of gravity and also gets stiffer rear suspension bushings.

So how does the super car qualification list look? Acceleration - check. Braking - check. Handling - check.

Another thing that any self-respecting super car must have is exclusivity. This "Dunnydore with a body kit", to quote the dim-wit, is made to order.

HSV told the Motoring Channel that a maximum of four cars per week will be built. The LS7 V8 engines will be calibrated and tuned by HSV after coming over from the United States.

"To be able to produce a vehicle of these proportions is truly remarkable," said the HSV chief, Scott Grant.

"The W427 will only be produced in limited numbers and we want to reflect that exclusivity in how we connect with our super car customers.

"This program will see the LS7 engine being fitted at Clayton, along with the dry sump system and a range of other engineering features. We are looking at opportunities to allow owners to visit HSV and view the unique manufacturing process that goes into building this car," added Grant.

Unlike previous HSV's, the W427 will also go through a more intensive in-house build. Starting life as an HSV GTS at Holden's Elizabeth plant in South Australia, the cars will be shipped to HSV in Clayton, Victoria, where the tuning group will begin working its high performance magic.

Price is also a clincher when it comes to qualifying a super car, and the HSV W427's $150,000 price tag is perhaps a little less than other super cars, but still isn't what could be termed 'affordable'.

Any self-respecting super car also has to look the part, and seeing the W427 in the flesh for the first time was quite a treat. It's big, it's bold, and it's got an angry V8 Supercar essence that will ensure it won't be mistaken for a GTS.

A new front apron is lower, with larger air intakes delivering a somewhat Germanic style, while large 20-inch alloy wheels, a 3-piece carbon fibre rear spoiler and new exhaust pipes create an imposing vision.

The interior is also updated, displaying a real show-car look with more red leather (or red hot trim in HSV-speak) than you can shake at stick at. As well as the red leather sports seats with W427 logos, the steering wheel, gear shifter, console lid and door inserts are all finished in red leather.

Of course the centrepiece of the new flagship HSV W427 super car is the 370+ kilowatt 7.0-litre engine and powertrain, so to finish up we thought we'd detail some of the powertrain's features:

Over radiator style cold air induction system with high flow air filter
Dry sump lubrication system with 2 stage pump
Hand fabricated aluminium oil reservoir, with internal baffles for high G loading
Front mount, 13 row engine oil cooler
Ceramic coated, high flow four into one extractors
High flow catalytic converters and exhaust system (3 into 2 ¾ )
Bi-modal active exhaust system
 High strength limited slip differential
 New high strength six speed manual gear box (TR6060)
 GMPT LS7 Clutch with new actuator and pedal assembly for high clamp loads

And there it is folks - the 7.0-litre V8 super car that HSV promised years ago has finally fronted, albeit with four doors instead of two. 

Though there will be plenty of conjecture concerning whether this new vehicle is in fact a 'proper' super car, the fact remains that it stole the limelight at the 2008 Melbourne Motor Show and is destined to be one of Australia's quickest cars.

Ford Performance Vehicles, it's your move.

Related articles:
- HSV Maloo Ute (2007)
- HSV Grange (Road Test)
- HSV Senator vs. FPV Force6 (Road Test)
- HSV Clubsport R8 (Road Test)
- HSV E-Series - GTS, R8, Senator (2006)
- HSV SV6000 (2005)
- HSV GTSR (race car)
- HSV Coupé 4 (2005)
- HSV Z Series (2004)