Filed under: Sports/GTs, Supercars, GM, Holden, Australia, HSV
Oz-some: HSV W427 launches Down Under
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the HSV W427
"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts." That's what Han Solo says about the Millenium Falcon. You could apply the same saying to the HSV W427 super-duper sedan just launched by Holden's in-house performance division. I mean, that front end has some serious issues, but the Corvette Z06's LS7 V8 lurks behind it, and it's no joke, giving the four-door 500 horses and 471 lb-ft of torque. Production is limited to 427 units total, 90 of which will be produced this year. All of those have already been spoken for at a heady $154,500 Australian dollars, including luxury tax. Buyers also get the opportunity to tour the cars' production facility, and get a letter from Tom Walkinshaw, who started HSV some 20 years ago. The "W" in the car's name is also a tribute to him. HSV says that the W427's angry fascia emphasizes the cooling needs of the 7.0L V8. We think it mostly tells drivers who catch it racing up in their rearview to simply move out of the way...or be swallowed whole. We hear the car runs best when fed a steady diet of FPVs.
A slew of new photos have dropped in conjunction with the car's production launch, all of which can be seen in the gallery below.
Gallery: 2008 HSV W427
[Source: HSV]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
geo.stewart 2:30PM (7/23/2008)
"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts." That's what Han Solo says about the Millenium Falcon. "
shouldnt this be reserved for the FPV Falcon?
LOL
NICE setup
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Torrent 2:31PM (7/23/2008)
Sick.
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KeatMP 2:31PM (7/23/2008)
Anything with an LS7 in it is a winner in my book.
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tankd0g 2:32PM (7/23/2008)
The front end looks like the goatee sporting alternate dimension "evil" version of a Pontiac grill....and I like it.
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Alex Nunez 2:38PM (7/23/2008)
Well, the "Mirror Mirror" Spock always was cooler...
KA 2:37PM (7/23/2008)
Isn't that clutch pedal a bit far to the right? Or is that just an optical illusion because it's raised higher?
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wagonphile 2:40PM (7/23/2008)
Looks like an Audi on steroids. I like it, especially the strong-contrast interior. Too bad GM revised the styling when converting the Holden to a Pontiac-- I like this much better.
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Smeagle 11:21PM (7/23/2008)
lets face it... this thing will get impounded under "hoon" laws based on looks alone. too bad the cops cant keep up.
Alex 2:40PM (7/23/2008)
I think the blacked out faces of Ford's & Holden's sedans look awesome. Wish we could get a couple of those up here.
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Alex Nunez 2:47PM (7/23/2008)
I tend to agree, but I am just not crazy about the giant square this car's mug is forced to wear.
The Alice Cooper war paint on the FPVs gets the win, in my book. Of course, I'd happily park any of these things in my own garage...
P.V. 2:43PM (7/23/2008)
Ba-duh-buh-buh-buh: I'm lovin' it! (don't sue me McDonald's!)
Is this the Vauxhall VXR8 or is this higher performance? I'm wondering because the rear lights look the same.
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Alex Nunez 2:48PM (7/23/2008)
Higher performance. The VXR8 is a rebadged HSV Clubsport R8, which we're essentially getting as the Pontiac G8 GXP. None of the above get the LS7 -- it lives in only two cars: the Corvette Z06 and this puppy.
André 2:53PM (7/23/2008)
In how many time will HSV put a LS9 or LSA under the Commodore bonnet? It'd be even more M5-killer than the W427...
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MONTE 2:58PM (7/23/2008)
Oh Mama that's nice! Love the body lines, wheels, interior, everything. Kind of surprised they went with the LS7 in a car that expensive instead of the LS9. If Caddy can run the LS9 I don't think this would be any less deserving.
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Soccer Mom 3:02PM (7/23/2008)
$150,000 for Pontiac? You much be kidding.
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fixitfixitstop 10:36AM (9/16/2008)
Please travel to other countries so you get a grip on foreign currency.
havoc 3:22PM (7/23/2008)
Alex great pics.
i read about this a couple months ago in (insert preferred car mag name here). i would like to see this model in the US as well, ranked above the GXP of course (SD? WS6? Formula?) maybe wake up an old name...
G8, G8 GT, G8 GXP, G8 Formula
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Alex Nunez 3:26PM (7/23/2008)
Havoc, these are just GM-sourced press pics, FYI. For great pics, see "Phillips, Drew" and Nissan GT-R...
havoc 3:46PM (7/23/2008)
Alex, I was just trying to throw you a bone, after one day you were digging for compliments on your pics, lol
geo.stewart 3:42PM (7/23/2008)
I still am a big fan of "G8 R" for a series run.
(say it like a license plate)