The modern American auto show circuit has turned into a series of venues at which automakers try to out-green or out-crossover each other, with the occasional fire-breather thrown in. Down in Australia, it's like the late 60s or early 70s, with a power-mad pissing contest between GM and Ford going full-tilt. We already saw Holden's killer flex-fuel muscle concept, the Coupe 60. Now it's time for the skunkworks to unveil its newest street missile. We previewed it this morning, but here it is in all its glory: the HSV W427. The "W" is a nod to Tom Walkinshaw, whose TWR crew joined up with Holden in 1988 to create the Group A VL SS Commodore, a homologation special that marked the birth of GM's Australian factory performance division, HSV.
The 427 represents the engine's size in cubic inches, as in GM LS7 V8 cubic inches. The Corvette Z06's heart has been transplanted into the VE Commodore's body, which has been substantially modified with a unique blackened fascia (you might also call it "ugly," or more diplomatically, "menacing"); updated aero bits all around; new 20" wheels; and an immeasurable amount of testosterone. That's what the LS7 brings to the party -- no blue pills required. Final power numbers aren't yet available, but HSV expects them to be in excess of 496 horses and 472 lb-ft. That should make the W427 the fastest Aussie street-legal supercar ever produced. All the good Corvette trickery is in play, too: magnetic ride control, big brakes, and the bi-modal exhaust system are among the hidden goodies that make it the ultimate super saloon. Quantities will be limited, but lucky owners will feel like every road is Bathurst.
Click image for a hi-res gallery of the production TRD HiLux
Toyota Australia is finally ready to unleash TRD HiLux. The concept version bowed a year ago, and while the production truck was shown at the Brisbane show earlier this month (supposedly its "official" debut), the officially official debut is taking place tomorrow in Melbourne, where this all began way back when. To back that up, additional photos of the supercharged TRD HiLix have been released along with a new press release, but Toyota is still being coy with the hard numbers. All the Aussie division says is that the blown 4.0L will make around 25% more power and 20% more torque than the standard-issue HiLux SR5 Double Cab's mill, while consuming a bit less fuel, to boot. Toyota will presumably confirm the final power and torque figures tomorrow, which we expect to be around 300 hp / 330 lb-ft. That's enough to let the TRD HiLux make the 0 - 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in under 7.5 seconds. Our friends Down Under get to pound on the new sport truck in April, when it joins the TRD Aurion in showrooms. Follow the jump for Toyota's latest (but probably not the last) press release.
Today at the Melbourne Auto Show in Australia, GM's Holden subsidiary is rumored to debut a new super sedan based on the Commodore and developed by its highly capable Holden Special Vehicles division. The exact nomenclature to be affixed to the sedan's flanks is unknown, but we expect a suitably sporty one like HSV GTSR, or something to that effect. It will powered by the 7.0L LS7 V8 from the Chevy Corvette Z06, which makes 505 hp in the Vette but will likely be detuned a smidge to just under 500 hp in the Holden, and could cost upwards of $150,000 in Aussie money. Reports suggest it will also have a cache of accompanying hardware to back up the monster motor like the largest brakes ever used on a Holden and lots of trickle down technology from Australia's V8 Supercar racing series. It will be built by hand away from the common Commodores, but still be covered by Holden's 3-year, 100,000 kilometer warranty. This will be fastest and most expensive (by far) vehicle that Holden has ever produced, and despite increasing concerns over the cost of gas in Oz, the brand believes it will have no trouble securing buyers for its limited allotment. We'll bring you more pics of the car after it debuts to what will surely be an astonished Australian market, but until then you can wrap your mind around the idea that what fits underneath the hood of this car should also fit in the engine bay of the Pontiac G8 and Chevy Camaro.
We've already seen some shots of Australia's own Ariel Atom/KTM X-Bow contender, but the mom and pop operation from Down Under has officially unveiled its E-Vade track car ahead of the Melbourne Motor Show.
The glorified go-kart looks like it came out of someone's garage, which it did, but it's already undergone testing at the VACC karting track in Port Melbourne. The E-Vade tips the scales at a rather portly 2,094 pounds, but the 402-hp, twin-turbo'd Nissan V6 mounted out back should be able to entertain both the driver and his wind-blown passenger. A track-only version is also planned producing (gulp) 670 hp, with both models sending power to a five-speed gearbox produced by Albins Off Road Gear. A six-speed cog swapper is also reportedly in the works.
While we're a bit skeptical about how such a wee-beastie can handle all that grunt with such a short wheelbase, we're looking forward to seeing a shoot-out between the E-Vade, the X-Bow and the Atom. Throw in a Se7en for good measure and it should make for an epically good time at the track.
Click image for TRD Aurion gallery. TRD HiLux gallery below.
TRD didn't just show off its new Corolla-based rally car at the Melbourne Motor Show. The Aussie wing of Toyota's factory motorsports arm also pulled the sheets off a new production car, the TRD Aurion, and a near-production-looking concept in the TRD HiLux pickup. The emergence of the special Aurion represents the world debut of TRD as a vehicle brand, opening the door for TRD versions of just about anything the automaker sets its mind to.
The TRD Aurion doesn't play around, either. This better-looking (much better looking in fact) Aussie version of the Camry gets a blown 3.5L V6 good for at least 320 horsepower. Some of you will notice that the TRD production car is essentially a dead ringer for the Aurion Sports Concept (gallery) that made its debut at the Sydney Motor Show back in October. We think the production car looks better, with less grey in the nose and much nicer-looking wheels. Sadly, Toyota thinks that the Camry has to look boring in our market. Come on guys, this look and the supercharged engine would go a long way towards making people think of the car as something other than an inoffensive, boring appliance.
Joining the TRD Aurion at the Toyota Stand is a TRD HiLux concept pickup. The four-door short-bed truck sports TRD graphics, a black roll bar, and a supercharged 4.0L V6. No power numbers were given. TRD only says that HiLux concept's engine is good for "substantially more" than the 234 horses the standard HiLux produces. If we had to guess, we'd say that our friends in Oz can look for the "concept" part of the HiLux's name to be dropped in the future.
Toyota has a lot going on at the Melbourne Motor Show this week. In addition to the unveilings of the TRD Aurion, TRD HiLux and the Aussie debut of the new Corolla (right), a new Super 2000-spec rally car is also on hand, resplendent in red-and-white TRD livery. 2006 Australian Rally Champion Simon Evans and rally team leader Neal Bates were on hand for the presentation of the new racer, which is powered by a 2.0 liter, 255 horsepower normally-aspirated four-cylinder that runs up to the class-mandated 8,500 rpm maximum. It weighs in at around 2500 pounds.
As is the case with other Super 2000 rally cars, electronic aids are prohibited and not present on this new Corolla, which will see its first racing action in June.
Australia's FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles) is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the original Ford Falcon GT with a special 200-car limited edition. The FPV Falcon GT 40th Anniversary is powered by Ford's Boss 290 5.4L V8. The 290 in its name refers to its power output in kilowatts. Put in our terms, that's 390 horsepower, and it's joined by 383 pounds of twist. That power goes to the rear wheels, natch. Breathing is aided by an FPV high-flow exhaust and six forward gears (manual or automatic) round things out on the powertrian side.
It should be noted the same drivetrain is found in the "regular" FPV Falcon GT. What sets the anniversary edition apart from its bretheren is the R-Spec suspension that underpins the car. Developed by Delphi at the request of Prodrive (co-owner of FPV along with Ford), it's designed to improve on-track performance without overly compromising everyday ride quality and tire wear.
The cars are given a coat of black paint with a gold Shelby-style stripe package (a la the Hertz Mustangs), GT 40th Anniversary decals aft of the front wheels, "BOSS 290" on the hood's power bulge, R-Spec badging on the rear, and 19" alloys (with red Brembos peeking through the spokes) trimmed in black. Note also the slick detail touches such as the FPV logo that's part of the lower grillework up front. The thing looks positively menacing and it has the goods to back it up. Man, they sure know how to do it right in Australia. Meanwhile, we get a new Five-Hundred Taurus. Yay.
2010 Nissan Cube breaks cover in Japan
Officially Official: 2010 Ford Mustang!
2010 Ford Mustang revealed early on Ford's own website!
2009 Nissan 370Z rolls out early in So. Cal
VIDEO: 2009 Nissan 370Z revealed early in So. Cal.
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 HUMMER H3T Alpha
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Hyundai Genesis
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT
