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Oz-some: HSV W427 launches Down Under

Alex Nunez — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:26:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Supercars, GM, Holden, Australia, HSV

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]

Oz-some: HSV W427 launches Down Under originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden W427 limited to 427 units costing $150,000 AUD each

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Holden, Australia, Specialty

Click above for high-res gallery of the Holden W427

They are having a different conversation in Australia than we are having up here, and we want in on it. Holden has just announced that the limited-edition Holden W427 will have 500 hp and 471 ft-lb of twisty motion. Sure, we have the Corvette Z06 -- which donated its engine for the W427 -- but Australia's only got 20 million peeps. And a bunch of them don't live in places where you could give this Holden a proper whipping.

The car will be held to just 427 units, and these units and their screaming red interiors will be arriving at dealerships with an MSRP of $AUD 150,000... plus taxes. Dealer allocation will be based on sales figures from last year. The W427's limited run will help it, to be sure, but the price is more than double the price of the Ford FPV F6, which goes for $AUD 65,990. The Falcon is down about 80 horsepower vs. the Holden, but it's also down on weight. We think it might be time for Holden to invite Autoblog Down Under to settle this once and for all.

Gallery: 2008 HSV W427

[Source: Car Advice]

Holden W427 limited to 427 units costing $150,000 AUD each originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Australian Badass: HSV W427 unveiled in Melbourne

Alex Nunez — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Supercars, GM, Misc. Auto Shows, Holden, Australia, HSV

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the HSV W427

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.

HSV's press release is pasted after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 HSV W427

[Source: HSV]

Continue reading Australian Badass: HSV W427 unveiled in Melbourne

Australian Badass: HSV W427 unveiled in Melbourne originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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