Holden Special Vehicles GTS
In case you didn’t know, come 2017 Australia is going to stop making cars. So in a fittingly Australian manner Holden or to be precise Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), GM’s Aussie brand, have built a vehicle to make sure the Aussie made motor goes out in a wild blaze of horsepower and burnt rubber. I am of course referring to the lurid green pick up in the pictures, the HSV Maloo GTS.
UK to Australia
Now that I’ve lived in Australia for a few months I know that nothing quite screams Aussie pride like a ute with a V8 (that’s short for utility in case you didn’t know). And this limited edition example takes that formula and adds some more oomph. 6.2 litres of supercharged LSA V8 oomph nicked from a Corvette to be precise. Based on the slightly more sensible GTS saloon, similar to the VXR8 sold by Vauxhall in the UK the Maloo uses the same engine and drivetrain. Delivering an AMG worrying 576bhp the GTS can dispatch 60mph in around 4.5 seconds and romp onto a supercar worrying top speed.
576 Horse Power
Now of course sending 576 angry Australian horses to the rear wheels of a pick-up truck is slightly insane, I mean there’s no weight there for goodness sake! It’s the motoring equivalent of putting a sumo wrestler on one end of the seesaw and a ballerina on the other; chances are the ballerina’s dainty feet are never going to touch the ground. So in an effort to quell the inevitable destruction of rear tyres HSV has transplanted the rear diff and torque vectoring system from the GTS saloon into the Maloo. This should go some way to helping the Maloo put its power down effectively. And hey if that doesn’t work just load the tray up with some hay bales to help you get that power down. Although quite how many of the lucky 250 owners will actually use the Maloo for work related activities is doubtful, you’re looking a future collector’s item here.
Styling wise the Maloo uses the same front end as its saloon sibling which itself is based on Holden’s VF Commodore. None the less the ute looks suitably menacing with its bulging bonnet, big cooling vents cut into the front wings and LED running lights. There are also some ludicrously large (390mm front, 372mm rear) brakes with yellow 6 piston callipers filling the gorgeous 20in alloy wheels. The rear end is finished off with quad exhausts to make the most of the V8’s soundtrack.
More Greatness to Come
I am sure that in the next 3 years of Holden production some more special cars will rumble of the production line. However, I doubt the world will ever see a production utility vehicle as mad as this again. When Commodore production ends GM has confirmed their Holden range will be largely European imported models rebadged (Astra, Insignia etc). With that, as quirky as it would be, I don’t envisage Holden or HSV chopping the rear end of an Insigia and wedging a bloody great V8 under its bonnet any time soon. A shame, this car is really the end of a motoring era.
Source: hsv.com.au
