[Blewvane]

The HSV W427 has been partly built to commemorate the 20th anniversary of HSV cars (the 1988 Commodore Group A SV homologation special was the first).

But the HSV W427 has also been built because Australia’s Holden Special Vehicles, owned by Tom Walkinshaw, has been able to get its hands on some 7.0-litre Corvette Z06 engines. Holden reckons the current-generation Commodore can handle the LS3 V8’s 503bhp and 472lb ft.

The W427 (W for Walkinshaw, 427 for cubic inches) is quite a serious installation job by HSV standards.

Usually Holden’s Adelaide factory fits the powerplants on the regular line and leaves HSV’s Melbourne facility to finish the job, but here the 7.0-litre engines are delivered straight to HSV in crates from the US.

So in HSV’s plant the factory motor has to come out before the new one is fitted, along with a dry sump, new intake manifold, HSV-specific ignition mapping an active-valve exhaust.

There are some pretty serious suspension changes, too, including magnetic dampers and, by HSV’s affordable-brute standards, a serious price of around $155,000 (about £70,000, depending on the exchange rate).

What’s it like?
At idle the valve in the active exhaust is open, so it woofles and burbles like a 7.0-litre V8 ought to. The drivetrain is slick, with a manageable clutch and a new, stronger but slicker-shifting six-speed gearbox.

And by crikey is it fast. HSV claims 0-62mph in 4.7sec, which is quick in itself, but it would probably go even faster with a quicker gearbox and more traction.

The engine is astoundingly flexible, though. This is a very torquey motor, yet it also revs cleanly out to 7000rpm, past peak power at 6500rpm. Despite the extra capacity over other HSVs it feels no more unbalanced.

Because of the extent of the changes to the suspension, the W427 feels much tighter than a regular HSV Clubsport, with sharper, more accurate steering and better-controlled damping, with no massive drop in ride quality.

There’s a ‘track’ mode to the damping, too, but it’s good enough to use even on lumpy roads. The W427 is a bit fidgety with it on, but it steers and handles with even more precision.

And of course, the W427 has a beefy limited-slip differential. So, of course, it pulls big, smokey skids to Olympic standards.

Should I buy one?
I’m afraid that, unless you live in Australia, you can’t. They’re all destined for HSV-mad enthusiasts down under. The W427 is expensive, but still significantly undercuts M5s and the like in Australia, so all 90 scheduled to be built in 2008 sold easily. Production is limited to 427 units overall.

[Blewvane]

A street legal race car and no one gives a shit! This car is capable of giving the million dollar dago designs an arse kicking once the speed limiter is disabled and costs 10% of their price! Go the general!!!!!

[firedog25]

At least in England the you guys can get a factory backed supercharger from Vauxhall. In the U.S. the hottest shit we get is the standard VXR, they call it a Pontiac G8, soon to be Chevrolet Commodore since Pontiac is folding up.

I love how they advertised it here. "The First Ever Pontiac G8"... yeah, from a 2 year old Aussie Holden Commodore. I like the Vauxhall front bumper out of all the treatments... and I really wish they'd have carried on with the Monaro. It was a common man's grand tourer and had so much potential.

[Blewvane]

I had no idea that Commodores were sold in the US. I knew that the Monaro had been rebadged as a Pontiac but i don't know what the model was called. The Monaro was released as an experiment to see if us Aussies would jump back into 2 door cars but i don't think that they sold enough to justify re-launching the model.

[firedog25]

Yah, 2 doors aren't the big sellers unless it's really a hatchback. The Monaro was peddled here as the Pontiac GTO at the end of the Monaro's lifecycle. It briefly came with the 5.7 liter engine, then the following model year it came with the 6.0 liter engine which was easily identifiable by the air intakes on the bonnet and of course the big 6.0 on the bootlid. Not many companies make a handsome, affordable, non-front wheel drive 2 door coupe 2+2 anymore which is unfortunate. I actually can't think of any that are on the market right now. The only one I can think of off hand is the Hyundai Genesis Coupe being followed by the upcoming Toyota/Subaru collaboration.

[firedog25]

Also, people should bear in mind that when something has an HSV badge it's not some bullshit where they just slap a go-fast goodie on a car and call it a day. HSV has a car delivered to it's facilities where it's stripped down, slightly rebodied and re-engineered. While the new product is identifiable as what it started as, the keen eye will see the differences.

Immediately I can see the wing flares to accomodate larger wheels and a new front end with more vents to feed air to the radiator. Also uprated brakes, from that picture it looks like six piston front brakes with four piston rear.

The Commodore is by no stretch of the imagination a small or light car weighing in close to 2,000 kg. From what I understand GM will be peddling it in place of the old Chevrolet Caprice (the non-fwd model) to police and they should be fielding the police cruiser model next year when it gets rebadged as a Chevrolet Commodore here.

[Blewvane]

Here in Australia we've been enjoying the Holden Commodore for 30 years. Can you believe that the first model was not only released with a V8 or a straight 6, but with a 4cyl as well!! Hahahahaha. Someone really screwed up there. V8 Commodores have always been the favourite amongst street racers and the only non Holden that can hold its own against one is the Ford ******. 4's and 6's may be fast but don't deserve a mention in street racing.
You guys are going to enjoy the Commodores, they rule.

[Blewvane]

Go the general!!!

[DarwinsMistake]

2006 Monaro/GTO 6.0 which were the base of many arguments here in the states as it being anymore than a G8 series with a few extra's..

I still prefer the classic Judge though...

Either way very sweet cars..IMO...I would still drive the Judge home first though...

[Blewvane]

That's fine. I'll take the munro and we'll both be happy.