http://www.hsv.com.au/cars/eseries/brochure/eseries.pdf


HSV's Super-Sedans Break 5.0sec Barrier
Toby Hagon
21 August 2006
www.drive.com.au

HSV's fastest, most powerful range yet can accelerate from 0-100km/h (62 mph) in less than five seconds.

HSV’s latest range of performance sedans will accelerate to 100km/h in less than five seconds, making them the fastest Australian-made cars ever.

The supercar-like performance and unique styling – HSV opted for unique tail lights and a more radical look – make the so-called E-Series range the most radical from the performance specialist to date.

It is also the most expensive, costing more to develop than the last four model updates combined, although HSV won’t divulge exactly how much.

For the first time ever, HSV – the performance arm of Holden – has chosen a distinctly different look to differentiate the look of the performance sedans from the VE Commodores they’re based on.

Styled alongside the VE Commodore, the E-Series range is designed to further separate the more expensive HSVs from the Commodores they’re based on.

There are some 301 unique parts and changes on the E-Series range to justify the price premium of the HSV line-up.

Most notable are the aggressive body kits and spoilers, as well as the vertical side air vents (they’re for show, not go) that characterise the profile.

The new curvy tail lights – complete with LED lights – also give the rear of the car a distinctive look, and one that’s sure to create controversy.

The repositioning of the tail lights compared with the squarer-looking Commodore donor vehicle required the fitment of a unique facia and rear bumper that carries plastic through above the lights.

“The launch of the E-Series marks an important milestone in the (HSV) business,” says HSV CEO Phil Harding. “We’re proud, for the first time, this new HSV vehicle range has been wholly styled, modelled, surfaced and engineered totally in-house by HSV staff.”

HSV design boss Julian Quincey says the idea was to give HSV a genuinely unique and upmarket look.

“Visually we were trying to use every opportunity to get something very unique,” says Quincey. “We want to establish HSV as something quite separate to Holden.”

HSV also sees its E-Series line-up as a chance to take the HSV brand further upmarket.

“[The target market] is not the same old playground,” says HSV marketing manager Andrew McKenzie. “This is the chance for us to say, ‘We’re serious about playing on a world scale.’ We want to conquer Europe and we can genuinely do that now.”

New Technology Leads The HSV Way

The flagships of the E-Series line-up, the GTS and Senator Signature, will also get a Magnetic Ride Control system – or MRC – similar to that used in the $600,000(AUS) Ferrari 599 GTB, the second-generation Audi TT and various Cadillacs.

Using a fluid with metallic flakes in it and an electric current flowing through it, the MRC system can almost instantly adjust the stiffness of the suspension to maximise cornering grip and poise and improve handling.

HSV claims the MRC ride control set-up noticeably improves ride quality while also allowing cornering speeds on some corners 5 per cent faster than a regularly-damped vehicle.

The E-Series range of HSVs also get the biggest wheels and tyres ever specified for a locally-made vehicle, with aggressive looking 20-inch alloy wheels part of the $74,990($56,992US) deal for the flagship GTS.

But, unlike some previous GTS models from HSV, the E-Series GTS gets the same drivetrain and engine as the more affordable ClubSport R8 – the volume-seller in the range - and luxury Senator.

The aggressive wings and spoilers of the $76,990 ($58,512US)Senator have been toned down further with the E-Series to help it better compete with more subtle contenders from German brands such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

Arguably the blandest and least impressive among the E-Series models, the Senator has a sedate-looking nose flanked in splashed of chrome.

Like all models it gets quad exhaust pipes and the curvy tail lights that are sure to spark controversy.

Inside, it benefits from much of the luxury equipment in Holden’s Calais-V, which means things like a roof-mounted DVD player are part of the $76,990 ($58,512US) ask.

The entry-level ClubSport (formerly HSV’s biggest seller) has been dropped for now, but is expected to make a return in “a year or two” with a price tag aimed to please.

Instead there’s the better-equipped ClubSport R8, selling from $62,890 ($47,796), standing in as the most affordable V8-powered HSV for now.

Also down the track expect to see a more potent GTS-R, which could get a moire powerful engine; a monster 7.0-litre V8 borrowed from the Chevrolet Corvette LS6 has been mooted, as has a 6.2-litre version of the current V8.

Under The Bonnet, Not Much Has Changed

Contrary to internet speculation, the V8-powered sports sedans rely on a mildly modified version of the 6.0-litre LS2 V8 used in the outgoing VZ-Commodore-based range of HSVs.

But it’s also the fastest-accelerating HSV ever unleashed, despite more than 100kg (220.5 lbs)being added to the bigger body.

Exhaust extractors boost power a modest 10kW (13.4 hp), for a total of 307kW (412 hp) at 6000rpm. Torque has been boosted further to 550Nm at 4400rpm.

As before, the maximum engine output is only achieved using more expensive 98 RON premium unleaded petrol.

But HSV is claiming significant performance modifications courtesy of new electronic controls and improvements to the basic design of the much-improved VE Commodore.

Acceleration to 100km/h is now achieved in less than five seconds, according to HSV’s engineering boss John Clark.

But that’s only in the six-speed manual, which gets a slightly shorter final drive ratio (so the engine is revving harder and faster at any given speed) compared to the automatic models.

It reaches the 100km/h mark in a claimed 4.96 seconds.

Still, with the most potent brakes ever fitted to an HSV, the E-Series stops better than any other HSV.

As with previous efforts from HSV, expect value for money to be a solid part of the sales pitch.

“There is simply no European product under $120,000 that has the same features and there is no other European product that competes under $200,000 that offers the same power or performance,” says Harding.

As with the V8-powered Holdens, the automatic HSVs benefit from an all-new six-speed automatic, which offers smarter and smoother shifts and improved performance.

However, unlike before, the manual has reverted to the performance king, at least in acceleration to 100km/h; automatic models take a claimed 5.04 seconds to reach the milestone 100km/h mark.
But the automatic is quicker than the manual across the 400m (quarter mile) sprint, achieving the feat in 13.18 seconds, fractionally better than the manual at 13.23 seconds.

A specifically-calibrated traction control system has been optimised by HSV to boost off-the-line acceleration. Not dissimilar to launch control systems in Formula One cars and various European performance machines, the HSV traction control system carefully moderates the amount of wheelspin to optimise traction and acceleration.

As with all Holden VE Commodores, the latest HSV line-up gets a stability control system as standard, individually braking wheels as required to help control a slide.

As for fuel consumption, it’s headed in the wrong direction, at least according to the official Government-determined figures. The automatic consumes an average of 14.6 litres per 100km and the manual 15.4L/100km. That’s 0.6L/100km and 0.4L/100km more than the old model respectively.

However, HSV engineers claim the new E-Series cars will use the same amount of fuel as the outgoing Z-Series range in regular driving.

In The Cabin

The latest E-Series line-up continues with HSV’s bold styling and sometimes over-the-top colours. Seats get more support than those in the sports-oriented Commodores, while a chunky, flat-bottomed steering wheel adds to the appeal.The gauges are white backed and boast HSV’s lion and helmet watermark.There are also three gauges on top of the centre of the dash for battery voltage, oil temperature, and oil pressure.

HSV E-Series

Engine: 6.0-litre V8
Power: 307kW at 6000rpm
Torque: 550Nm at 5100rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual or six-speed automatic
0-100km/h (claimed): 4.96 seconds (manual), 5.04 seconds (automatic)
0-400m (claimed): 13.23 seconds (manual), 13.18 seconds (automatic)
Fuel consumption: 15.1L/100km (manual), 14.6L/100km (automatic)

The Models

ClubSport R8
Price: $62,890 ($47,730 US) (manual), $64,890 (automatic)
Key features: 19-inch alloy wheels, cloth sports seats, ‘Sports Performance’ body kit, twin-nostril grille, six-disc CD player, six airbags, electronic stability control, ‘touring suspension’ package.

 

I like the lil dyno graph on the engine cover.

 

Any GM execs/marketers/beancounters reading here... Id like reasons why Holden cant just get imported here as a niche brand, since you seem to have an aversion to the best cars your company produces being incorporated into your mainstream North American lineups.

 

I wish I was never exposed to Holden, because not having them here makes it painful when I see their new models. I want a Maloo R8, dammit!

 

I'de guess the exchange rate on the $$$ stopping GM from seriously bringing them over.

 

...and maybe that they could upstage Cadillac for 80% sticker price.

 

Not only that but it is inexcusable that our NA cars dont even compare to this in looks or performance.. There would be no more talking about a HEMI...

 

There's a little trick at play here.

The prices on these cars are what Aussies are used to paying because the business model for a new car there is set up to turn a profit at under 100,000 cars per year (Commodores sell around 120-130K, while Statesman & Caprice barely turn 20,000).

Meanwhile, here in the US, we're set up for higher volumes, meaning development costs are spread out over a greater number of cars. That's why GM still made money on GTO.

The original Monaro was set up for 5,000 cars over 3 years. It cost as much money to convert the Monaro into a GTO as it cost to create the Monaro, so GTO needed to sell at least 7,000 per year to be profitable (it averaged 13-14,000). It needed a higher number because it was sold here in the US cheaper than the Monaro sold in Australia, so the cost was spread out over a larger number of cars.

Any car we got from Holden, especially since the VE is engineered for the US as well, would sell for less money here in the US than it would in Australia. CV8 Monaros ran over $40,000US, but GTOs ran $32-35K. So it's probally a safe bet that any Holden sold here costing $40K or more when converted to US dollars, would sell for 8-10 grand less here.

A $48,000 Club Sport would probally sell for about $38,000 here if made at twice the volume as the Aussie version. Maybe less since less money would go towards certification.

 

So, by that, I would say you could expect at least 1 conversion from Holden to the U.S, right?....Someday...? Please??!!?!!

 

Just FYI, HSV is not the same as Holden. It's a separate company (I believe Holden has some ownership interest, along with Tom Walkinshaw), and has its own plant. Holden cars are built with black bumpers and body panels, shipped to HSV's factory, where the components are removed and HSV does its magic.

HSV is to Holden what AMG is to Mercedes, sort of.

I really, really doubt we'll see HSV's here - the pricing would get too competitve with Cadillac (and I really think many enthusiasts would prefer the HSV's). Holden's SS and SS-V, on the other hand, if they could come here for $35k or under, might sell well. Holden can make 140k cars at its Elisabeth factory, HSV can take maybe 5000 of those a year to produce its models (rumor is they want to increase this to 10k)...

 

HSV are capable 'flat out' of producing 12,000 cars per year. Also who owns HSV is a little deceptive. The name "HSV" or "Holden Special Vehicles" is owned by Holden, but Tom Walkinshaw owns the company that builds the vehicles badged as HSV. Holden basically has some Holden people as part of the 'HSV' board to keep 'HSV' under control.

The reason, I believe, that HSV vehicles are not made by Holden is that Holden can distance themselves from HSV as it is a seperate entity. If Australia has another supercar scare like in the 70s, the maker of that car will be HSV, not Holden so HSV gets the publicity/criticism etc.

 

Correct. We probally won't get an HSV as a regular import, though I see a realistic possibility of a limited edition (perhaps of a few thousand at most) HSV-VEs marketed as a "Shelby-Mustang arrangement" like model for Pontiac as showroom queens.

We would more likely get a version of the Comodore SS at $52,000AUS or $39,000US (and probally sold here for $32-35K) or an LS2 Statesman for about $3-4K more as regular models... if you can call 18-25K cars "regular".

 

VE is designed from the outset to be a world car. Therefore, it shouldn't cost Holden anywhere near as much (or take as long) to release a LHD VE for NA.