2017 HSV GTSR W1 first drive review

Stephen Ottley

19:0031 January 2017

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All roads have all led to this.

I'm driving the pinnacle of the Australian automotive industry, an Australian designed, engineered and manufactured sports sedan that is as good as anything the rest of the world can produce.

It is called the HSV GTSR W1, the final product of the partnership between Holden Special Vehicles and Holden's Australian-made Commodore.

It is the culmination of 30 years of experience modifying Commodores into performance cars, and in true HSV fashion the company will not bow out quietly.

While cross-town rival Ford let the equally iconic V8 Falcon die with a relative whimper, HSV has pushed the limits of engineering to ensure the final Commodore V8 goes out with a supercharged bang.

Instead of a new set of alloy wheels and a commemorative badge, HSV's team of engineers and designers have added an all-new engine, new transmission, new suspension, new brakes, new wheels, new tyres, new interior and new exterior design.

HSV was known to have been working on this project for more than two years, but to finally see the finished product in all its glory is something special.

The new engine is Chevrolet's 'LS9', a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 featuring a racecar-style dry sump lubrication system. It is the same engine found in the sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and boasts more than 474kW of power and 815Nm of torque. That's a 44kW and 75Nm jump on the existing GTS, which was already Australia's most powerful production car.

In order to channel that power to the rear wheels, HSV has to redesign the internals of the transmission. While still related to the same Tremac TR6060 six-speed manual as the rest of the range, it has been beefed it up with components from the Corvette to make it able to cope with the extra torque. The close ratio set-up is designed to maximise the engagement between the engine and driver.

In order to tame the extra grunt from the engine HSV has completely redesigned the suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres for the W1.

The adjustable Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) from the rest of the GTS range has been dropped for a unique suspension system developed by Adelaide-based specialists Supashock. It is the same company the develops suspension for HSV's sister company, Walkinshaw Racing (formerly known as the Holden Racing Team).

HSV director of engineering Joel Stoddart said his team's goal was to incorporate racetrack experience into the W1, giving it a similar suspension set-up to a Supercar on a street circuit. To that end the dampers and springs are significantly stiffer; for example the spring rates are more than two times higher than the standard GTS.

Stopping power has been improved with the fitment of new AP Racing 410mm front brake rotors (up from 392mm) clamped by six-piston calipers. Made from aluminium the new brake package weighs 10 per cent less but has 25 per cent more pad area.

The huge brakes are housed inside 20-inch forged alloy wheels that are half an inch wider front and rear (nine-inches at the front and 10-inches wide at the rear). The new rims are a unique design (suitably dubbed the SV Panorama) for the GTSR range and are finished in matte black and with W1 branding engraved into it.

Wrapping the wheels are Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres, semi-slick track-focused rubber. HSV admits they are not ideally suited to the road if it rains but provide excellent grip in dry conditions, significantly more than the standard Continental tyres on the rest of the range.

To fit the wider tyres and give the GTSR range a unique look, HSV's chief designer Julian Quincey redesigned the front end of the car, adding a new front bumper and, in a first for the brand, new fenders, unique from the Commodore.

The new front quarter panels are made from the same lightweight plastic as the HSV bumper and feature unique vents just behind and above the front wheels. In the case of the W1 those are embellished with genuine carbon fibre, as is the front bumper and rear wing. The rear diffuser was also redesigned and lifted 55mm higher for better aerodynamics.

As impressive as all that sounds on paper the specification sheet doesn't do the GTSR W1 justice when you unleash its full potential on the track.

HSV let Drive sample one of the W1 development vehicles on the Phillip Island circuit and it had no trouble living up to the hype that has built up around it over the last two years.

Firing it up doesn't reveal any major differences to the LSA-powered models, the engine just ticks over with the usual V8 rumble. Select first gear and pick up the clutch and you get your first pleasant surprise. Despite a heavy clutch and beefed up transmission to cope with the extra torque the pedal feel is still relatively light, making it easy to live with.

The second pleasant surprise comes as soon as we're clear of the pitlane and can unleash the LS9. The engine pulls hard from low down in the rev range to launch the W1 with ferocity - and doesn't stop. Even on the fast, flowing Phillip Island layout the W1 never runs out of steam, the supercharged V8 just keeps building speed.

With the corners coming up a rapid rate the new brakes have no trouble slowing the W1, providing a strong bite and good pedal feel allowing you to really push the car to its limits.

But it is the way the W1 corners that is perhaps the most impressive aspect. The new suspension set-up keeps the large sedan noticeably flatter in the corners than the rest of the range with the standard MRC. In combination with the excellent grip from the Pirelli tyres the W1 corners with the confidence and poise you expect from its more expensive European rivals.

Our drive was limited just a few laps but even that short period the W1 has left a strong impression. It certainly lives up to 30 years of history from HSV and demonstrates the company's devotion to working on every detail to make the car as well-rounded as it could be.

It would have been easy for the brand to steer clear of investing the significant amount of money developing the GTSR, specifically the W1 with its huge engineering changes, given so few will be made over a very short period.

But HSV wanted to complete this era of Australian-made cars on a high note. The goal was to create the ultimate Australian driver's car and based on our initial taste they may have succeeded.

Only 300 examples of the W1 will be built and each will retail for $169,990 plus on-road costs. Even at that price with so few available they will be snapped up in little time.

This may be where the road ends for the Australian-made car industry, but it has been a great journey this is a truly unforgettable destination.