The Final Goodbye of the Holden Commodore
It’s a bittersweet day indeed for Holden, General Motor’s Australian division. The Holden brand is ending production in their native Australia this year. That means it is the end of the road for the beloved Holden Commodore, the rear-wheel drive super sedan that no one ever bought. The Commodore, and indeed it’s Zeta platform, where the basis for some of General Motors truly great cars. The “ZF” Commodore enabled GM customers in the U.S. a shot at cars like the Pontiac GTO; Pontiac G8 and the Chevy SS. These RWD, sport sedans rivaled anything coming out of Germany, and enthusiasts (and the journalists who drove them) are lamenting their demise. That said, Holden is giving the Commodore one last breathe of life.
Meet the HSV GTS-R “W1” edition.
Meet the HSV GTS-R W1. That’s a lot to unpack. HSV stands for Holden Special Vehicles, the black ops unit of Holden that builds the crazy stuff. GTS-R, huh? Gran Turismo Sport Race, because the regular GTS wasn’t racey enough. Then, because they are absolute mentalists, GTS-R W1, wherein “W” must stand for “winning” because that’s what this ultimate special edition of the special edition is doing.
The HSV GTS-R W1 features the LS9 engine from the C6 Corvette ZR1. That’s a 635 horsepower, 601 lb-ft of torque, supercharged, 6.2L LS V8. For our native Aussies in the audience, that’s 474 kW and 815 Nm of torque.
Lest you think this is just a drag racing special, think again: this Commodore can handle. It is fitted with Pirelli Trofeo R track day rubber on massive 20″ wheels. Those wheels house 6-piston AP Racing calipers which clamp down on equally massive 410mm front rotors. As is the way with all of GM’s latest performance car offerings, the HSV GTS-R W1 uses the brilliant magnetorheological dampers (aka MagnaRide). Yours now (if you live in Australia) for $169,990 AUD ($130,000 USD).
If the W1 sounds too hardcore for your sensibilities, Holden offers the “regular” GTS-R, which has the option of an automatic gearbox, a detuned engine and most importantly, the option of the iconic Ute body style, in the form of the Maloo. The press kit was unclear if customers can order their GTS-R W1’s with the Ute body, but that would be incredible. Holden has an entire range of limited edition Commodores with various levels of insanity that can be viewed here. Godspeed, Holden Commodore.
[via Carscoops]
Jake Stumph is the Content Editor behind LS1tech.com. He is an avid racer and car enthusiast. He considers himself very lucky to be able to write about cars. You can follow him on Facebook and YouTube.
