HSV’s fastest, most potent car – currently known as the W427 show car – will be built in a special part of HSV’s factory in Clayton, Victoria.
When production of the HSV W427 begins towards the middle of 2008 a dedicated team of HSV mechanics will partially hand assemble the car in special production bays.
HSV says its most desirable car, which will sell for “between $140,000 and $170,000”, requires unique treatment compared with the more mainstream HSVs such as the ClubSport R8, Senator, Maloo, GTS and Grange.
The production version of the HSV W427 – which could be called GTS-R 427 or GTS 427 – starts life as an HSV GTS at Holden’s Elizabeth production line in South Australia.
Like other HSVs, it arrives at the HSV factory sporting black bumpers and steel wheels, soon to be replaced by unique HSV parts.
From there it will be sent to the dedicated production bays rather than the regular HSV production line.
Unique body parts will be fitted, including bumpers, a carbon fibre rear spoiler and badging. Bigger six-piston brakes and 20-inch wheels will also be fitted.
But the big change involves replacing the 6.0-litre V8 fitted to the current GTS with the Chevrolet Corvette-sourced 7.0-litre V8 fitted to the W427. With 370kW and 640Nm the engine is destined to become the most powerful ever fitted to an Australian production car.
To cope with the extra performance HSV engineers then fit a strengthened limited-slip differential, new high-strength six-speed manual gearbox (Tremec TR6060), unique clutch and revised air induction system.
The HSV W427 also gets its own two-mode exhaust system designed to deliver a beefier V8 sound at certain engine speeds.
HSV says the W427 requires more attention during the production process than any HSV before it.
Every 7.0-litre, V8-powered HSV will be built to customer order. HSV is expecting to build about four W427s a week, making it one of the most exclusive HSVs ever produced.
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