7-litre VE for 50 cents?
American rap artist and Pontiac enthusiast 50 Cent has stamped his approval on a modded version of the Holden-built VE Commodore-based G8Pontiac can't even sell you a G8 yet, but that hasn't stopped known Pontiac 'tragic', 50 Cent, from putting his name to a specially modified version of the car making an appearance at SEMA in Las Vegas.
Allow us to translate for you:
- Pontiac is a GM brand in America, one step above Chevrolet in the pecking order and traditionally specialising in performance-orientated cars.
- The G8 (more here) is a left-hand drive Holden Commodore revised with Pontiac styling themes and badging for the American market.
- '50 Cent' is a stage name adopted by Curtis Jackson (pictured with G8) who writes and performs rap music. He also happens to be an enthusiastic supporter of the Pontiac brand and has incorporated Pontiac vehicles in his music videos.
- SEMA is 'Specialty Equipment Market Association' and runs a massive trade show in Las Vegas each year.
Okay, translation over.
The SEMA show in Las Vegas each year is B-I-G. Bunging a 427 CID (7.0-litre) V8 into the G8's engine bay, equipping the car with some creature comforts and 22-inch alloys prior to placing it on display at the show practically guarantees a massive audience for the car in advance of its on-sale date.
A New York tuning shop, Unique Autosports, handled the basic assembly of the car, with a Detroit firm, Thomson Automotive, looking after the engine installation and testing. Both companies collaborated with 50 Cent and the car bears the rapper's name on the exterior.
The engine, which is coded 'LSX 427' by GM, develops over 500 horsepower and has been assembled with parts -- including many fitted to the Corvette Z06's LS7 engine -- from GM's Performance Parts catalogue. A forged steel crankshaft, titanium conrods, aluminum cylinder heads developed for motor racing and an LS7 fuel delivery system are all fitted to the engine.
Once the vehicle was returned from Thomson Automotive, the staff at Unique Autosports resprayed the car in 'Torch Red' with an ebony graphic and fitted tinted glass, tinted tail light lenses, a stainless steel exhaust and the 22-inch alloys in a chrome finish with Pirelli Scorpion Zero tyres.
Red perforated leather seat and armrest inserts were chosen to replace the black items fitted to the car from the factory and an 800-Watt JBL audio system was installed in lieu of the standard unit.
According to Will Castro of Unique Autosports, "The most interesting aspect of the project is what we didn't do to the exterior; we didn't add a body kit, spoilers or lower the car. The G8 has the right stance and appearance, so we only accented the original form with details that made it unique to 50 Cent."
Now it has been shown to be possible, how far off can a 7.0-litre HSV be? The question has been raised previously by the Carsales Network (more here) and we'll keep you informed of new developments as they occur.
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