ABDC: HSV GTS

If there was one car that stood out in the countdown to ABDC, it was the bahn-storming HSV GTS. One of two genuine Aussie musclecars, it was one of the loudest, heaviest, thirstiest, and biggest cars in the 15-strong field. It was also the gruntiest, courtesy of a 430kW/740Nm supercharged 6.2-litre V8. But it was far from the most intimidating, with Euro-style poise and handling that surprised.

Like the XR8 Falcon, the HSV GTS took a slightly old-fashioned approach to the task of delivering driver thrills and nailing apexes along Tassie’s often tight and twisty tarmac.

In the true spirit of the great muscle cars, the home-grown sedan packed some serious punch with an awe-inspiring 6.2-litre supercharged V8 delivering 430kW and 740Nm. Indeed, the local hero boasted the highest outputs of any Australia’s Best Driver’s Car (ABDC) contender.

The fire and brimstone came packaged in a traditional, four-door family sedan with front engine/rear drive layout, weighing in at a hefty 1842kg (second heaviest in the field).

But you can overcome almost any weight deficiency with enough grunt and the GTS delivered scorching acceleration, as borne out on the drag strip. A time of 5.6sec for the 100km/h sprint was around half a second slower than HSV’s official claim, however, this was the fifth quickest on the day (equal with the Lexus RC F).

For the record, the HSV clocked fourth fastest over 400m (13.36sec at 189.1km/h), beaten only by the Nissan GT-R, Porsche Cayman GTS and Jaguar F-TYPE R.

But HSV’s best car ever proved much more than a straight-line bully, with surprisingly polished performance in the real world. Far less intimidating to drive than the stats suggested, it displayed remarkable composure, balance and grip in often treacherously wet, icy cold conditions -- as long, of course, as the prodigious output and hefty bulk were considered.

A significant step up in dollar terms over the XR8, it’s clear the HSV engineers have spent the extra money and resources well. HSV’s Magnetic Ride Control suspension, for example, delivers impressive balance and control that defies the car’s heft.

This seat of the pants feel was backed up by the second quickest lap time (1.05.05) around Baskerville Raceway. Only the Mercedes-Benz AMG A45 was quicker around the very damp track – although Porsche and GT-R aficionados will likely be screaming for a rematch with different rubber once the full timesheets are published.

It’s easy to get comfortable quickly in the GTS, with a highly adjustable contoured seat, fronted by a nice, grippy leather steering wheel. Unlike the over-complicated BMW M4, the HSV’s no-fuss interior offered few distractions, with just a dial for the four ‘performance’ modes to play with, depending on your mood and driving manner. If anything the seats were too wide and accommodating, with not enough lateral support for average-sized drivers in the twisties.

A menacing rumble and obligatory engine ‘shake’ at idle sets the scene in preparedness for the ‘full metal racket’ on planting the throttle from standstill and experiencing the spine-chilling cacaphony as the exhaust flaps opened around 4000rpm.

Aside from the unmistakeable bark of the Jaguar F-TYPE R, the GTS’s carefully orchestrated exhaust note was most memorable off the line, prompting one description of “Aural sex”.

While in most extreme ‘Track’ mode the ride tended towards “firm but pulverising”, the adjustable ‘magnetic ride control’ system delivers impressive compliance overall, telegraphing bumps but not necessarily transmitting them.

There’s also little of the race car-like, low speed rigidity of the BMW M4 or WRX STI; the GTS delivering one of the most relaxed and comfortable cabins in cruise mode.

Like the six-speed auto transmission, the electrically-assisted rack-and-pinion steering wasn’t as sharp or direct as other car here, but there’s enough precision dialled into the chassis and controls to instil confidence, backed up by sticky Continental road tyres and electronic assistance including Torque Vectoring to reduce understeer.

“Very good grip and turn-in for a car this heavy,” was in the notes of one judge.

Also helping ‘connect’ car to driver were the wheel-mounted paddle shifts; absent on the XR8. Brake pedal feel was exceptional, with the monster AP brakes rarely fazed by the car’s bulk.

The stability control system provided enough ‘give’ to maintain the flow, only intervening when the rear end stepped out too far. While throughout, it remained relatively civilised and refined, even at wide-open throttle, with tyre noise ever present but never annoying.

“There's a cohesion here that makes flowing roads satisfying: down to third, brake, hit the apex, gas it, cool…” was how one judge aptly described it.

While undisputedly “the best Aussie muscle car ever”, the heavyweight GTS was marked down for not being a car you could get in and immediately drive fast; the rear end too easily overwhelmed by a tsunami of torque at anything other than the lightest throttle pressure.

For some it had too much grunt, so you never felt as in control as when punting more balanced machines like the Cayman GTS.

“A car that takes a little time to feel comfortable with and longer to master. But it’s very rewarding, and good for the machismo,” was another comment.

And that’s the GTS in a nutshell. Not far off the polish and refinement of much more expensive European muscle machines, while “retaining that animal unruliness that defines the Aussie V8 sports sedan”.

And what other ABDC contender could elicit this sort of primal response: “I get out of this and I feel like I need to cut wood and repair a truck diff. Brutal, big but quite refined and finished.”

2015 HSV GTS pricing and specifications:
Price: $96,990 (auto) (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.2-litre eight-cylinder supercharged petrol
Output: 430kW/740Nm
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Fuel: 15.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 373g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

ABDC ranking: Eighth

ABDC Scorecard