Bruce Newton•7 Jun 2013
NEWS
GTS demand strongest in years
Supercharged HSV pulls in the punters in record numbersThe most powerful Holden Special Vehicle ever has been greeted by the strongest customer response in at least a decade.
Despite its on-sale date still being a couple of months away in August, the 430kW supercharged GTS has already prompted 250 cash-down deposits. And that was a week ago.
“Most dealers are out of the current allocation they were given [of GTS] and are now selling cars that they don’t know they are going to get,” HSV managing director Phil Harding told motoring.com.au at this week’s media launch of the GEN-F range.
“They will get them, but they have no definite supply.”
The GTS is powered by a 430kW/740Nm version of the 6.2-litre supercharged LSA V8 engine that is also featured in the Cadillac CTS-V and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, making it the most powerful production car ever built in Australia.
Its $92,990 price also makes it less than half the price of such sports sedan exotica as the 412kW/680Nm BMW M5, and undercuts Australia’s previously most powerful car, HSV’s limited edition 427, by more than $60,000.
“I can’t remember a time like this at HSV where I don’t plan to make the car until August, but already there have been 250 cash deposits, not just expressions of interest,” said Harding
“Perhaps it’s too cheap! If you want that power in a car you normally have to buy something with a two at the beginning of your price range.”
Harding said the GTS was budgeted to account for around 700-800 of the approximately 3000 GEN-Fs HSV will build per annum. He said he was unsure if that number could be increased if demand continued at this stronger than expected level.
“I don’t know if I can build more. I am only planning to build up to the normal ratios of GTS at this stage.”
No doubt the unprecedented response to the GTS will be a relief for Harding and the HSV management team, which committed more money to the GEN-F development program than any even the E-Series it replaced.
The biggest spend in that budget was GTS, which was a difficult case to prosecute and execute, nearly being abandoned along the way. The complexity of the program meant it didn’t hit certain GM gateways on time which is why it is not appearing until August when the rest of the range launches now.
Harding says he doesn’t expect or plan to lift sales for the overall range beyond the 3000 HSV has average out to domestically over its 25 year history.
“I can make good money on 3000 cars,” he said. “I can make the money I need to invest in the next program and make a good profit, so I am happy.
“I don’t plan to flood the market, one too few cars is better than one too many.”
Harding said any significant growth in sales would come from exports, but played down any suggestion that markets were opening up beyond New Zealand and UK, where the GTS will be sold under the Vauxhall VXR brand. That’s despite HSV owner Ryan Walkinshaw’s declaration that he’d like to explore more overseas markets for HSV.
“Export is not the top of our list,” said Harding. “We will do it if there is an opportunity; it’s one of those hundred things we deal with every week.”
Possible export markets could include the USA, the Middle East, China and India.
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Written byBruce Newton
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