HSV GTSR W1 2017 Review

In one sense this is an easy road test to write. But in another, it’s difficult and very sad.

An easy road test because the HSV GTSR W1 is undoubtedly an impressive vehicle which encapsulates the Aussie muscle-car ethos - crazy-powerful and sufficiently rough-edged to be true to the genre. And yet, as has become the way of Aussie muscle cars in the last decade or so, it is more refined and better behaved than you might expect.

At the same time this is a depressing road test because the W1 is the last of the muscle-car breed and the last derivative to be spun off the Aussie-manufactured Holden Commodore.

A to ZETA
The HSV GTSR W1 rides on the locally-developed Zeta architecture which was intended to ensure both the future of the local Commodore and to underpin a variety of General Motors models globally.

Work on Zeta began in the late 1990s, it debuted under the VE Commodore in 2006 and will expire in 2017. Sure, I’m biased, but there is no doubt this is still a great set of building blocks for an affordable rear-wheel drive car. Zeta deserves a future and probably would have one had it been developed at GM’s U.S. technical centre in Warren, Michigan rather than Port Melbourne, Victoria.

It’s not just blind patriotism that prompts those comments, rather the prompt emerges after driving the W1 and realising how well it copes with the supercharged 6.2-litre LS9 V8’s 474kW and 815Nm.

Yes, super-sticky Pirelli PZero Trofeo R tyres really help get the power to the ground, as do the Aussie–developed Supashock monotube dampers. Throw in plaudits for the massive AP Racing brakes too, because they perform a hard-stopping job time and again without issue.

Have no doubt Holden Special Vehicles has done a terrific job bringing the W1 to life. It was a big task which overcame a series of hurdles: finding the engines, developing a dry sump oiling system, upgrading the Tremec TR6060 manual six-speed gearbox and so on. In the end, the HSV GTSR W1 is testament to Aussie ‘can-do’ engineering.

It is also a $169,990 limited edition, of which just 300 will be built. And, despite that hefty price-tag, all but one or two have already been accounted for. Assembly began this week at HSV’s Clayton plant and will run to September.

The engine outputs and the price, which is the highest yet for a HSV vehicle, are gobsmacking enough. But so are claims like zero to 100km/h in 4.2sec, a 12.1sec 400m sprint and a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 16.5L/100km (translation: real world fuel consumption into the 20s folks).

Precious metal
The car we tested was a pre-production pilot and was one of only two W1s in existence when we got behind the wheel. So no pressure then…

We chose to conduct a big slab of our road test in the Dandenong Ranges to Melbourne’s east. There are plenty of interesting roads in the ranges, but this is also the area where HSV engineers traditionally head with prototypes for a real-world (not on a test track) outing. So this was a bit of a home-coming.

What we discovered was something more or less recognisable to anyone who has driven a V8 Commodore, or especially a supercharged V8 HSV. The W1 has a fundamental cohesion of driving performance, albeit dialled up further.

At its lumpy idle, the LS9 V8 burbles intently and rocks the W1 gently, hinting there is much to come. Turn the Driver Preference Dial from the most conservative Sport mode into Performance or Track and the noise from the bi-modal exhaust is instantly louder and more threatening.

Depress the heavy-yet-malleable clutch pedal, slot the Tremec six-speeder – which crunches slightly - into first gear and there’s a little snatch from the driveline as the W1 pulls away. In fact, it’s all reasonably civilised.

Less-so the Alcantara-trimmed interior. This is typically HSV with its man-size sports seats, thick-rimmed, flat-bottom steering wheel and overtones of standard VF II Commodore instrumentation.

The W1’s electric-assist steering requires effort in any mode and, as the passive Supashocks don’t change their settings (unlike the MRC dampers they replace), the ride at low to medium speeds is noticeably firm.

Yes, the Supashocks do successfully take the harshness out of sharp edges, but rolling down a city road at 40-60km/h, the W1 still bobbles over every pebble. At least there is decent ground clearance under the menacing nose to avoid constantly grinding into bitumen or concrete (a constant urban threat).

Waking the beast
As speeds rise, the HSV GTSR W1 becomes more focussed. Depending on where you are in the rev range, the noise from the twin exhaust tailpipes ranges from obvious to overwhelming. From about 4000rpm there is a deep chest-beating roar which any V8 fan will love.

Believe it or not, the engine isn’t as seismically dramatic as the induction and exhaust notes would suggest. Rather than being explosive, it simply swells and swells in typical Chev small-block pushrod fashion. From 1000-6600rpm this engine just keeps building but, from where it signs off in a GTS, it keeps building further. The ease with which the W1 lopes to 160km/h has to be experienced to be believed.

One aspect which does take adjustment, even for frequent HSV drivers, is the taller first and second gear ratios. The W1 reaches 99km/h in first gear and will hit the limiter somewhere north of 140km/h in second – so, when tackling a set of winding roads, you can easily flow through in second gear, whereas in other V8 Commodores, third is usually the go.

Losing the downchange means sacrificing engine braking into a corner and robs you of an opportunity for a delicious blip on the throttle during a heel-and-toe shift. Sometimes you just gotta change up in order to then change down…

Not that the gear-change is all that delicious in itself; it is a tad notchy and you can miss the occasional gate.

While the engine is the heart of the W1, HSV’s harnessing of its output is seriously impressive. In road driving you can’t imagine the brakes ever fading and the Supashocks deliver true chassis control as commitment levels rise.

The steering offers real feel, there are tingles through the pedals, turn-in is sharp and grip on exit is fantastically good. If anything, the W1 is a slight understeerer at the limit, but provoke it over the limit and it’s two-turning and two-burning…of course.

Trick rubber
Naturally, the limited slip differential and HSV’s well resolved torque vectoring set-up play their role in the W1’s adjustable and trustworthy behaviour, but the Pirelli tyres fitted are ridiculous. Any PZeros are good, but these 20-inch Trofeo Rs resemble grooved racing slicks.

Those Pirellis certainly hang on and, behind the wheel, provide a level of confidence in the W1 which exceeds any other HSV or Holden Commodore V8. The downside is a dramatic tendency to tram track when there is a distinct crown in the road…attention-getting for sure.

We didn’t get the chance to test the Trofeos in the wet. The closest we encountered were some damp patches under trees (well-known in the Dandenongs), and there were no issues.

Depart the bitumen and expect those sticky Pirellis – like racing tyres – to pick up all sorts of gunk and rubbish.

Speaking of gunk - some flicked into the base of our W1’s front-right shock/spring unit prompting an ugly noise and feedback through the steering wheel. HSV is aware of the issue and struts in the production cars will be fitted with an appropriate plastic shroud.

The only other issues we encountered were some lingering clutch smells and a few creaks from the body which suggested, even at 5000km, this particular W1 had endured a hard life.

Buried treasure
But serious kilometres or long racetrack careers are unlikely to be the norm for most HSV GTSR W1s. It’s almost a given the majority will be buried in private collections. While it’s understandable these cars will be treasured, let’s hope their owners do get out and drive them with enthusiasm more than occasionally.

Sure, the W1 is a good investment, but it’s also a great car.

Just as the final Commodore should be.

HSV GTSR W1 Pricing and Specifications:
Price: $169,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged petrol V8
Outputs: 474kW/815Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 16.5L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 382g/km (Estimated)
Safety Rating: TBC