1600hp Torana Hatchback Is One Of Sydney's Toughest Street Cars

“I’ve always had high performance vehicles,” begins Tony Kassiotis, owner of Prestige Motor Gallery. A quick flick of the dealership's social media confirms that this is Sydney’s home of chrome bumpered muscle cars, so it’s no surprise that Tony has satiated his horsepower addiction with some fine examples of Aussie muscle in the past.

“I’ve always wanted a Torana hatchback, but I’ve always been a naturally aspirated guy. We bought the car from Aaron as ASG Motorsports with a twin turbo LS combination but we’ve changed it a lot since then,” Tony continues of the angry boosted LS that powers the hatchy. 

The tough cars that Tony alludes to barely measure up to the turbocharged Torana. “I jumped out of a 10sec car and in to this 7sec car. The first time I ever drove it was at Cootamundra in 2019 - it was like driving a fighter jet!” laughs Tony.

The powerplant is a bulletproof combo’, and a license to print horsepower. An LSX block measures 427 cubes, with twin 82mm Precision turbos stuffing the GM block full of boost. With the right numbers punched in to the Haltech computer, the result is 1,600hp on E85.

Surprisingly, it’s a power figure that Tony’s not afraid to use and you’ll see the hatchy at everything from a local Cars and Coffee event, to Roll Racing, to casual street driving! “Sometimes I daily drive it,” grins Tony. “The way I see it, you can go out and buy a 6 or 7sec drag car and you can only use it at the track. With this, I’ve got a 7sec car that I can cruise on the streets, or go and get coffee with mates,” he affirms of his dedication to clocking up plenty of hours on the street.

The Torana shares the family garage with Tony’s son’s 4-door LH, white like his dad’s. “His only makes 1,100hp,” explains Tony, as if the number is any less preposterous than his hatchback’s!