Top 10 HSV Models That Stood Out In The Showroom

In a period where it’s all about electric cars and fuel economy, once upon a time it was all about tri-spoke wheels, Harrop strokers, loud paint and puffy sports seats.

We thought we’d reminisce about 10 special HSV models from the past. These aren’t necessarily the fastest, or in any kind of order of best or most iconic, but 10 models that stood out in the showroom for various reasons.

WILDEST BODYKIT
HSV VL SS Group A SV ‘Walkinshaw’ (1988)

The VL SS Group A SV kicked off HSV's journey with a bang. Featuring a twin-throttle, fuel injected 5.0-litre V8, this model boasted 180kW/380Nm fed through a BorgWarner five-speed manual, and of course, the iconic Walkinshaw body kit, marking the brand's first foray into powerful, visually striking vehicles. They’ve always been a love or hate model, but nonetheless, the price they command in today’s market shows the love for them. 500 were originally planned for production, but an extra 250 were made (and were apparently hard to sell given the VN SV Group A SS had been leaked).

CRAZIEST PAINT
HSV GTS-R (1996)

The GTS-R was a masterstroke, housing a 5.7-litre V8 thanks to a 355ci Harrop stroker engine crank. With mild fettling it it cranked out 215kW. The GTS-R featured a huge rear spoiler, tri-spoke wheels, comfy as hell Devonish front seats, a Tremec T56 six-speed manual, ‘Yellah’ paint (the only colour available for GTS-R) and was limited to only 85 units. Today this model is a true collector's gem and marked HSV's commitment to high-performance (again, for the time) exclusivity. Today, many people create replicas due to how rare they are - many with insane supercharged V8 engines or as cool street cruisers.

SLICKEST COUPE
HSV GTS Coupe (2001)

Inspired by the original Holden GTS Monaro, the GTS Coupe packed a C4B ‘Callaway’ 5.7-litre LS1 V8. It punched out 300kW and its muscular HSV-designed bodykit and trimmings made it one to drool over. Just 1400 units were produced, and it’s no secret a mint one today will fetch well above the roughly $100,000 original asking price. In terms of modern day Holden/HSV muscle, the GTS Coupe is right up there in terms of lust factor (we’d have one in black, or maybe even yellow). It was the ultimate new age 'Monaro' model.

BIGGEST ENGINE
HSV W427 (2008)

Celebrating HSV's 20th anniversary, the W427 was a monster. With a 7.0L LS7 V8 churning out 375kW, it was Australia's most potent car at the time, flaunting supercar performance. At the time journalists couldn’t wait to get their hands on the big engine model to test out how fast a HSV could be with such a big engine. The styling of the W427’s front end was unique to the large capacity model, as were the 20-inch wheels. The W427 was also the first HSV model to use Magnetic Ride Control suspension, improving handling - especially when pushed hard. Oh, and all 427 models produced were manual only. This remains one of the coolest HSVs ever.

BIGGEST PAYLOAD
HSV Colorado SportsCat (2018)

HSV diversified with the Colorado SportsCat, a performance-enhanced Holden Colorado ute. With off-road capabilities and improved handling, it featured a striking design and a 147kW/500Nm 2.8L turbo-diesel engine (no engine performance above the regular Colorado model). It also featured SupaShock Suspension, which was also found on the HSV GTSR W1, AP Racing brakes and a rear de-coupling anti-roll bar to help improve handling at higher speeds. Oh, and the trim was HSV business as usual with insanely comfy seats. The GTSR Maloo might be the king of the HSV utes, but the SportsCat was one to consider if you needed your HSV fix and had to head off-road on the weekend.

FASTEST UTE
HSV GTSR Maloo (2016)

The final hurrah for Australian-built utes, the GTSR Maloo. It shared its LSA 6.2-litre 435kW/740Nm supercharged V8 with the GTSR sedan - not to be mistake with the 474kW LS9 W1 model. Its potency and rarity made it an instant collectible - prices now in the many, many hundreds of thousands of dollars. Available with manual or automatic, the GTSR Maloo was and arguably still is the biggest flex a tradie could ever have parked outside a pub. The GTSR Maloo came with a unique, broad front end which also boasted wider front guards (shared with the GTSR sedan). It’s the ultimate track, take rubbish to the tip, fastest, most insane ute on the planet - the best ever made, and ever will be, end of story. If you don’t think so show us a more insane OEM ute.

BEST OF THE 90s
HSV VN SV Group A SS (1990)

At the beginning of the 90s, the VN SV Group A SS set the tone for HSV's dominance. Equipped with a twin-throttle, four-bolt 5.0-litre V8 producing 215kW and 411Nm, it was a street-legal racer built to conquer. The six-speed gearbox was straight from a Corvette - this was proof enough it meant business. You could say the VN Group A was one of the first Australian-made HSV/SV models that could really give it to European models such as the BMW M5 in terms of performance and handling - its top speed was rated at 259km/h. The cabin was treated with bucket seats, wool fabric door cards and a Memo steering wheel. With only 302 ever made, prices of VN SV Group A models will continue to soar (and soar).

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE GRIP
HSV Coupe 4 (2004)

The all-wheel-drive Coupe 4 housed a 5.7-litre LS1 V8, distributing 270kW through its innovative drivetrain. This performance gem showcased HSV's engineering prowess. The Coupe 4 was developed at the same time as the Adventure and Cross 8 - it’s impressive that the AWD drivetrain was able to fit under the Monaro’s sleek body. Much like the Monaro, the Coupe4 had four seats. The AWD system did come at a cost, though, weighing in at 1830kg, up from 1670kg for rear-wheel drive HSV Coupe models. Plastic wheel-arch flares and all, it’s certainly a cool-looking model. A collector item you might say.

FWD BEAST
HSV Astra VXR (2007)

At a time when turbo hot hatches were the hot thing, the HSV Astra VXR was certainly a proper player right in the mix as one of the best. Sporting a 2.0-litre turbo engine pushing out 177kW and a chunky 320Nm, the VXR was no slouch, with 0-100 coming up in 6.4 seconds. The interior was all business with Recaro sports seats which were a match for the ‘sports’ button - sharpened steering, firming the suspension and throttle response. These were fully imported from Vauxhall, but nonetheless, it remained a FWD option should you love HSV, or, Vauxhall.

MOST POWERFUL
HSV GTSR W1 (2017)

A triumphant farewell to the Commodore-based lineup, the GTSR W1 carried a 474kW/815Nm 6.2-litre supercharged LS9 V8 from the Corvette ZR1. Its 474kW output made it the most potent HSV ever. Given its status as the farewell performance, Commodore-based hoorah car, it was a natural decision to have the model come in manual form only. If you know the Corvette ZR1 and how insane that is, just imagine that much grunt in a HSV GEN-F Series. Both inside and outside the W1 was extreme. It was the ultimate way to (sadly) say goodbye to a nameplate that gave so many Aussies thrills over the years. Long live HSV. And long live Commodore V8s.

These 10 models stand as a testament to HSV's dedication to creating (and importing) performanace models for the Australian market. It's been a number of years since the last HSV rolled off the production line and to say they're missed would be a huge understatement.