Holden Special Vehicles HSV VXR

Oh my, a turbo charged HSV Holden? Whats next a Turbo Charged Commodore? We all knew this was coming, but no one was really going to say anything till HSV actually released the car. Of course HSV’s actual influence on the VXR is rather ambiguous, nonetheless, here at Car Advice, we are far to excited by the prospect of this Turbo Charged VXR that we just don’t care.

Managing Director of HSV, Mr Phil Harding, has welcomed the VXR to the HSV range, saying the first batch of the new cars have now arrived in Australia.

“With HSV now on the world stage we have been seeking ways to increase the size of our brand footprint in Australia”, Mr Harding said.

“The VXR has been on our radar for some time and we are brining it into the marketplace when hot, small, performance cars are all the rage”.

“We have secured limited numbers of the car that is taking Europe by storm, so I’d urge customers to visit a HSV dealership to test drive as soon as they can, before they are all snapped up”.

So what do you actually get with this package? Well Technological highlights of the VXR include

• McPherson-strut front suspension
• torsion-beam rear axle
• IDS chassis control system featuring ESP,
• traction control,
• ABS and brake assist.

The VXR rides on a 19-inch (yes thats right 19), European styled, 10 spoke alloy wheels, combined with ultra low-profile tyres to provide street style AND an ultimate feel for the road. As a Subaru Impreza WRX owner I am always scared when new Turbo cars come into the market, the long time king of the Turbo Charged cars is starting to lose its edge to cars like the VXR. So looking at the power figures for the VXR was actually a little surprising.

The 2.0i 16v ECOTEC-4 turbo engine puts out 177kW at 5600rpm, with torque reaching 320Nm at 2400rpm. Comparing these figures to your base, stock model rex, you will notice that the VXR actually has more power (same amount of torque) but when you look at the VXR’s acceleration time from 0-100kmh in 6.4 seconds, you wonder how the rex does the same dash half a second quicker? Its alright, now I don’t have to worry about the VXR.

Anyway, if we stop thinking about raw horsepower and acceleration figures, and concentrate on something that Subaru does really badly, namely, the interior, the VXR includes Recaro sports fitted seats with leather trimmed side bolsters, active safety front seat head restraints and a number of unique finishes that makes the VXR stand out from the crowd.

HSV is scared, they made fun of Ford Performance Vehicles, when they released their Turbo Charged Cars, “Australian’s don’t want Turbo Charged 6s” was the general sentiment from HSV. Of course, Holden and HSV was wrong, the XR6 Turbo and the FPV Typhoon have done a great deal in bringing back buyers to the XR and FPV range. Nevertheless, HSV’s Phil Harding said he believes that the VXR would appeal to traditional HSV buyers, but also introduce a whole new range of customers to the famous high performance car brand.

“I have consistently said HSV will enter the market where we feel we can raise the bar against the competition. The VXR fits our bill, bringing class leading chassis dynamics, class leading performance and class leading safety”.

“We are delighted to welcome it to the HSV family, on the back of the all new E series – one of the most successful launches in HSV history”.

VXR highlights

• 2.0i 16v ECOTEC-4 turbo engine (177kw at 5600rpm and 320 Nm at 2400rpm)
• Front wheel drive six speed close ratio manual gearbox
• 19-inch European style 10 spoke alloy wheels
• IDS chassis control system featuring ESP, traction control, ABS and brake assist
• Recaro sports fitted seats
• 321mm x 28mm internally ventilated front brake disks and 278mm x 10mm solid rear brake disks