415kW twin-turbo VE SS Commodore
May 15, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
We don’t often cover the modified car scene (a segment we will soon be launching an entirely separate website for) but when news came of a 415kW twin-turbo kit for the new Commodore V8 range from APS, we had to take a look.
If you have not heard of APS, they have been turbocharging and building intercoolers and cold air intakes and the lot for over 25 years. They play with everything, from WRXs to EVOs to XR6 Turbos and now they have put their efforts into the 6.0-litre Commodore V8 and produced a monster.
Using two turbochargers the APS kit delivers unbelievable torque right across the entire RPM range. The company says after the modifications, the 6.0-litre behaves like a strong 9-litre Big Block with supercar performance figures.
Just look at the dyno graph!
We are still waiting to hear back regarding Australian pricing, but the kit should be very popular with Americans who are taking delivery of their Pontiac G8s.
An easy and effective way of entering the exclusive 400kW+ club. For more information, click here.
Print it: 
If it proves reliable, why bother with a W427 except for the exclusivity?
It should do, APS has been around for a while. But..i must keep questioning. What is the point of this 550kw(ish) monster if not all can be put on the ground? What is the point if at the first corner, you instead power slide into the perimeter boundary?
Anti spam word = 300kw
Is that not a HSV clubby?
I asked a mate of mine if he was going to by a new FG GT. He told me yes, but would be transfering his current running gear to the new car; twin turbo V8 with 475kw.
More Carbon fibre please, instead of the plastic bits.
There are no corners on the Drag Strip…
I would be very very nervous about the transmission. HSV have been modding the auto to ensure it stays cool and also avoided bumping the torque of the LS3 up.
tomr
its not 550Kw people…its 557Hp = 415Kw… saying this.. the Torque would be the thing that sets this a alight…
It’s great that you don’t often cover modified cars but I can also understand your wish to
do so on a separate site. You do realise of course that this would make Motor mag totally redundant.No great loss.
What a shame. Only 12kw off being able to go to the moon. I guess thats why it will be so much cheaper.
It’s also probably worth noting that it’s more than likley to be 557rwhp, 415rwkW. So you would be looking at close to 460kW at the flywheel, over 600hp… depending on if it was automatic or manual.
haha a twin turbo v8 pushes only 415kw when yet a inline 6 with a single turbo pushes over 500+kw wat a joke holdens are
Oi, Name required…Don’t forget this thing has to pass emissions and be legal unlike your 500kw single turbo sixes. I’d like to see your aftermarket 500kW XR6T or Skyline pass an EPA test… FAIL
Oh, and it’s 415 REAR WHEEL kW too, and I think the article should be modified to reflect that considering the flywheel power output will be much higher.
Thats about what Audi RS6 puts out, no? Pretty friggin awesome but XR6T shall remain king of the aftermarket.
Poison Eagle, I would like to agree with you but it’s not the case, yet.
The LS1 is truly the one to beat aftermarket, with many different work shops running 8 second passes. Victorian TUFSS-3 is a N/A (thats natrually aspirated) LS series motor, running 8’s in a VX SS Commodore. When there are numerous 8 second non dedicated drag XRT’s, then it may just be the case.
And also, for the third time, this power figure is recorded at the REAR WHEELS, which CarAdvice should have noted. It would equal nearly 500 flywheel kW, or over 600hp.
It’s also NOT a VE SS Commodore. Pretty shocking for a Australian automotive website to not know the difference between a VE SS and HSV Clubsport.
That’s 415rwKw on a STOCK engine. I’d like to see how the internals on a stock XR6T handle that kind of power, let alone the 800 Nm of engine torque lol!
With the price of fuel heading towards the big $2.00 litre and more, well its good for a Sunday drive to the shops.
I agree; I think if I wasnt getting a new ute I’d go for either the new F6 or wait for the New Torana released in 2010-12 as it will have a Twin Turbo Direct Injection V6 which is expected to produce approx 320Kw
The stock XR6T internals would need upgrading but I’d say the F6 internals could handle it; Even so, a rod upgrade is fairly cheap. Bear in mind that this package would require alot of parts to be fabricated for this twin turbo setup- The XR6T has been proven to surpass the 400kW mark cheaply.
Wheelnut, i thought you are complete holden man and wouldnt buy a new FPV or Ford?
I wonder what the cost (of car) would be!
No duck I am a car enthusiast; which means that [unlike a certain native wild dog on this site] even though I prefer a particular make – Holden; I am still able to appreciate the engineering brilliance – design performance technology etc offered by various other rival manufacturers
And as Holden or any other company don’t have a car to match the Ford in terms of price and performance etc .. The F6 is the one to go for
So Wheelnut, will the Torana TT-36 will be made?
well done wheelnut the more “car enthusiast’s” we have on this sight the better it would be.
Can anybody please show me these 8 second LS1 Commmodores? Particularly the N/A ones im very keen to see them.
Hahah Wheelnut appreciates other vehicles. What a laugh.
oi GhisGT havent u seen the 400rwkw typhoons that nizpro sent over to the uk
n another thing i find amazing is that the ford v8 is only a 5.4ltr n now is pulln 315kw n ur 6ltr buket is pulling wat 317 now shame isnt it cant w8 to see the fords 6ltr that comes out in 2010
i bet u all that engine was not a stock engine with the amount of force the turbos would push thru that engine id like to see the gearbox survive 800nm of torque n the engine would need valve spring upgrades, head work, pistons ect
Duck I expect that the cost of the modifications done to this Clubbie would easily put the price over $100;000 particularly when you consider the reconfiguration and recalibration work needed to the ECU and all the other upgrades such as suspension diff and brakes etc.
Therefore you’d probably be better off looking at the HSV W427 as all the work done to it would be covered by factory warranty
However if you were thinking about the HSV W427 you might as well fork out a bit more for a real performance car with style and substance like an M3 or an AM Vantage as they look and sound better
geez over 100,000K
I spent only around 17k and was pushing 280rwkw from my R34GTT, thats from the 150-160rwkw stock, almost a 100% increase and no problems…
Amazing… the problem of diminishing returns….
PoisonEagle, google ‘TUFSS-3′. The first result is “TUFSS3 runs 8.91@152mph…”, Naturally aspirated.
Oh and Name required, they do have Comp cams 918 valve spring upgrades, but the heads and pistons remain stock. The are tons of examples of TT LS series engines with many kms on them and have remained trouble free, search forums like Street Commodores or LS1.com
The auto is a little of a concern but when backed up to the T56 6-speed, there is no dramas. Mega tough box the Tremec.
Joober, no offence but we are talking a brand new car here. If you really wanted 280rwkW on the cheap, stuff a SR20 with GT35/40 turbo in a Gemini. Would probably run 10’s and make around the same power for even cheaper, but would be a nugget of a car.
TP………..what is your problem? Wheelnut and the rest of us are not one eyed car extremists like you and one other on this site,and quiet frankly all of us Ford Fairies are done and dusted arguing with you and your mate, CAs ratings may improve if we continue the FORD HOLDEN TOYOTA battle but we feel the site 12 months ago was better without it and can no longer be bothered biting back at any of your fishing trips.
Back on topic ,too right Watto,sounds like a cheaper option if your after the grunt depending on the cost of the kit.
This might sound crazy but I wonder with this new luxury tax on cars over $57000, will HSV abd FPV be offering deals where you buy and pickup your XR6 turbo from Ford then drive it over to FPV and have them convert it to an F6. By my thinking you should not be slugged the luxury tax because it’s after market; same argument for Holden V8’s to HSV.
I do believe there are many ways of skinning a cat.
Of course this luxury tax might force some of the car companies, especially those from overseas to lower their prices of some of their models.
GhisGT, my parts and build was not on the cheap, they were sought after parts not some noname ebay branded items. I saved alot labour though… I agree its a new car so it would be more expensive. looking at the 100k price tag is a suprise to me given my experiences and friends experiences with tuning imports (with that money you could make a weapon!). To make less than drivable 100% more power/torque, it can be seen that because its most likely sourcing custom parts and the lack of prior knowledge (treading on a new car model), the diminishing value is more apparent, and each upgrade has a high cost to it…
That car belongs to Autotech Engineering’s owner, Spiro Papadimitos. It’s a LS2 with the APS kit and 3″ exhaust. Retail price was $62,890, APS kit $16,000 fitted, plus cost of exhaust makes the investment around $80K – half the price of the W427 and with 540kW at the fly compared to the W427’s 375kW. Sounds like a great deal to me. The LS2 kit has been engineered and is street legal. I don’t know of another street legal and driveable car of similar quality that comes anywhere near it. And economy? It got under 10 litres per 100kms on its trip up to Sydney from Melbourne.
I own a VR Clubbie 185i 304 ci which pulled 211rwhp on 300000km old engine and over 400nm of torque (enough to frighten most imports) with a T04Z turbo pumping 10 psi, should make anywhere from 400-430rwhp or upwards of 300rwkw on stock bottom end,standard heads and manifold have spend under $5000 have built it myself, should pull 10’s with this make upwards of 600nm of torque and smoke most imports. The guy that spent $17k on his skyline, I would be disspaointed with that figure, a mate of mine pulled more power for less money. Also there is no way your skyline would make 160rwkw when even the mighty godzilla doesn’t even make that sort of power stock. XR6T and F6 have weak rods and valve springs, can’t make much more power than 300rwkw on big boost. The guy that said about inline 6’s making 550kw name one that uses stock bottom end and 10psi and how reliable are they. If they make this spastic amount of power why aren’t they winning dyno comps at summernats etc. There is no replacement for cubic inch displacement. With the 5 and 6 litres, we have power to begin with, take the turbo of an import or XR6T and they are very boring. I have smoked numerous imports and they are not happy when the commodore pulls away from them.
Just bought a 2006 VE SS (LS 2) with 47,000kms – one private owner with full service history for $29K – silver over black. I love the LS 2 motor. Can someone tell me how to get 400rwkw? And also how many newton meters would I get? Thanks in advance.