2007 HSV E series ClubSport R8 Road Test
June 29, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
SAFETY FEATURES
Driver and passenger safety needs to be top of mind for cars with this much power. If it all goes wrong, you’d like to think the safety systems might prevent the more severe injuries.
The R8 comes well prepared. Apart from the active safety devices already mentioned, six airbags including dual stage, for driver and front passenger along with side airbags and side curtain airbags are on board.
Active front seat head restraints are fitted, as well as an engine shutdown mode, which is activated when seat belt pre-tensioners are triggered. The computer also turns the fuel pump off, unlocks the doors and activates the hazard lights.
COST OF OWNERSHIP
My average consumption for the week I got to test the R8 was a respectable 16.9 litres/100km, which included some heavy-footed driving. Combined factory consumption figures are 14.0L/100km, so the real world-driving figure is more than acceptable for anyone in the market for this car.
HSV’s have always held their value better than the stock commodores. This is probably due to the fact that in the past they were almost always numbered, as production runs were limited.
There are no limited runs on the current E series cars – they are selling better than ever and the export program is barely out of diapers. Nonetheless, with such value propositions such as the R8 ClubSport, I expect resale values to remain high.
“The Brits think they are getting a bargain at 35,000 GBP for the VXR8. That converts to $82,367. If they knew they could pick up the same car for less than $63,000 and full tank of petrol for half of what they pay in the UK, there’d be a lot more of them living here”
By Anthony Crawford
We also got a quick steer in the Walkinshaw Performance R8 with its TOMCAT exhaust system and will post pictures and its superb exhaust soundtrack next week
G’day,
That low mounted red light in the rear diffuser of the UK version of the car is not a stop light but a rear fog light. I understand all new cars sold in the UK must have rear fog lights.
Lucky we don’t have that foglight here then. There are already too many tools here that drive around with their rear foglights on (think Hyundai drivers)
Just found your site the other week. I’ev now added your RSS feed to my home page. Awesome website. This site is exactly what the Aussie online car community has been lacking. Autospeed has gone downhill, and FullBoost is mostly oriented towards drag racing. The other, more commercial sites are a pain.
Thanks Matthew – that makes more sense but nonetheless, a race car-like stop light would be a nice touch on the R8!
thanks for your positive comments Daniel!
I actually dislike the look of the HSV from the back.
If you look at it from dead on, there’s too much expanse of metal, and the taillights are very small in comparison.
I think that HSV should have stuck with what they used to do, which is take taillights off a Commodore. They could have taken the taillights off a Calais or something.
To each his own JW, but sales of the E series cars are way ahead of previous years sales already and export sales are equally spectacular.
Most folks think the rear of the car with the LED tail lights is the best angle of the new car, so you would be part of a very small group of people.
It’s a great drive.
JW,
You hate the rear look at the back that is a wonderful butt!
HSV spent 3 million dollars alone on the taillights!
GET REAL! THATS NOT A SUPERCAR! its a holden! i hate holdens. FORD RULE! The tyhpoon orion has the equivalent power to this v8 although the typhoon is only a V6.
ford falcons dont have a v6 “yet” its a straight 6….
and what ever.. its only a holden.. it looks better however
the TWR supercharged version offered in the UK is a mean peice of kit. TWR have made some seriously amazing machines.. XJ220s for example
Simba Loves Skylines is an assclown, fords suck chocolate salty ballz as do skylines
gday
i.d like to see some evo lancers