2010 Holden Special Vehicles GTS Review

Well, this is it, the Big Dog. It's the all new E Series 2 Holden Special Vehicles GTS, and it has just received a power-up to 325kW (435hp). Not only that, but it has 550Nm (405lb ft) of torque, which more importantly alters the earth's rotation whenever you hit the throttle.

And when you do hit that throttle hard, a computer controlled valve in the exhaust bypasses the motor, so as well as slowing the earth down under truly stump pulling torque it sounds as if you are breaking the globe in half.

And even though it's a subtle green colour, the test car still looks meaner than a tiger undergoing a root canal. The big LED daytime running lights virtually force other people off the road, and you really never have to worry whether you've been spotted by other road users - if it's not the lights, it's the sound from the 6.2 litre LS3 engine - you know, the one from the Corvette.

HSV has done the usual modifications on the engine to adapt it to powering a big four door sedan. And I do mean big. Those in the US will recognise the donor car as a Pontiac G8, although of course it's really the Australian built Holden Commodore.

For the GTS, HSV has pretty much gone all out. It has MRC suspension, which essentially means a magnetic field changes the damping settings of the suspension several hundred times a second, and if you are so inclined, there's a Track setting which really stiffens the already solid suspension.

The car also rides 20mm lower than the previous Series 1 car, which means a lower centre of gravity for better handling, but also a much higher chance of tearing the entire front bumper off the car on a kerb. Given the expense of those LED lights this is something that is most definitely not recommended.

But take the GTS out on the open road and it's a joy to drive. Throttle response is instant and the six speed automatic gearbox is very good at predicting what you want it to do. Use the manual mode, and the engine will automatically blip the throttle on each downshift, making you sound like a driving master.

The optional SV brakes on this car include six piston callipers and brake discs the size of Jumbo pizza trays. The only way you can conceivably stop quicker is to run into a solid wall.

But the car can also be quite economical. I don't mean in town, where you can virtually see the fuel tank gauge drop every time you hit the throttle, but on the open road, where at 100km/h the engine is barely ticking over at 1600rpm. To put it another way, that's only twice idle speed. Previous generations of HSVs could pull off this trick as well, but a peaky torque curve meant that there was no response when you suddenly wanted to accelerate.

No problems with this one though - the engine simply purrs into action, ending up at the redline quicker than you expected and bellowing like a stuck bull.

There is a downside to this car though, and it's to do with the car it's based on. The Holden Commodore does not have the highest quality of trims, and while HSV has tried up to up the ambiance there's still a bit of 'high performance taxi' about the interior. That's especially true of the handbrake, which seems specifically designed to catch a part of your hand when you release it.

But really that's only quibbling, because this NZ$$98,590 car has the performance of NZ$200,000+ Euro super sedans while retaining that all important everyman image.