Holden HSV W427

Holden Special Vehicles today revealed that the HSV W427 is coming in August and will cost $150,000 AUD. This makes it the most expensive Australian production supercar ever. Holden Commodore-based HSV W427 has a 500 horsepower, V8 engine given it the distinction of being the fastest and the most powerful car from HSV. Not surprisingly, only 427 W427s will be built (hand built), and all will be made to order at the Clayton production facility.

Just to ensure that everyone knows what we are taling about, Holden is GM’s Australian auto brand and Holden's in-house tuner is named HSV which stands for Holden Special Vehicles.

HSV’s owner and founder Tom Walkinshaw has confirmed the final power output figure for the W427 will be 375kW (502hp) @ 6500 rpm and 640NM (472 ft/lbs) of torque @ 5000 rpm coming from the 7.0-liter LS7 V8 engine. This powerplant has been source from Chevrolet's Z06 Corvette but for W427 special HSV specific calibration has been done. Walkinshaw also informed that HSV has already received expressions of interest from 1500 customers. Now this baby seems to be already sold out more than three times.

Full Story

Photo Gallery: Australias New 2009 Holden HSV W427 Super Pictures.

GM Reveals 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Photos

General Motors has revealed these low-res pictures of the new Chevy Camaro convertible pre-production model without camouflage. According to GM's blog , "As a reward for your interest – and your patience – here’s a sneak peak of the convertible version of the Camaro, which is also undergoing a similar evaluation as we ready it for full production later next year. (Preproduction models shown. Actual production models may vary.)"


While nothing new has been revealed about Camaro from these convertible model photos, it does give us some food for thought. There are a number of changes that have been made to the car since we first saw the prototype spy shots. GM has done away with the odd looking lights going for the standard, much better, light unit. The car also comes with what appears to be twin exhausts and the strong lines of the coupe have not been sacrificed by the retractable soft roof.

The Chevy Camaro is expected to make its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Source

2009 Cadillac CTS-V Details Released

2009 CTS-V Performance Reaches The Stratosphere
As final testing of the limited-edition 2009 CTS-V nears completion, the results suggest that Cadillac's upcoming sports sedan is entering the stratosphere of the world's highest-performing cars. Cadillac announces the following performance specifications for all-new 2009 CTS-V:

CTS-V, with its supercharged 6.2-liter LSA engine, has achieved SAE-certified peak output of 556 horsepower (415 kW) at 6100 rpm and 551 lb.-ft. (747 Nm) of torque at 3800 rpm.
CTS-V accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. CTS-V covers the quarter-mile in 12 seconds at 118 mph. These acceleration times are believed to be the fastest for any V-8-powered sedan currently in production.
More than just power, CTS-V also includes a comprehensive suite of technical and design enhancements, including Magnetic Ride Control and a new automatic transmission with paddle-shift control. Cadillac pioneered Magnetic Ride Control, the world's fastest-acting suspension, in 2004. The new CTS-V employs a new version of this technology, enabling it to achieve a remarkably wide bandwidth of capability that ranges from extreme high-performance agility to the smooth road manners of a prestigious luxury sedan.

CTS-V also manages power via an extremely robust driveline. The car's limited-slip differential is made of cast iron for extreme strength. Its limited-slip tuning enables excellent high-speed stability along with comfortable low-speed maneuverability. The prop shaft is heavy-duty and wheel hub bearings are stiffened and bolstered to manage the car's remarkable energy. Axle half-shafts are asymmetrical, a design that ensures smooth performance.

Read Full Story

Corvette ZHZ Added To Hertz Fun Collection

Hertz Does It Again; Company Rolls Out Corvette ZHZ, an Exclusive, Limited-Edition, Performance Car for Customers Seeking to Add More Fun and Excitement to Their Trips.
Get ready to start your engines! The Hertz Corporation (NYSE:HTZ - News) has teamed up with General Motors to launch the Corvette ZHZ, a special limited-edition, high-performance super-car now available for rental exclusively through Hertz. Equipped with a 436-horsepower, V-8 engine, the Corvette ZHZ is the newest showcase car in the Hertz Fun Collection, which features a series of sporty vehicles designed to make the drive a key part of the journey.
Source: Hertz Corporation

Recognizing the special appeal of Corvettes to owners and would-be owners, Hertz is adding 500 Corvette ZHZ models to its airport locations in 24 major metropolitan cities across 14 states and Washington, D.C. through June 16, 2008, so this summer you can take to the road in style, wherever your trip takes you. The first Corvette ZHZs debut this month at Hertz airport locations in major cities including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer the limited-edition Corvette ZHZ as part of our Fun Collection fleet," said Mark P. Frissora, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Hertz. "With the launch of this exclusive program, customers can experience the thrill of renting a high-performance car that provides the utmost in driving experiences while adding a splash of fun with its distinctive look."
Read Full Story

Breckland Unveils Kappa-based Beira V8

Breckland Beira breaks cover at Motorexpo, Canary Wharf
Highlights:
* A new, 400bhp British-built two-seat roadster
* Supercar performance at a fraction of supercar cost
* Dual-fuel, for environmental benefit and reduced running costs
* On sale from November 2008

London's Canary Wharf is the stage for the show debut of a stunning new British sportscar on June 9, as Breckland Technology removes the wraps from its exclusive two-seat V8 soft top, the Beira, at London Motorexpo.

Norfolk-based Breckland - part of Hong Kong-based multi-national, Riche Holdings - is vastly experienced in the development and production of high-quality, low volume specialist cars and prototypes for an array of prestigious international clients, including Mosler, and has now employed its substantial skills in the making of its own limited-production supercar.

The Beira is a hand-built, two-seat roadster with unique styling cues, based on proven GM architecture and powered by GM's LS2, 6-litre V8 engine, tuned to produce just a whisper short of 400bhp.

Tipping the scales at some 1,400kg, the Beira's impressive power-to-weight ratio ensures invigorating performance, with the promise of a sub-five second sprint to 100kph, coupled with tremendous torque and a governed top speed of 155mph.

"Beira carries on from where Marcos and TVR left off in terms of providing maximum performance for money spent, and real individuality", says Breckland Director, Mike Rawlings. "We also looked seriously at environmental concerns and, as a result, Beira is designed to run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas as well as petrol. This not only helps to reduce running costs and emissions, but also means Beira is capable of a range of some 700 miles between refuelling stops - that's the equivalent of travelling non-stop from the north to the south coast of France.

Beira dynamics
Beira is based on the well-developed General Motors Kappa platform, on sale in the North American market. Beira differs in many significant respects from the GM products however, the most radical departure being the installation of the potent, 6.0-litre, 400bhp LS2 V8 engine, more commonly found in Corvette and Pontiac GTO models. It replaces the four-cylinder Ecotec engine and, by comparison, produces more than twice the power of the original unit.

Stopping power is provided by impressive, 325mm ventilated discs on all four corners, the fronts being grasped by six-pot callipers, with four-pot at the rear, both from UK specialists, HiSpec. Steering is via power-assisted rack and pinion, whilst the dramatically styled 18" cast alloy wheels are 8.5" front and 9.5" rears, shod with Bridgestone ultra-low profile tyres. Customer options include an upgrade to 19" diameter rims and tyres.

Bespoke interior
Breckland stresses that the Beira's interior can be customised to specific buyer requirements in terms of materials and equipment - one significant benefit of the company's inherent flexibility as a low-volume producer. The stylish central instrument cluster incorporates a double DIN showcase of mobile entertainment from in-car specialists, Clarion. Its immense specification includes a 7" TFT colour touch screen, DVD player, direct iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, and an in-built 30Gb hard disk drive (HDD) navigation system with full European mapping. Beira buyers can also opt for the rear reversing camera, which relays the view behind onto the same in-dash display.

Affordability
We have received tremendous interest, and orders, for Beira already," says Mike Rawlings. "The car debuts in left-hand drive form, underlining its appeal to enthusiasts in Europe and well beyond, and will be available in the UK and internationally via our appointed agent network from November 2008."

The Breckland Beira on-the-road price will be confirmed shortly but is expected to be in the region of £55,000 in the UK.

Source: TheyReviewed

Photos: Breckland Beira V8 Pictures.

New 2009 Model Cadillac CTS-V Creates Under-8 Minute Lap Time

GM is nearing the completion of testing for the highly anticipated Cadillac CTS-V. It is a limited-edition high-performance model based on the Cadillac CTS sport sedan. In a recent test at Germany’s Nurburgring, a six-speed automatic (not manual) Cadillac CTS-V lapped the 13-mile track in a record time of 7:59.32. This blistering lap-time however, is still about 40 seconds short of what Nissan's GT-R set earlier this year.

John Heinricy, director of vehicle integration and a celebrated racing driver, piloted the CTS-V through its sub-8 minute lap. The General Motors is quick to point out that the car was equipped exactly as the production model will be and no modifications were made to aid in its exemplary performance.

The 09 model Cadillac CTS-V is powered by supercharged 542bhp 6.2-litre LSA V8 petrol engine making 550 pound-feet of torque at 6,200 rpm. The same unit is doing service on new Corvette ZR1 as well but there it is tuned to produce mind-boggling 638 hp horsepower. CTS-V will come with a choice of 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions and a slew of technological and engineering advancements including a new version of Cadillac’s Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension, paddle-shifting, and the Performance Traction Management (PTM) system. PTM allows drivers to fully exploit the car's power by instantly matching its delivery against current traction availability.

Cadillac CTS-V production is scheduled to begin this fall and will go on sale in the UK early next year. Till then check out its fastest lap-time video below.

Source: Carnoise

2008 Vauxhall Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition For UK

General Motors' Vauxhall division is introducing the Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition in UK. The 3door Vauxhall Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition is based on the standard VXR version, but its factory tuned to develop 240 PS. It has a top speed of electronically limited 155 mph (250 km/h) with 60 mph coming in 6.2 seconds.

Sales of the limited edition Astra VXR Nürburgring Edition have begun in the UK. With a price tag of £21,295, each individually numbered Nürburgring edition will come with an exclusive all-white paint finish and lightweight white 18-inch alloy wheels, equipped with bespoke Dunlop tires. Other exterior features include dark tinted windows, carbon fiber effect mirrors and B-Pillars and distinctive chequered flag body graphics, to further emphasise the car’s incredible performance.

Each UK-specification car will also come provided with a Remus Sports Exhaust, developed with Vauxhall’s BTCC race team, Triple-Eight Race Engineering, which provides a power increase of up to 15PS.

Like the standard car, the Nürburgring Edition benefits from a six-speed manual gearbox and lowered, uprated VXR suspension with ESP as standard. But its dynamics are enhanced still further with the wider front and rear tracks and lower un-sprung weight offered by the new alloy wheels. Ventilated 321mm diameter disc brakes at the front and 278mm diameter discs at the back help slow things down, while blue-painted callipers remain a VXR trademark.

The Nürburgring Edition theme continues inside, with carbon fibre detailing on the door trims and fascia, bespoke leather seats with the Nürburgring circuit graphic embossed into the Recaro front seat backrests and an individually numbered plaque showing each car’s build number.

Optional extras include electronic climate control (£275), cruise control (£200), electric foldable door mirrors (£125) and adaptive forward lighting (£750).

08 Vauxhall Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition Photo Gallery