HSV ClubSport R8 25th Anniversary Edition Packs a Punch

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When it comes to badass Australian performance, the Holden Special Vehicles bunch is in a class of it own. Even Chris Harris was impressed by the HSV GTS Maloo ute and its 430 kW (576 HP) supercharged V8, which is speaking volumes. If berserk utes aren’t your cup of tea, the HSV ClubSport R8 25th Anniversary Edition could be exactly what you were looking for.

Compared to its US-spec sibling – the Chevrolet SS, the bad boy from the Land Down Under packs more grunt. From an LS3 6.2-liter small-block V8 tower-of-power, engineers squeezed 340 kW (456 HP) and a meaty 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque. Coupled to either a six-speed manual or automatic, this large four-door means business and boy does it like to show this fact.

Look at the press photo above. A car photographed standing on top of the rubber it laid down is badass and, if you poke it with a stick, this HSV can smoke the rear tires until they give up and call it a day. But hooliganism isn’t the only element in the ClubSport R8 25th Anniversary Edition’s nature. Handling is an important aspect as well if you consider that a limited slip differential, performance suspension components, and large AP Racing brakes are coming as standard.

Commemorating 25 years since the ClubSport name was born with the VN model, production of the 25th Anniversary Edition is limited to 108 vehicles, eight reserved for the New Zealand market. How much? AUD 73,290 or $54,515 at current exchange rates, which is about 10 grand more than a Chevrolet SS. The greenback is worth it though, not only because of the limited availability and the motor under the hood.

The styling enhancements are a tell-tale sign that this HSV is something truly special, a genuine collector’s item. Then there’s the added value of every little bit of equipment that comes as standard: Onyx leather trim, 20-inch alloy wheels, shadow-chrome exhaust outlets, a huge touchscreen for the infotainment system, sat nav, you name it, all the goodies are there.

PS: any performance car that wears a plaque with its dyno results on the engine cover is praiseworthy.

Show Press Release ↓

❐ Check out the HSV ClubSport R8 25th Anniversary Edition photo gallery

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Source: Automotive News http://ift.tt/1KRKgs6