For those about to ute, he salutes you!
Earlier this year Chris Harris took some time off and came to Australia. Turns out he got himself a little bit of play time at the wheel of a 430kW/740Nm HSV GTS Maloo while he was here. All that power being sent to an unladen pair of rear wheels, an empty race track, what do you think happened next?
And Chris, for next time, a male sheep is called a ram. Of course, he would be a wether if his ghoulies had been snipped.
[Thanks to Stu for the tip]
It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but already the limited-edition HSV GTS Maloo ute with an $85K+ price tag has reportedly sold out. With only 150 examples of the you beaut ute to be made (or is that 155?) it’s no surprise to see the enthusiast market has mobilised quickly after news of the GTS Maloo broke late last week.
In basic terms the GTS Maloo is the coupé ute version of the Gen-F GTS sedan, which brings with it the 430kW/740Nm 6.2 litre supercharged V8. It’s going to be totally obnoxious, but also very, very cool.
At least five AUSmotive readers have got their name on the buyers list and hopefully one of them will be nice enough to let us have a fang when their new toy arrives.
[Source: news.com.au | Thanks to John for the tip]
The Holden ute is an Aussie icon, and while its passing will be a sad day, HSV is going to send off the ute by creating the greatest and fastest show pony it has ever made. The exact model name is yet to be confirmed but the working title of HSV GTS Maloo seems to make sense.
We’ve known about this you beaut ute for some time but have been sworn to secrecy. Thanks to news.com.au who have broken the ice we can now share news of the GTS Maloo and perhaps a little bit more.
The GTS Maloo will be limited to 150 units and despite the expected mid-80s price tag it’s likely to become one of the most collectable HSVs of all time. Only 120 of those may be sold in Australia with up to 30 being allocated for New Zealand buyers.
It’s an HSV ute, right, so its closing party trick has to be big power. Big, big power! Essentially the ute will simply knock-off the drivetrain from the GTS sedan, including its 6.2 litre supercharged V8. That means it will bring a mighty 430kW/740Nm to the table. For the old skool readers among you that’s 576hp!
Predictions for the GTS ute’s 0–100km/h time are in the mid-4 second bracket, but it’s the in-gear acceleration that 740Nm of torque will bring which should bag the biggest smiles this ute has to offer. Oh, aside from the silly sideways stuff that is.
HSV’s Magnetic Ride Control will be fitted standard and will help ensure all that power can get to the ground with some degree of decorum, while massive racing-inspired AP brakes will help to slow things down.
There will be a choice of manual and automatic transmissions and if you want the slushbox you’ll be getting flappy paddles for the first time in an HSV.
We assume Torque Vectoring and Launch Control (manual transmission only) will also carry over from the GTS sedan, although our source has not been able to confirm this.
Cosmetic enhancements for the GTS Maloo will also follow the lead from its four-door counterpart, both inside and out.
We’ve been told that the HSV dealership network has already been notified of their allocations, colour choices and options. So even though there has been no official announcement, if you just want one, we suggest you act now.
In other VF ute related news it’s understood the end of Commodore ute production will be brought forward to 2015, rather than 2016 as previously reported. This is due in part to fact the ute is one of the most expensive products in the Commodore model range to manufacture.
[Source: news.com.au | Thanks to Shaz for the tip]