HSV is a hardly a household word, outside of Australia, that is, but down under, it's a highly respected brand in its own right as it produces factory hotrods that offer more than decent performance in unassuming packages. Case in point is this HSV Senator, which in its base form is really a front-engine, rear drive Holden Commodore with a Chevy LS1 engine and a raft of luxury and performance appointments. Not content with this special treatment, the owner of this Senator asked tuner PowerTorque in Australia to up the ante with further upgrades.
Starting with a C5R engine block, PowerTorque installed a stroker crank with matching rods and pistons, bumping displacement to 7.2 liters. LS6 heads featuring upgraded valves, springs and retainers with Comp cams provide the heavier breathing capacity. Which brings us to the eight 55 mm throttle bodies you will see when you open the hood. This Harrop setup utilizes individual runners and individually-adjustable throttles. The cost-no-object engine setup gives a total output of 500 horsepower.
In keeping with the luxury underpinnings of this car, the owner opted to retain the 4-speed automatic, although a 3000 rpm stall converter was installed and the rest of the drivetrain strengthened for reliability. Alcon 6-pot brakes ensure that this car doesn't smash into unwanted barriers and the suspension is looking at a Bilstein coilover upgrade. Horsepower calculations place this car's power-to-weight ratio as equivalent to a Mercedes CLS55 AMG or an Aston Martin DB9. 0-60 mph time is estimated at 4.4 seconds with a quarter-mile time of around 12 seconds.
HSV vehicles are slowly gaining worldwide recognition as highly affordable performance cars and this particular example, with its BMW M5-slaying performance, is a testament to the platform's possibilities. Top Gear's review of the HSV VT
Source for this article found here.
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