HSV has launched the long awaited Gen-F GTS, and it might have been worth the wait as its the most powerful performance production car ever built in Australia. This new GTS will be powered by a 6.2 litre LSA supercharged V8 delivering 430 kilowatts of power and 740 Newton-metres of torque. With those kind of figures HSV has taking the a step into the ring with the mighty super sedans from the Euro Manufatures, Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
The LSA engine features
- Eaton 4 lobe rotors, 9psi boost, 1.9 litres of air per revolution
- Stand-alone water to air charge-air cooling system
- Stand-alone transmission and differential cooling system
- Water to oil engine oil cooling system
- Bi-Modal air intake system
- Hi-flow exhaust system with cross-pipe intermediate and Bi-Modal mufflers
- Hi-flow exhaust manifold and catalytic converters
- Unique rear suspension module with 9.9″ differential, upgraded drive and prop shafts
- TR6060 (MG9 spec) 6-speed manual transmission with oil cooler and twin plate clutch
- Optional 6L90E 6-speed heavy duty automatic transmission with oil cooler
“The imminent production of the LSA powered GTS is the culmination of nearly four years of development and testing by our design and engineering divisions. We’re excited that our work has almost come to fruition”
Said HSV’s Managing Director, Phil Harding.
Complementing the new engine are some significant technologies and upgrades that make GTS the complete package.
All this power and weight required some big breaks, the GTS has had a dramatic increased with AP radical forged 6- piston brake calipers with two-piece rotors front and rear now fitted as standard equipment. Combined with increased brake rotor diameters, the calipers, forged from 6061 T6 aluminium, offer a vastly improved strength-to-weight ratio and deliver noticeable improvements in brake modulation and feel. Rear brake pad size has also been increased by 12%.
“Australia’s most powerful production engine demands a premium braking package, and this was a key program priority right from the outset. With our new forged calipers, larger rotors and increased pad size, we’re confident the GTS brake package is the equal of anything in the world”,
said HSV Chief Engineer, Joel Stoddart.
In a first for an Australian made vehicle, the new GTS will also be fitted with brake Torque Vectoring. Currently only fitted to a few exclusive global marques, HSV’s brake Torque Vectoring helps reduce understeer by generating a “rotational moment” in the rear axle when the vehicle is under power. The vehicle’s Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system detects the understeer event, applies braking to the inside rear wheel and transfers torque to the outside rear wheel.
The vehicle also receives third generation Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) featuring three independent settings – Touring, Sport and Track. Hardware and software improvements combine to deliver greater body control, sharper handling and significant improvements in ride quality over the E3 model.
The new front-end design features bold graphics and shallow ramp angles that emphasise width and stance. Central to the new look is a “twin-nostril” grille and an all-new fascia, unique to the GTS, that helps deliver both an aggressive look and the air intake surface area required to cool the powertrain.
“The LSA program posed a number of design and packaging challenges none the least involving engine, transmission and differential cooling”, said Stoddart. “For starters, we required almost 130,000 square millimetres of open frontal surface area to deliver the level of cooling the package requires which is roughly 75% more than that offered with the E3 GTS. I think our designers have done a wonderful job in fulfilling the needs of the engineering team but also in delivering a front end that is signature HSV”,
said Stoddart.
The vehicle also features new light-weight 20″ “Blade” forged alloy wheels finished in Satin Graphite which are wrapped in Continental 255/35 R20 (front) and 275/35 R20 (rear) tyres. The wider front tyres deliver improved grip while the higher tyre walls contribute to a noticeable improvement in ride comfort.
An upgraded instrument panel with suede-style inserts, a new instrument cluster, gauges, centre console, appliques’ and door trims combine to deliver a more premium look and feel.
All-new HSV Performance seats are wrapped in Onyx leather trim and feature 8-way electric adjustment and seat heaters for both the driver and front passenger. In addition to Side Blind Zone Alert with Reverse Traffic Alert, Automatic Park Assist, Front and Rear Park Assist, Satellite Navigation with Reversing Camera and Passive Entry/Push Button Start – features now standard across the entire HSV range – GTS also picks up a number of additional driver convenience and safety technologies. GTS features a Head Up Display – technology originally introduced on fighter jets – that displays a raft of driver information on the windscreen such as vehicle speed, Gforces and engine temperature.
