AIMS: HSV joins the dark side

HOLDEN Special Vehicles is hoping for a fully subscribed customer order bank for all 254 examples of its enhanced SV Black Edition models when the new limited-run vehicles start rolling down the production line in ClubSport sedan, Maloo ute and ClubSport Tourer wagon guises in a couple of months.

Twenty of the vehicles are destined for New Zealand, with the remainder aimed at Australian HSV enthusiasts who are expected to start lodging orders from today, when the cars debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne.

Priced at a $4000 premium over the standard prices, HSV is claiming $7000 of extra value in the package, which follows the ‘black edition’ special vehicle trend set by European performance car-makers including Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

HSV managing director Phil Harding said the cars had been released at the show to build both excitement and the order bank, with the plan to make the entire batch in one run in a single month.

“When we did the Maloo anniversary pack last year, that was all fully subscribed, so we are looking for this to do the same,” he said. “Specials work for us, as long as they are seen as value packs.”

HSV general manager of sales Darren Bowler said the benefit of making all the cars in one batch was that they could all be dispatched directly from the Clayton factory to dealers and quickly into customers’ driveways in a short period.

He ruled out an extension of the production run should it be over-subscribed, saying HSV meant limited-edition when it made these models.

Officially, the cars go on sale in September, but it will be first in best dressed for buyers willing to slap down a deposit sooner rather than later.

Melbourne motor show-goers can see the SV Black Edition with its signature matt-black touches around the car, including the front fascia, side vents, side stripes and ‘Vector’ hood scoops.

The Black special-editions get the first forged alloy wheels of any HSV car, saving 20kg. Naturally, these HSV-designed Performance wheels are painted black, although this time in gloss finish.

HSV designer Julian Quincey told GoAuto he tried matte black paint on the wheels, but it just didn’t look right.

HSV’s performance suspension package and throaty bi-modal exhaust system are standard on the SV Black Edition, while inside, buyers get a unique finish on the console, instrument panel and steering wheel.

Special-edition sill plates, Onyx leather trim, matte black badging and a subtle lip spoiler on the ClubSport R8 sedan complete the package. Like all limited-edition HSV cars, a numbered build plate will be fitted to every example produced.

The engine remains the ‘standard’ 6.2-litre 317kW LS3 Gen 4 V8, and buyers can even have it with HSV’s dual-fuel liquid-injection LPG system on the ClubSport ($5990) and Maloo ($6390) if they wish.

HSV’s six-speed manual transmission is standard, with the six-speed auto adding a further $2000.

And no, you don’t have to have the vehicle in all black five exterior paint colours are available - Alto Grey, Nitrate (silver), Sting (red), Heron (blue) and Phantom Black.

In Australia, the Black Edition ClubSport is priced at $71,990 (plus on-roads), while the Maloo version is $67,990 and the Tourer $72,990.

For Australia, the production run will be 100 ClubSport R8s, 100 Maloo R8s and 25 ClubSport R8 Tourers.

In NZ, where the Tourer version will be unavailable, HSV dealers will offer 15 ClubSport R8s and five Maloo R8s.

Also at the motor show, HSV sister company Walkinshaw Performance is showing the latest example of its own brand of enhanced Holden models, the SS Series II SuperUte.

Featuring what WP calls “a very cool canopy with a carbon Sport Van rear door” on the back, the ute is a showcase for Walkinshaw’s performance parts menu, including the WP230 supercharger, Super Sport steel cat headers, a three-inch stainless steel exhaust with WP Black Edition billet tips, Bilstein suspension pack, bonnet scoop and 20-inch forged alloy wheels.

2011 HSV R8 SV BlackEdition pricing::&nbsp
Clubsport R8 SV BlackEdition	$71,990
Clubsport R8 Tourer SVBlack Edition &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp	$72,990
Maloo R8 SV Black Edition	$67,990