HSV has officially launched its most expensive road car yet -- the $155,500 7.0-litre 375kW W427. And it has done so to the rampant ringing of the cash registers across its dealer network.
The "supercar" flagship -- built to celebrate all things HSV in the Holden 'go-fast' arm's 20th Anniversary year -- was officially debuted to the media this week and sales kicked off across Australia and New Zealand. And already, the hot Holden affiliate has locked out its production capacity for the remainder of 2008.
Hand assembled at HSV's Clayton factory, each W427 takes around 2.5 days to complete. The cars feature bespoke engines, brakes, gearboxes and final drives.
With current facilities and personnel, the 2.5-day timetable translates to around six cars per week. In all therefore, HSV says it will build and deliver 90 W427s in the second half of 2008 -- and every one of them already has a confirmed retail customer's name on it. No W427s will be built for stock, it says.
According to HSV boss Scott Grant, the company collected around 1500 serious expressions of interest for the Corvette race-engined four-door from its dealers and website in the months after the W427's unveiling at March's Melbourne Motor Show. But while details and pricing for the car was announced last month (more here), the process of dealer allocations and customer confirmations was only begun in early July.
All of HSV's 57 dealers were allocated an initial car, with the balance going to HSV's 200 Club and 100 Club dealers. Grant says, however, the cars have only been allocated to confirmed retail orders. Dealers will not be allowed to order a W427 for stock, he said.
According to HSV's General Manager for Sales and Marketing, Darren Bowler, around one third of the initial batch of W427 owners are new to HSV. Bowler says buyers of BMW M cars and AMG Mercedes-Benz are legitimate targets for the limited edition HSV hottie, but conceded the lion's share of early adopters are from the HSV faithful.
Initial interest has been stronger than even brand stalwarts imagined, however, insiders say. According to Bowler, HSV's top dealer, City HSV in Perth, is currently holding 15 confirmed W427 orders, the deliveries of which will stretch well into 2009. Only a handful of that 15 are included in the initial 90 cars.
We outlined the subtle changes to the W427 from its Melbourne Show prototype back in June (see link above). We can confirm now that the car will be covered by a full HSV warranty and will only require normal service intervals. There are no specially running in or operating requirements and the car will even run on 91 or 95 RON unleaded -- though HSV recommends 98 and quotes its power, torque and fuel consumption figures (375kW, 640Nm and 17.2L/100km combined) based on the 'sweetest' PULP.
The W427 is also fully Euro III emission compliant, and will require little tweaking to allow it to pass the next round of emission upgrades (Euro IV), says HSV's calibration engineers. This is important as HSV will likely build the W427 well into 2010-11, unless the 427-unit build limit is reached before then.
The first 90 W427 customers have already been contacted by HSV. HSV has struck owner-only mementos for the W427 purchasers and all have received an invitation to view the dedicated W427 assembly cell at HSV's Clayton HQ. They will also soon be receiving a 15-minute DVD detailing the build process.
The main task at the W427 facility is the installation of the US-built LS7 V8 engine and its dry-sump oiling system. To facilitate the installation of the above, the W427 also gets a bespoke airbox and a new canted radiator assembly.
In all, there are around 165 parts changes in the W427, says HSV's boffins, as well as unique engine, antilock brakes and stability control calibrations. Also bespoke is the suspension hardware (stiffer springs and other bushing and set-up changes -- more here) as well as the settings for the dual-mode Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) dampers.
Designed to meet -- and tested to exceed -- all of HSV (and Holden/GM's) durability and certification requirements, the W427 is much more than a bodykit and an engine swap.
Yesterday's first drive gives us every indication that this is a very fast and yet refined four-door. Indeed, such is the level of integration of the mighty LS7 powerplant that those expecting fire and brimstone might be a touch disappointed -- until they give the engine its head and watch the speedo needle rotate almost as fast as the tacho, that is.
And any thoughts of the W427 being a racetrack-only model can be filed away too. Though the spring rates are 30 per cent stiffer than its GTS stablemate, the W427 retains a decent level of ride and clutch, brake and steering effort are all commensurate with a 'cooking' model HSV or SS.
Though HSV won't comment officially, the good oil is the business case volume upon which the W427 was built was as few as 105-110 units. That by the end of 2008 the company expects to have delivered near 90 per cent of that number augurs well for the future of more, perhaps even bolder HSV star cars.
The Carsales Network's launch review of the HSV W427 will be published later this week. In the meantime, full specification details and images for the W427 can be viewed here.
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