Last year’s Vauxhall VXR8 not powerful enough for you? No problem, this year’s GTS adds an Eaton supercharger, 150 more horsepower and a perhaps surprising amount of refinement.
It’s a sad thought that this will be the last Australian-made Vauxhall, production of the Holden Commodore being due to end by 2017. What will become of Holden Special Vehicles isn’t yet clear, with this separate company having most of its revenue tied up in modifying various Commodore-based models.
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HSV is where Vauxhall’s new VXR8 GTS hails from, the car needing certain modifications before it can be sold in Britain. These include a rear fog lamp and the replacement of the metric speedometer. There’s also a Vauxhall griffin bonnet badge where an HSV one normally sits, and a VXR8 plaque on the central console. Look closely and you might also notice some more griffins in the centres of the enormous alloy wheels.
This shape VXR8 has been available since 2007 and the Commodore itself was first launched in Australia during 2006. There was a major update last year and I drove one of these cars in New South Wales for a couple of weeks last November.
The VXR8 had a 6.0-litre V8 under its bonnet but the GTS has the same supercharged LSA V8 which powers the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. This develops 576bhp and 545lb ft of torque, an increase of 150bhp and 140lb ft respectively over the outgoing, LS3-engined VXR8. The Eaton supercharger has four-lobe rotors, 9psi boost and 1.9 litres of air per revolution.
Let’s get the bad news out of the way: the CO2 average is 363g/km (there’s no stop-start system), insurance is 50U and the VED band is M. Floor the throttle regularly and you’ll inevitably be looking at a range of fewer than 200 miles from the 70-litre tank but drive the car normally and it’s surprisingly economical. I averaged 24.6mpg overall. The main reason for that is the gearing. At the UK motorway legal limit, the V8 is pulling just 2,000rpm. Power up to a 100mph cruise and you’re still only stretching the motor to 2,750rpm.
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By GlobalDataThe extraordinary thing about the GTS is how gentle a drive it can be. The MG9 spec six-speed manual transmission might need an oil cooler and a twin-plate clutch but you can cruise around in fourth, fifth or even sixth – there’s just so much torque. The clutch pedal isn’t as heavy as you’d imagine, though the shift isn’t as light as something like an Insignia’s. Nor is there the booming exhaust at in-town speeds that the test car’s bright orange and blacked-out wheels suggest. It’s all a bit tame, really. That is until you give the right pedal a firm push and then you see why Vauxhall compares the GTS to the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG.
Acceleration is epic in this car and accompanied by a classic V8 burble from the four tailpipes. Some of that is down to a stand-alone water to air charge cooling system, a bi-modal air-intake system and high-flow exhaust manifolds plus bi-modal silencers for the exhaust system. The latest model is easily distinguished by its ‘twin-nostril’ grille and new fascia. These were needed as the air intake surface had to be larger so as to help cool the LSA V8. Vauxhall notes that a total of 130,000 square millimetres of open frontal surface was required for the new engine – 75 percent more than the outgoing LS3-engined car.
The GTS is fitted with Brake Torque Vectoring, which helps in reducing understeer. It does this by generating ‘rotational moment’ in the rear axle while the car is under power. The ESC system detects understeer then brakes the inside rear wheel, while at the time transferring torque to the outside rear wheel, preventing the front end from running wide. I’ve driven quite a few V8-engined Commodores over the decades and this one is the best by far in terms of handling and roadholding. Grip is similarly impressive and the tyres are some of the lowest profile I’ve seen on an Australian-made car. They’re supplied by Continental and are 255/35 R20 on the front and 275/35 R20 at the rear.
Another new feature compared to the outgoing VXR8 is the Driver Preference Dial. This is situated between the front seats and gives you the choice of four settings: Touring, Sport, Performance and Track. Depending on what you select, it’s possible to tweak the ESC, Traction Control, Launch Control (manual transmission cars), and exhaust, as well as the Brake Torque Vectoring and steering systems. After some (OK, a lot of) fun through Cheddar Gorge in Track mode, I then switched back to Touring as the ride can be a bit too firm back on suburban streets.
The wing on the bootlid does at times block some of the view to the rear but you soon get in the habit of just moving your head to see over and under it: as the GTS isn’t exactly the most subtle way to roll, you’d probably need to be extra vigilant about unmarked cop cars creeping up behind you, especially on motorways.
While GM Holden exports a related model to the US as the Chevrolet SS, HSV doesn’t do an LHD version of the GTS for Opel. Nor is there a right-hand drive car for Opel Ireland, which makes the GTS extra special for Vauxhall Motors. Ensuring extra exclusivity is a cap of 100 cars due to SVA regulations. Sales for 2015, the first full year for this model, are projected to be around 30 units. Prices start from £54,499 to £56,199 on-the-road. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see these cars worth a lot of money in a decade’s time.
