HSV engineers are said to be extremely proud of the limited-edition ute, which has been hidden away in a top-secret laboratory for nearly two and a half years.
Rather than being a simple case of shoehorning the giant engine into an HSV-tweaked ute and disappearing into the sunset, the monster ute was a big job for the boffins.
With a different wheelbase to the GTS sedan, not to mention radically different dynamics, getting the engine under that familiar bonnet was only half of the fun.
The GTS sedan is the only vehicle in HSV's Gen F range that features torque vectoring - using inside wheel braking to maximise turn-in and essentially keep the vehicle on the road. And it's vital with the huge 740Nm serving of torque on offer.
At the HSV Gen F launch last year at Victoria's challenging Philip Island circuit the benefits of the Bosch-licensed system quickly became apparent. Without throttle input the sedan wasn't particularly stable on some of the MotoGP circuit's tougher corners, but as soon as the accelerator was touched the car came into line.
The torque vectoring system has undergone extensive reworking for the ute, but a lot of the GTS sedan's features will be copied across including the advance ESP system and choice of either a six-speed manual or a six-speed heavy-duty auto. Both come with integrated oil cooling to cope with the big torque figures.
The lightweight AP brakes will be used - with forged six-pot calipers wrapping around 390mm and 372mm two-piece rotors front and rear respectively.
As per the sedan the aggressive front spoiler, skirts and bonnet are stock on the new Maloo, as is GTS and LSA badging.
HSV NZ boss Andrew Lamb says the 10 vehicles coming here are likely to be sold almost immediately following the announcement.
"We'd like a larger allocation," he told Driven, "but being a limited edition they will sell out very quickly in Australia as well.
"It's a pretty amazing ute."
• For photos and video of the HSV Maloo GTS, go to nzherald.co.nz/driven
