KEY POINTS:
HSV has pushed a few boundaries in its time. The latest one might be just how much would you pay for a road-going Holden?
The W427 show car, unveiled at this month's Melbourne Motor Show, marks the start of a "7.0-litre programme" for HSV, and a version of the LS7 V8-powered super-sedan will go into limited production in the third quarter of the year.
The final details have yet to be announced, but it's certain that the price tag will be well into six figures - at least A$130,000 ($149,400) and possibly as high as A$160,000 ($183,900), according to some speculators.
In fact, the cost could be so high that Holden New Zealand is yet to decide whether it wants to sell the car here.
The W427 is set to be the fastest car ever produced in Australia.
The massive 7.0-litre V8 engine makes 370kW/640Nm and should hit 100km/h in about 4.7 seconds.
That's not a huge performance leap over the standard 6.0-litre GTS (4.9 seconds), but much of the delight is in the engineering detail - the W427 has a specific braking system with 50 per cent more pad area, a revised stability control calibration, suspension tweaks and a new exhaust system.
The W427 wears unique frontal styling, new 20-inch alloy wheels and a carbon-fibre rear spoiler.
HSV is also expected to establish a special "customer relations" programme for buyers of the W427. Since the cars will be built to order, it's likely the package will include a visit to HSV's Clayton HQ to see a customer's own car being assembled.
The W427 also serves as a further celebration of HSV's 20th birthday.
The show car was finished in the same Panorama Silver paint colour as the original Group A SS VL Commodore released at the Melbourne Motor Show in 1988.
