Holden Special Vehicles signs off with 635hp GTS-R W1

By RELAXNEWS | 9 January 2018


MELBOURNE: It's always a little sad when a vehicle model comes to the end of its lifespan and goes out of production, but it's even sadder when an entire manufacturing facility turns out the lights. But that's only a small part of the story behind the final limited edition 635-hp VF II Commodore-based GTS-R W1 in "Light My Fire" orange that's just rolled off the Holden Special Vehicles production line here.

Around 30 years ago, Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), with help from motor racing legend Tom Walkinshaw, produced a 241hp limited edition VL Commodore Group A SS sedan. A lot of stunning vehicles have come out of the facility since then, but the GTS-R W1 is not only the fastest, most-powerful and most expensive model Australia has ever produced, it's also the 90,114th and very last car the facility here will ever produce.

holden_special_.49c99144153.original


The car in question was number 275 of 275, and although a lot of collectors would probably love to pay a very high price to make it their own, it will now join the company's heritage fleet alongside the first W1 produced. In total, 298 GTS-R W1s were produced, with 20 of them going to New Zealand, 275 staying in Australia, and the other three being "final engineering" models.

But if this car was just representing the end to HSV's current business model and the end to car production at the Melbourne facility it would be significant enough, but it's considerably more significant than that. In fact, following on from the closure of Toyota's, Ford's and Holden's factories in Australia, the LS9-engined GTS-R W1 will be the last new car built in Australia.

HSV will continue, but not in anything like its current form. In future, it will occupy a larger location in Clayton where the company will be tasked with converting imported models such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD to right-hand drive for the Aussie market.

Keywords