22 march 2015 motormag.com.auCOOL
RUNNINGS
With a hard life on track ahead
of it, cooling is key. The radiator is
upgraded while extra coolers are
added to the gearbox and diff
(the 9.75-inch unit used in the
supercharged GTS).WONDERFUL
WEAVE
Carbon aero bits might seem a
bit fancy, but a mob in Geelong
(currently in the motorcycle
business) are whizzes at knocking
up small-volume carbon
trinkets. Support local
manufacturing!HSV has prior form
in making race-spec
Clubsports
HSV Clubsport R
We take the shackles off the Clubbie.
C’mon HSV, you know it makes sense
I
f there’s a silver lining to the
impending demise of the
Australian car industry, it’s the
fact it gives manufacturers a
chance to really let themselves off
the leash.
Okay, so tight development
budgets mean we’re never going
to see a final Falcon GT-HO or
Holden GTR-X, but there’s still
plenty of scope for limited-run
specials that offer something
fresh to an enthusiast public
clamouring to grab one last slice
of Australiana.
When it comes to limited-edition
cars, no-one can match HSV.
We’re looking for something
beyond the usual ‘stickers,paint and build plaque’ though,
with a stripped-out track-ready
Clubsport on our wish list. HSV
has prior form here. Back in
2006, Clayton prepared 20 VY
Clubsports for a one-make race
series in the Middle East – look
it up on YouTube for some very
interesting interpretations of how
to drive a race car.
Those cars were fairly standard,
stripped of anything that didn’t
make them faster around a race
track and beefed up in the all-
important cooling, transmission
and braking departments. It’s
from that car we take inspiration,
and it should be a relative breeze,
so get to it, HSV!MWHAT A
SCOOP
Underneath that serious bonnet
vent is the 7.0-litre LS7 V8 lifted
from the Camaro Z/28. Dry-
sumped with titanium ’rods, it
thumps out 377kW and 649Nm
while being as durable as
steel wool.