HSV Clubsport Reviews

Bill McKinnon road tests and reviews the HSV Gen-F2 Clubsport R8 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Big bent-eights continue to tempt Aussie enthusiasts. Joshua Dowling rates the muscle for the money.

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the supercharged HSV Clubsport and Maloo LSA, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at their Australian launch.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the HSV Clubsport with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Graham Smith road tests and reviews the used 1997-2000 HSV Clubsport VT/VT II.

Blow(er) me. Walkinshaw has just launched supercharged versions of the HSV and SS Commodore VF models and the results are gobsmacking.

We Aussies love our V8s. The history books say it, the Bathurst fans say it, and now there are more than 500 cash-paid deposits for the GTS from Holden Special Vehicles that prove it.The overwhelming support for the supercharged 6.2-litre Big Dog, and the rest of the HSV pack that's romping to a sellout V8 success of more than 3000 cars in 2013, shows there is still a place for old-school muscle in the modern world.But not at Nissan, where the all-new, petrol V8-powered Patrol is a disaster. Things are so bad that the geriatric superseded model is continuing alongside the newcomer and still finding plenty of friends.Nissan dealers have a backlog of unsold 5.6-litre V8 heavyweights and there is a growing backlash from long-term Patrol fans who cannot see the point in the company's new off-road flagship. It's nicely cushy, but it costs anywhere from $82,690 to $114,490 - a sharp jump from $53,890 to $57,390 for the old one - and there is no diesel engine.It's not just that, as the new Patrol also arrived in Australia more than 18 months late and - because development was focussed on wealthy Middle East buyers with no petrol paranoia - carrying the sort of specification that only works for a very limited number of people who are probably more interested in a Porsche Cayenne or Benz GL.Nissan has only sold 1600 of the new Y62-series Patrols this year and, to put that into perspective, more than 6000 people have driven away smiling in a new Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series in the same period.Nissan even resorted to a $1500 petrol voucher for a while to try and get things moving, but that's only 1000 litres - give or take, mostly take - in today's world, and the hulking Patrol can easily guzzle at 25 litres of unleaded for every 100 kilometres under the treads if you're towing something big or crawling off the blacktop.So it seems V8 engines have become a case of horsepower for courses. They are still fine for HSV fans who want something fun and fast, and also for Mercedes-AMG buyers who want flashy and fast, but not for family-focussed suburban work, or towing and off-roading.Even the latest Range Rover, the current Carsguide champion in the top-end SUV stakes, is most popular with a turbodiesel V8 despite prices that can balloon to $250,000. So, what makes the difference in the world of V8s? "I think there is a performance market still in Australia, and people want great cars," the head of HSV, Phil Harding, tells Carsguide. "I think there is still a passion in Australia for V8 performance, and sporting saloons that deliver excitement. We're fulfilling a need and a demand."

the HSV Clubsport has always been about offering big performance without the massive price tag.

It’s the automotive equivalent of the sibling rivalry between Mark and Steve Waugh. Both are cricket legends in their own right, but the spotlight tended to fall on one player over the other.So you can imagine how the new HSV Clubsport might be feeling at the moment, if its heart weren’t a high-performance V8 engine. Its bigger and brasher brother, the supercharged HSV GTS, has stolen the limelight lately because it is the fastest and most powerful car Australia has ever produced.But given that the hyper-Holden is still at least two months away from showrooms, it’s time for the rest of the range to shine.The cut-price Clubsport is the hidden gem in the new HSV range. Starting at $60,990 it is $4000 less than the previous model and the same price a Clubsport was 10 years ago.It bridges the price gap between the Holden Commodore SSV Redline, at about $51,000, and the flagship GTS which is close to $100,000 by the time on-road costs are added.The 6.2-litre LS3 V8 gets the same power as before -- 317kW -- but the car is 68kg lighter, the biggest weight reduction in the entire VF Commodore line-up. For those who want a little more, the Clubsport R8 steps up to $71,000 and gets the 325kW output of the previous GTS.The Clubsport R8 also comes with a Bose stereo, heads-up display, machined alloy wheels, bi-modal exhaust and HSV’s EDI system, that allows you to tune the car for the road or the track at the touch of a button. Or, in this case, a touch screen.For those who want even more, there is an optional SV Performance Pack. That includes lightweight wheels, black accenting on the bodywork, and an engine upgrade to 340kW and 570Nm, thanks to a clever bi-modal air intake (the same air box as the GTS, it sucks in more oxygen at certain revs) and a specially-tuned exhaust.As a package deal it lists for $4995 but the by the time GST and Luxury Car Tax are calculated the option adds at least $6000 to the drive-away price of the car.That might sound a bit steep but it’s money well spent. The Clubsport R8 with the SV Performance Pack was going to become the HSV GTS, just in case the supercharged engine didn’t get over the line. It explains why HSV now has an embarrassment of riches.The power ugrade may sound subtle but unlike those on HSVs before it you can feel and hear the difference. It’s as if HSV engineers have been listening to high performance Mercedes-Benz AMG soundtracks in their spare time.As before, the power from the LS3 V8 is smooth and linear, but it has more of a growl and then a bark. It’s at complete odds with the refinement of the rest of the car.Faux-suede, real leather and an extremely convincing chrome finish on the plastic highlights on the interior give the Clubsport an upmarket appearance it’s never had before.Which is why, despite all the Clubsport R8’s finesse, I’m torn between it and its $10,000 cheaper sibling, the basic Clubsport. Sure the entrée to the HSV range misses out on some of the electronic gadgetry such as a heads-up display and electric seat adjustment. And it also only comes with Holden Commodore SS seats (with HSV head-rests).But the cooking-model Clubsport -- the single burner BBQ in a world of 18-burners -- feels lighter and more responsive than the R8 and lacks nothing in the way of agility, grip and grunt.The Clubsport was a car I was expecting to clamber over in the scrum for the keys to the tastier models on the test drive at Phillip Island race track this week. But you know what? I think I like it more than the others. Add the price cut into the bargain and it’s a no-brainer.The only option worth considering on the base model Clubsport is the lightweight 20-inch wheels from the 25th-anniversary GTS released last year. They’re a $1500 stand-alone option. I’m struggling to think of $1500 better spent anywhere else in the car industry.The Clubsport is usually a price-leader for HSV, what the 30-cent ice cream cone is to McDonald’s. As the cheapest ticket into the HSV brand it typically spends its life in shopping centres as the raffle prize for local charities.But it deserves to be set free from a world of sticky fingers and having raffle tickets tucked humiliatingly under its windscreen wipers. If the Clubsport is the starting point, I can only imagine how good the GTS is going to be. Meantime, I’m off to buy a raffle ticket.

Thankfully, HSV saw the error of its ways mid last year and re-introduced the 'entry level' ClubSport or Clubbie as it's affectionately known.Cashed up bogans love this car which has almost legendary status in certain quarters. Sure, the R8 and GTS are "better" but the Clubbie is the 'everyman' hot Holden, as is the Maloo ute which also made a comeback last year. HSV had been inexorably edging upscale with its range edging towards the hundred grand mark. That's a far cry from the original HSVs 25 years ago which were essentially Commodores with more powerful engines, bigger wheels and stiffer suspension.Starting from $64,990 the new ClubSport picks up HSV's 20-inch Pentagon alloy wheels to complement an already impressive list of standard features; sport/touring suspension, ESC with competition mode, four-piston brake package, sat nav, rear park assist and reversing camera. It also had other cool kit features like dual zone climate control, enhanced Bluetooth and a four way adjustable electric driver's seat.We like the look of it inside and out and the standard equipment is generous. Great seats, plenty of info feeding back to the driver and the EDI is excellent. Heck, it even has a decent boot and rear seat legroom. Standard features on the Clubbie (and Maloo) include HSV's 6.2 litre, pushrod overhead valve, LS3, Generation 4, V8 which delivers 317kW of power and 550 Nm of torque. A six-speed manual is standard with an optional six-speed auto an extra two grand. We would go for the auto every day because it delivers rapid fire changes up and down the range but misses out on paddle shift.The ClubSport effectively includes all the major features of last years R8 with the exception of HSV's Enhanced Driver Interface (EDI), which will be available as a factory-fitted option.The automatic car we drove was optioned up with a bimodal exhaust system and the EDI system to add an extra element of fun to driving this big, boofy V8 sedan. It consumes an alarming amount of fuel hovering in the mid to high teens per 100km and it’s premium too. Still, most of these cars would be funded through companies so what's it matter.At 1800kg, this is a big, weighty car but one that's still capable of putting away a 0-100kmh sprint in around 5.0 seconds. Engage the competition mode and you can really feel the Clubbie's power pushing you into your seat.It rumbles, squats in the rear end, lifts its nose and bellows en route to stopping the clocks in a more than respectable time for such a big beast. But in this case, it's spoiled a tad by the oversoft suspension and steering that could offer a bit more feel. We reckon the optional six piston brakes should be standard though the four pots fitted do a pretty good job on the road. Track day the Clubbie and you'd find the end of the brakes before finishing the first lap.Though the bimodal exhaust sounds good at idle, it's too quiet on the move unlike most of the European V8 sports sedans that get better the harder you drive them. You can punt the Clubbie fairly hard on a winding road limited by its weight and in this case, the softish suspension.This model is due to be replaced later this year when the 'F' range of HSV cars comes down the line possibly with a 400kW plus supercharged 6.2-litre V8. Now that would be something else again.