ZR1 Hearted Holden GTS-R Allegedly In The Works

GM’s Down Under division is allegedly cooking up an all-American muscle car.

You know what? Holden has manufactured blue-collar muscle cars for years now and most of the models were actually better than their American counterparts. In fact, most of the American products were rebadged Australian-made beasts. The 2005 and 2006 Pontiac GTO? – HSV GTO Monaro. Chevrolet SS? – Commodore VF SS. Pontiac G8? – Holden Commodore VE. And don’t get me started on the utes, or Holden’s Bathurst race program.

Still, after all their success and after crafting a unique identity in their 107 years of history (yes, Holden has been manufacturing automobiles since 1908) the Australian car manufacturer will eventually cease engine and vehicle production in 2017. But apparently the Aussies aren’t going out without a bang, because according to Drive Holden Special Vehicles is planning a beast of a muscle car as its swan song.

Mind you, if it will carry a whiny supercharger – like the previous models did – it will sure “sing” a song, but of terror, not of death. And, by the looks of it, the thing will probably sport a massive one, as the magazine reports that Holden insiders plan to send-off the Commodore with a Corvette ZR1-engined-monster dubbed the GTS-R.

That’s 6.2-litres of meaty LS9 V8, producing 638 horses on tap and a mind-boggling 819 Nm (604 lb-ft) torque figure in stock form. Unlike the more tamed 6.2-litre LSA supercharged 576 horsepower beast, utilized in the current HSV GTS, the LS9 features a 20 percent larger supercharger, titanium con-rods, forged internals, larger intercooler and a race-ready dry-sump lubrication system.

If that sounds too good to be true, the media reckons that such a performance package will push prices beyond the $100,000 AUD mark ($71,995 USD) – which doesn’t sound very blue-collary. Still, like the Clubsport R8 25th anniversary we showcased, this too will be probably be made in limited numbers – if it will be made at all.

Now, just imagine a HSV GTS Maloo with the same upgrades. Mad!