GM is cutting the throat of its Australian Holden division this year, taking it with the the car that made the Chevrolet SS possible. The SS in undeniably one of the coolest performance sedans, and based almost entirely on the Holden Commodore, with different badges… To make sure they go out leaving their mark on the performance world, Holden Special Vehicles cooked up a Corvette ZR1-powered variant to make sure we’ll always miss them — the GSTR W1 will truly be the one that got away!
This ‘you’re gonna miss me’ car is powered by a 636 horsepower/601 ft.-lb. torque making LS9 with gen-6 supercharger that has twin four-lobe rotors. Backing the powerful engine is a TR-6060 close-ratio 6-speed transmission, and it rides on a suspension known as the SupaShock.
This is a multilink suspension and steering system up front, combined with coil-over mono tube strut with double acting dual-bush lateral support. Holding down the back is a multilink independent suspension, controlled by coil over dampers with built in lateral support.
Stopping power comes from AP Racing’s beefy monoblock brakes. It breathes through high-flow exhaust using an x-pipe, bi-modal mufflers, and four tailpipes.
The setup also has:
- Integrated dual-element air-to-water intercooler
- High-flowing rotocast cylinder heads
- Ceramic coated stainless steel headers
- E67 control module
- Carbon fiber airbox
- Direct-mount ignition coils
- 20” Forged alloy wheels
- Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires
Inside, you’ll find diamond-quilted Alcantara trim seats, more Alcantara on the steering wheel, “W1” embroidery for the headrests, and the shifter gets a Alcantara grip surrounded by a leather boot. On the outside, the GTSR W1 will sport a new splitter, bigger vents, widened wheel arches, a fresh rear spoiler, and new diffuser. Lastly, it will come in color options: Spitfire Green, Light My Fire Orange, Son of a Gun Grey, Phantom Black or Sting Red.
Only 300 of these special cars will be built, and will cost around $128,900, making it $70,000 more expensive than the regular HSV GTSR. Considering that the Holden name will be officially dead in October, these also have a special collector’s value as being amongst the last of the V8 Aussie muscle car.
Elizabeth is a hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
