Considered a unicorn not only to American enthusiasts, but even to the Aussies, is the HSV Maloo GTS. Being a low-production model in the Land of Oz and virtually non-existant on American roads, it comes straight from GM with a 580 hp LSA. That’s right, the exact some powerplant found in the ZL1 and second-gen CTS-V is available in a pickup truck, or Ute, as they’re also known.
Just like in America, however, there are tuning shops all over Australia that specialize in LS-tuning and performance. Take for instance, C&A Auto Fashion out of Blackburn, Victoria. Owned by brothers, Con and Andrew, they put a lot of time and effort into servicing, building and tuning today’s late-model GM hardware; Commodores, Monaros and naturally, Utes.
Offering varying levels of performance packages for VT, VX, VY, VZ, VE and VF generation Holdens, there is no shortage of power that you can tap into with their expertise of an LSA. While their Stage 1 kit id a simple, cold-air intake, boost pulley and tune package, Stage 2 builds on that foundation and takes it to the next level and consists of:
- Supercharger 11-psi. Lingenfelter pulley upgrade
- Air box
- Di Filippo Performance twin 3-inch exhaust system
- C&A custom dyno tune
The changes bumped the horsepower up from a standard-issue 330kw/443hp, to an impressive and effective 422kw/566hp to the rear tires – not bad! If that’s not enough for you Aussies, the Stage 3 Package includes everything from Stage 2, but adds a camshaft upgrade and boosts power over 500kw, or about 670 hp to us Yanks.
Of course, there’s plenty of further potential untapped in this car (truck?), and we’re sure the a Stage 4 or Stage 5 package would see in excess of over 800 ho to the rear tires in this vehicle, just as you would see in a CTS-V or ZL1 in The States.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
