HSV Clubsport R8 LSA road test

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HSV Clubsport R8 LSA road test


Aussie muscle car goes out with a supercharged bang


Toby Hagon
15 February, 2016


HSV is gearing up for the biggest change since its inception in 1987 – existence without a Commodore V8. For now, though, it's all about celebrating an engine configuration that's helped define Australian cars – and the lifeblood of HSV.

The ClubSport R8 is the latest specimen. The mainstream model in the Holden Special Vehicles lineup has adopted the 6.2-litre supercharged V8 that only arrived in the GTS flagship in 2013. To be fair it's a detuned version (leaving all important headroom above for the GTS) but it is still the second most powerful car ever to be produced in Australia – at least until the anticipated revival of the legendary GTS-R.


2015 HSV Clubsport R8 LSA Photo: Supplied


WHAT DO YOU GET?

The so-badged LSA version of the ClubSport R8 – chosen because it's the model code of the new engine – means all change for the HSV lineup. For now there's no version of the regular ClubSport, which removes the price leader from the hot shot Holden equation.

The step up to the LSA supercharged V8 (more on that later) has also led to a hefty price rise on the ClubSport R8. The $83,490 ask (plus on-road and dealer costs) for the auto version (the manual is $80,990) tested here represents a $7700 leap, making it the most expensive ClubSport ever.

And when the norm these days is to add equipment to tempt buyers, HSV has done the opposite; accompanying the price increase is the removal of the tricky EDI system, or Enhanced Driver Interface. The impressive data logger and performance display – it gives real time information on everything from wheel slip and G forces to how much power and torque the engine is producing – now costs $1095, but is still standard on the more expensive GTS.

The rest of the gear is decent. A head-up display, reversing camera, self-parking system, Bose audio, dual-zone climate control, powered front seats and smart key entry with push button start. New 20-inch alloy wheels look the business, while plush leather seats with embossed logos in the head rests round out the deal.

There are also some active safety systems, including blind spot warning and lane departure warning, although no auto braking.


WHAT'S INSIDE?

It's mostly Commodore inside, which is good and bad. Space is generously excellent, especially across the rear seat, where three adults can reside in relative comfort. Ventilation is good throughout the cabin and the main instruments and controls are obvious and easy to use. There's also apps, including Pandora and Stitcher, on the 8.0-inch colour touchscreen. The high beam lights, too, blare a long way down a country road for excellent night time visibility.

But the thick pillars on either side of the windscreen hinder vision through right-hand corners. And paying upwards of $80k for a car based on something half that price has always jarred with HSVs.

It appears the removal of EDI from the standard features list was never part of the plan, either. The icon is still included in the MyLink 8.0-inch colour screen, but it defaults to an "unavailable" message if you click on it.

Up front the sizeable seats are comfy and impressively supportive. Adjustability to the driver's pew is also superb, especially with the steering wheel that telescopes a long way in and out.

The boot is also wide and deep, but if you need more load space there's always the Tourer model, which gets a wagon body.


UNDER THE BONNET

For many ClubSport buyers the features mentioned earlier will be largely irrelevant; it's what's under the now-twin-vented aluminium bonnet that brings the real value.

And that engine is the same 6.2-litre supercharged V8 (codenamed LSA – something appearing on the badge at the rear) used in the GTS that is the hero of the HSV range. Well, mostly.

Engineers took the unusual step of detuning it for less power and torque. The 400kW power peak is 30kW off the GTS, while the 671Nm of torque represents a 69Nm drop.

Not that it's hugely obvious in isolation. The R8 has plenty of thump, with its prodigious mid-rev urge the highlight of its power delivery. It's a seriously grunty machine and one that gets most of the driving duties completed below 3000rpm; even then you'll be able to crack along at a decent pace.

But it's above that where things start to get exciting. As revs build the LSA V8 winds up wonderfully, and from 4200rpm the muted V8 sound bursts into a cacophony of air being thrust into the engine and quickly trying to find its way out via the four enormous shiny chrome exhaust pipes hanging out the back. In Sport or Performance modes – selected via the Driver Preference dial – there's more burbling and low-rev bass due to additional flaps opening in the exhaust system, something that's all part of the theatre of a big V8.

But even then the exhaust doesn't have the aggression and aggro some would like in a V8; Holden's latest Commodore V8 has a more menacing sound, albeit without as much go as the HSV.

The six-speed automatic is decisive, sometimes too much so, with an aggressive downshift if you squeeze the throttle too hard. Those downshifts come sooner in Sport mode, which is beautifully calibrated to give some extra spice in everyday driving without holding gears unnecessarily. It also allows the car to take off in first gear; it may sound odd, but in regular Drive mode it will only start in second gear, with the thinking being that for most situations that will be more than enough (it is) and it will save a gearchange and a swish or two of fuel.

Speaking of which, get ready to spend up big at your local servo. Claimed fuel use is 15.0 litres of premium unleaded per 100km, and it's dead easy to fire beyond 20L/100km if you're really enjoying the full 400kW. At that rate you can easily drain the tank in less than 300km.

Oh, and don't go getting too excited about buying a ClubSport R8 and ramping it up to the 430kW output of the GTS; the aftermarket will be willing to help out (potentially voiding part of your warranty in the process) but HSV claims to have changed a valve that means its own GTS software won't work on the R8.


ON THE ROAD

Starting with the VF Series 2 Commodore makes for an excellent base for the ClubSport R8. And it's added to by the changes made by HSV for the LSA Clubbie.

Suspension that's adjustable for stiffness, for example, allows for driver-selected tailoring to different roads and conditions. In the softest Touring mode it's still quite firm, yet it doesn't jolt or jar. For a car riding on such low profile tyres it does a great job of dealing with some ugly bumps.

Step it up to Sport and things firm slightly but, again, it's impressively compliant and easy to live with in daily driving for what is a high performance car. For many that will be the pick of the modes, bringing the extra exhaust burble without overly compromising comfort.

Not so much in the Performance mode, which dilutes some of that suppleness.

It's a shame, because the Driver Preferences programming means you need to select Performance to access the torque vectoring that sends more drive to an outside wheel around corners. The performance and handling feature is great for helping point the car and helps it squat nicely with superb rear-end grip when unleashing the full fury of the V8.

Steering also adjusts depending on the three settings, although it never has the alertness and alacrity of many other sporty cars. At least it's predictable and consistent throughout its operating range.

Brakes, too, are more potent than they've ever been on a ClubSport. Big four-piston AP calipers bite grooved rotors to good effect. While they're not as persuasive as the six-piston stoppers on the GTS, they're still very good brakes that do a superb job of repeatedly hauling up more than 1.7 tonnes of high performance sedan. Even for spirited road driving they do a fantastic job; it's only on the track where the bigger six-piston brakes will really prove their worth.

But it's the grip and cornering nous that really defines the ClubSport R8 (as it does the GTS). The 20-inch Continental tyres do a superb job of keeping the big four-door in check. It turns in decisively and quickly settles into some brisk cornering. That it settles so confidently from mid-corner imperfections cements the R8 as a seriously capable vehicle.

And all from a car that's respectably quiet and refined at speed.


VERDICT

The biggest issue with the ClubSport R8 is the price – in particular how close the hefty price rise has brought it to the flagship GTS.

Then again, the beefed up Clubbie brings more than many would have expected in the engine department. It's a brutal V8 punch and thoroughly in keeping with the HSV image, although more exhaust bark would be good.

That it does it all in a performance car that's so practical and capable across a broad spectrum perfectly encapsulates what we'll miss once the Aussie Commodore is killed off at the end of 2017.



2016 HSV ClubSport R8 LSA Price and Specifications

Price: $83,490 plus on-road and dealer costs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8 petrol

Power: 400kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 671Nm at 4600rpm

Fuel use: 15.0L/100km

CO2 emissions: 348g/km

Transmission: 6-speed auto, rear-wheel-drive

Weight: 1716kg

Safety: 6 airbags; stability control



The Competitors



Holden Commodore SS-V Redline

Price: $56,690

Engine: 6.2-litre petrol V8; 304kW/570Nm; 6-speed auto; rear-drive

Fuel use/CO2 emissions: 12.6L/100km, 293g/km

Safety: 6 airbags, stability control

Pros: Great engine sound; fantastic performance; class-leading value; excellent dynamics

Cons: Thirsty – and thirstier than the last one; Redline price creeping up

Our score: 7.5/10



Ford Falcon XR8

Price: $55,690

Engine: 5.4-litre supercharged V8 petrol; 335kW/570Nm; 6-speed auto; rear-drive

Fuel use/CO2 emissions: 13.7L/100km, 324g/km

Safety: 6 airbags; stability control

Pros: Potent performance; decent sound; spacious back seat

Cons: Thirsty; jarring ride; dated interior; more powerful Sprint model due Q2 2016

Our score: 6/10



Chrysler 300 SRT

Price: $69,000

Engine: 6.4-litre V8 petrol; 350kW/637Nm; 8-speed auto; rear-drive

Fuel use/CO2 emissions: 13.0L/100km, 302g/km

Safety: 7 airbags, stability control

Pros: Excellent performance and smart transmission; colour control screen

Cons: Tight-ish back seat; ride on 20-inch tyres; thirsty V8

Our score: 6.5/10

See link for video

http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-revi...14-gmu44x.html