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22/09/2010
By MURRAY HUBBARD
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As I belt around the race track in Holden Special Vehicles' new GTS my every move is being watched with clinical precision. Yet, there is no one else in the car and no cameras on or in the HSV GTS. This new GTS is unique at the HSV launch in that it contains the three new significant changes to the 2011 HSV E3 range.
These are Enhanced Driver Interface (EDI) Liquid Propane Injection (LPI) and the tongue-twisting SBZA or Side Blind Zone Assist. The HSV range has been upgraded for 2011, but the facelift is minor with HSV concentrating on technology that takes the high-performance stable of cars to the next level.
EDI is an adaptation of technology already in use in V8 Supercars. When you watch Bathurst for example you often see a computer-bloke-cum-engineer examining data being streamed from the race car's computer back to pit lane. HSV has taken this on board and adapted it to their production cars for the enthusiast market, using a USB to download the data to a laptop.
After I finished my three laps in the GTS, a HSV technician back in pit lane opened the glove box and inserted a USB into a port connected to the EDI system. In a flash the information related to my laps was downloaded on to the USB: Every accelerator move, every time I braked, changed gears, when I pushed clutch, the car's lateral stability, stopwatch, top speed, G-Forces, gauge readings and rpm. All there for the HSV technicians to download into their computer, using a program that comes with the car, and show me the results.
The bottom line is on my hot lap I went around the Broadford Motorcycle Race Track in 1min.16.2 seconds. My top speed was 172 km/h on both the back straight. HSV is excited about how the technology will be used by it's customers both on the track in club days and on the road in general.
“Our customers are passionate about driving and this system is about delivering race-bred technology in a new, engaging way that is relevant to a road car,” said HSV managing director, Phil Harding. “Our customers are going to love the way they can access data and interact with their car.” The system is not only for track days – where a driver's best lap can be stored as a learning tool, and future laps compared with it to see where the driver went right – and wrong – to improve his/her driving, but has a practical on-road application, although some of it is a bit gimmicky.
The second of HSV's innovations is LPI and the use of liquid petroleum gas as well as petrol in their high-performance cars. In the past LPG delivered improvements to emissions and running costs, but engines lost performance. “LPI was developed to deliver two tangible benefits: reduced running costs as well as reduced emissions. However, from the very beginning we committed that we would not compromise on engine performance. LPI overcomes this problem,” said Mr Harding.
The LPI system injects LPG into the cylinder not as a vapour but as a liquid. This gives a cooler combustion and better fuel metering. A key to the system is that it works in conjunction with petrol and as we found out on our road test, that link is seamless. The system was developed by HSV and Orbital Engineering and is unique to HSV, which states there is no loss of power or torque from the company's 6.2 litre LS3 V8 engine.
In practical terms the LPI system works in the lower range of the engine's rev range before the engine's Electron Control Unit (ECU) switches the fuel source to petrol through to the red line. It depends on engine load, but this normally occurs somewhere between 4000 rpm – 4500 rpm. At the heart of the LPI system is a multi-valve fuel delivery meaning every cylinder has both an LPG injector and a petrol injector. During our test the only difference we could detect was a slightly hollower exhaust note than the petrol-powered GTS. LPI is an option on all HSV models at $5990 for the sedans and $6390 for the Maloo. It is not available on the Clubsport R8 Tourer.
Another HSV option, apart from Grange where it comes as standard, is SBZA. The cost is $1990 and involves the use of cameras to detect vehicles in the traditional blind spots and convey that information to the driver by way of lights mounted on the dash board next to the A-pillars. Other changes to the range include all HSV models being fitted with a reverse camera and rear park assist, satellite navigation and touchscreen radio with iPod connectivity. HSV also announced a limited special edition Maloo R8 to celebrate 20 years of the Aussie ute icon. The luxury Grange has undergone a dynamic styling change and gets the same 325 kW engine currently fitted to the GTS. The price of the HSV range has gone up by $1000, apart for Senator which has been raised by $650.
HSV MODELS AND PRICING
Clubsport R8 $67,000 (m) $69,600 (a)
Clubsport R8 tourer $68,600 (m) $70,600 (a)
Grange $88,900 (auto only)
GTS $82,900 (m) $84,900 (a)
Maloo R8 $64,600 (m) $66,600 (a)
Maloo R8 (special ed.) $67,600 (m) $69,600 (a)
Senator Signature $83,990 (manual and auto)
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