HSV Maloo R8 SVT, A Car America Needs

By Martin Feigen | Jul 29, 2016

HSV Maloo R8 - Courtesy: Holden /

With the revolution of the performance car in America you might not think there is anything we are missing. The Holden brand in Australia has something that will blow you away – the HSV Maloo.

That’s right, the folks at Holden in the land down under have been building the Ute/Maloo for a long time, but the new HSV Maloo R8 LSA is something special. With the 6.2l engine from the Camaro, that has been supercharged, attached to a six speed manual transmission this car will eat tires for lunch. With magnetic suspension and all the performance controls of a european sports car, its not just built for 0-60 times.

In Australia Holden Motorcars has its special vehicles division not uinlke Dodge and their SVT division. The Maloo is the latest creation from the performance team that has been keeping us wanting for years. As a division of General Motors you would think that we would get more of their masterpieces here in the USA.

We did get the Pontiac G8 GXP just before the auto crisis that turned out to be a classic. The 400+ horsepower sedan with the 6.2l V8 was unbelievable and flew off the lot. Good examples of them now are still fetching top dollar.

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I am not saying that we need to get the base model Maloo (the Ute) at your local Chevy dealership. Holden only produces about 150 of the R8 LSA versions a year. GM tried to produce the vaguely similar SST for a couple years but it was not able to get any traction.

The Maloo on the other hand, with its Cadillac inspired suspension and power plant that has been optioned out by the HSV team, could be a money maker in small numbers. Unlike the SST, the R8 LSA is all about performance and luxury, and more performance.

We have seen that the automakers are finding a huge market for their high performance cars again. The new Corvette is an instant classic, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat cannot be kept in stock and the high performance Mustangs are selling like hotcakes.

With all the new models being based on older designs, the Maloo with its likeness to the El Camino makes perfect sense. Importing it in limited numbers could create a demand that dealers love, with the price being available to a large number of people.

How much does it cost you ask. In Australia it runs about $76,900 for the limited production vehicle. That would translate to about $50,000 here in the USA, not an outlandish price tag by any imagination. There would be a price jump with the destination fees, but even if were at $60,000 it would be a steal for the 600hp monster with Cadillac amenities.

The likelihood of any of us here in America getting to drive the Maloo R8 LSA are slim at best, but it sure is nice to dream about it. If Ford can send Shelby Super Snakes with RHD to Australia they could at least do this for us.

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You never know though, with the transformation of the Cadillac brand, bringing over the Maloo R8 LSA and selling it as a limited edition could provide GM more headlines for its reimagined Cadillac brand. I know I would be down there the first day that one hit the lot with financing in hand!