Into the Wild
A full antipodean re-engineering of the Camaro for the New Zealand market by HSV will help redefine expectations of what a true muscle car can really be capable of.
Feb 1, 2018
Muscle cars are an automotive object of desire that we Kiwis identify with. Like us, they are unpretentious, handy all-rounders, eager to get the job done.
The problem we’ve had in this part of the world concerning proper American-manufactured muscle cars though is, if you wanted a brand new one, you’ve had to consider parallel imported vehicles with no factory warranty.
Then you can either sit on the wrong side of the car or navigate a certification minefield in order to convert the vehicle to right-hand drive.
Enter HSV. The Melbourne-based performance centre has been refettling Holdens for about 30 years now with full General Motors support. HSV has leveraged its factory relationships to take the true-blue left-hand drive Camaro and re-engineer it for the Australasian market.
Note the word “re-engineered”. This is not a conversion. HSV has the original 3D design files, plastics and fabrics available to them and develop all new panels and componentry with the same tools as the original equipment manufacturer.
The car is stripped completely to behind the doors. The engine is removed, a new steering rack is fitted, the steering column is moved, seat bases are swapped, the wiring harness is flipped so driver window switches change sides. Then everything is reassembled by hand.
Start to finish, it’s 120 hours of work. And because of the alignment with General Motors, it’s all covered by a three-year, 100,000km factory warranty.
While the Camaro has never been sold as a new vehicle here before, its reputation precedes it. You can literally see the word “CA-MAR-O” form on people’s lips as they watch it burble past. In bright yellow paint, it’s about as subdued as professional wrestling.
The 6.2-litre LT1 V8 differs from the powerplant we’re familiar with from Holden’s of old. It feels more responsive and faster revving with each kick of the right pedal. On deserted b-roads you can open the taps and really appreciate all that muscle under the hood too. Outputting 339kW and 617Nm of torque, there’s no shortage of power or noise. Every standing start is a brutal symphony, the car reaching 100km/h in just 4.0 seconds.
As a muscle car, you could forgive the Camaro any lack of handling and dynamics sophistication. However, it’s deeply impressive when pushed hard into bends. It’s firm but not excessively brittle over rutted country roads, despite being shod with 20” run-flat tyres.
There’s a satisfying hunkered-down feel mid-corner with huge amounts of grip and feedback to the driver, practically no body roll either. For a large car it balances it’s mass expertly. The result is a drive experience that is much more engaging than you expect.
Thanks to a well-tuned 5-link rear suspension and limited slip differential, drive and traction out of corners is well-sorted, especially considering the significant torque being transferred through the car’s eight-speed transmission.
There’s sophistication with the interior features as well. HSV has only opted for the top-spec 2SS model for New Zealand, so features like a sunroof, Bose audio, a MyLink 7” colour touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, heated and ventilated seating, wireless charging, dual zone A/C, illuminated sill plates and configurable mood lighting, keyless entry and even a remote starting function are all standard comforts.
Having spent time in the Camaro, ‘muscular’ seems like a redundant turn of phrase to describe anything else really. It’s one of the original godfathers of muscle cars. But thanks to HSV it defies the shorthand to become fully ambidextrous.
Words by Steve Vermeulen