The HSV GTS Maloo Is The Ultimate 577bhp V8 Muscle Ute From Down Under

The Holden Special Vehicles GTS Maloo has been released in Australia, with the original limited run selling out in less than 24 hours. With just 150 slated for production, the muscle-powered ute was snapped up so quickly that Holden was forced to make an extra 100 available.

So why was there such a clamour for the GTS? For a start it’s the most powerful and technologically advanced ute in the world. Its lairy performance comes from the 6.2-litre supercharged V8 found in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, making 577bhp and 546lb ft of torque.

Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through either an automatic or manual six-speed gearbox, with 0-62mph taking 4.5 seconds.

There are a number of technological advancements in this model that hope to tame the Maloo’s inherent urge to kill you - it weighs about 1875kg and is distinctly nose heavy, resulting in the potential for initial understeer and shed-loads of oversteer when you plant your foot. Torque Vectoring uses the ute’s Electronic Stability Control to reign in the rear by braking the inside wheel and transfering torque to the outside wheel, cancelling out the understeer.

Other upgrades come in the form of extra cooling for the engine and transmission, a bi-modal exhaust that allows you to alter its volumes, as well as a high-strength differential and tailshaft. Stopping power comes from a set of AP six-piston brake callipers with massive two-piece discs, similar to those found in Holden’s V8 Supercar.

A number of exterior design touches differentiate the GTS Maloo from the rest of the range, most notably a butch front bumper and grille, designed to force feed the V8 as much air as possible.

Inside there’s a dial that allows the driver to adjust pretty much every electrical system, including the stability control, traction control, launch control, torque vectoring and exhaust mode.

All 250 HSV GTS Malloos have already been sold, costing 85,000AUD (£47,300, $76,900). With so few sold, Australian industry experts are predicting this will become one of the most sought after collector cars in years.