HSV GTS pumped up to over 500kW by Walkinshaw Performance

Alvin Lee December 17, 2014 Tuning 4,282 Views

The HSV GTS is the most powerful road car ever built by the performance arm of Holden. Lurking under the bonnet is a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 developing 430kW and 740Nm. However, this didn’t stop Walkinshaw Performance from scoping out a power upgrade package for the sports sedan.

The journey began in the engineering division with an attempt to fit existing WP Products to the vehicle and it very quickly became evident that this was never going to be an option. The complexity of the design and setup of the LSA powered HSV required a complete rethink from the WPP team.

“There are critical components such as the main wiring loom that without the right clearances in the header area they can be affected overtime by the high heat generated – in excess of 1000 degrees Celsius” lead engineer Andy Richardson noted.

Extensive product development began in earnest. There were numerous iterations of exhaust, header and cat setup as well as a completely revised cold air intake. The pulley upgrade is entirely unique to WPP with the final version selected after comprehensive engine dyno testing.

The ECU tuning completes the package after intensive track and road testing. The final calibration was conducted in Shepparton Victoria with 20 Gen F HSV GTS owners experiencing the upgrade for the very first time. The end result is a monstrous 507kW of power and 850Nm of torque melting at the GTS’s crank.

“When we set out to do this project we wanted to achieve an upgrade that delivers maximum excitement and great driveability” Richardson said. “The feedback from these GTS owners was invaluable for us but most importantly confirmed we exceeded their expectations with what we have produced.”

The final outcome is a package that is completely designed, engineered, and developed by the team at Walkinshaw. “The torque is very linear and delivers on our goal of great driveability. Feedback from the owners centred on the refinement of the package, and a lack of harshness which some had come to expect” added Richardson.

Special attention was made to ensure each component in the package complements each other. Walkinshaw says every single component that makes up the package is unique in its design and the pulley is entirely manufactured in-house at the tuner’s production facility.

The W507 Package is to be sold exclusively through WPP’s National Dealer network with a supplied and installed price of $7,990. The package is suitable for the 2014 HSV 6.2-litre LSA GTS Sedan and HSV 6.2-litre LSA GTS Maloo.

Walkinshaw Performance W507 upgrade package: