Showing posts with label Holden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holden. Show all posts
Saturday, 19 December 2015
Monday, 1 August 2011
Racing Maloo - HSV Maloo
Two weeks after starting the 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' blog I remember getting a huge thrill from discovering an HSV Maloo on the streets of Bristol and learning that it was the fastest pickup truck in the world.
Last weekend while at the Britcar British Endurance Championship Racing Weekend at Castle Combe I stumbled across another Maloo this time in full race trim including
slick tyres to compliment it's 400 hp Corvette LS2 engine which according to one passer by in a Britcar T shirt is tuned to 600 hp good for reaching 60 mph in under 4 seconds.
When I got home I was surprised to learn that there is an Australian racing series for Ford and Holden pick ups, where pickups are known as Utes, which is part of a staircase to find talent for the top tier Australian V8 Supercar series.
Even more surprisingly I have found out that late last year an announcement was made by Britcar to the effect that they would organise a debut season for a UK V8Ute Series using only the rebranded Vauxhall VXR Maloo pickup model.
The cars were to be rented from Britcar with the rental cost including entry fees for a full season of races.
The plan was that at each meeting the Maloo's would take part in three 40 minute races with mandatory pit stops for driver changes.
The projected series is on temporary hold, I look forward to an announcement from Britcar that the series will get a chance to go public and from Vauxhall that the VXR Maloo gets the opportunity to enter the UK market place.
Thanks for joining me on this Antipodean Racing edition of 'Gettin a lil' psycho on tyres' I hope that you will join me again tomorrow ! Don't forget to come back now !
Last weekend while at the Britcar British Endurance Championship Racing Weekend at Castle Combe I stumbled across another Maloo this time in full race trim including
slick tyres to compliment it's 400 hp Corvette LS2 engine which according to one passer by in a Britcar T shirt is tuned to 600 hp good for reaching 60 mph in under 4 seconds.
When I got home I was surprised to learn that there is an Australian racing series for Ford and Holden pick ups, where pickups are known as Utes, which is part of a staircase to find talent for the top tier Australian V8 Supercar series.
Even more surprisingly I have found out that late last year an announcement was made by Britcar to the effect that they would organise a debut season for a UK V8Ute Series using only the rebranded Vauxhall VXR Maloo pickup model.
The cars were to be rented from Britcar with the rental cost including entry fees for a full season of races.
The plan was that at each meeting the Maloo's would take part in three 40 minute races with mandatory pit stops for driver changes.
The projected series is on temporary hold, I look forward to an announcement from Britcar that the series will get a chance to go public and from Vauxhall that the VXR Maloo gets the opportunity to enter the UK market place.
Thanks for joining me on this Antipodean Racing edition of 'Gettin a lil' psycho on tyres' I hope that you will join me again tomorrow ! Don't forget to come back now !
Monday, 4 October 2010
I JUST WANT ONE ! - Maloo R8 !
The odd Latvian Lada Zhiguli notwithstanding it's not everyday I amble along the streets of Bristol and get stopped dead in my tracks on seeing a vehicle and think WTF is that I want one and want it now !
Such was the case with this vehicle, which oozes refinement and speed by the bucket load yet looks like a pick up. Turns out the Maroo R8 is manufactured by Holden Special Vehicles in Australia and has it's origins in the humble Holden Ute - pick up.
This Maloo R8 would appear to be the latest E series introduced in 2007, which features a 412 hp 6 litre / 366 CUI LS2 V8 from the Corvette parts bin.
This pick up does not just look fast either, it holds the record for being the worlds fastest pick up timed at 168 mph / 271 kph a staggering 13.5 mph / 22 kph faster than its closest competitor the Dodge Ram SRT-10.
I don't think its a stretch to say the Maloo R8 is a considerably better looker than the Dodge either.
For a long time the 1970 Chevrolet El Camino has been my dream pick up, my dream just took a turn for the Australian outback :-)
Hope this Antipodean Stunner leaves you in good spirits for the week ahead, Don't forget to come back now ! Hear ?
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