HRT 427 has been canned!!!

[weetbix]

Found this while browsing some forums this morning

HRT427

Holden Special Vehicles today announced that it would not go ahead with production of the HRT427 “Supercar”.

Fifty firm orders had been placed for the vehicle, with an unexpectedly high proportion to be for road use. HSV’s desire to build the car to the highest level of safety, engineering integrity and excellence to meet the expected asking price of $215,000 was not achievable at the (restricted) 50 vehicle build level.

To achieve a road car level of specification would have required significantly higher investment levels and resultant higher recommended retail price. Further, HSV was not prepared to build more than 50 units as this would seriously degrade the exclusivity of the very exciting 427 model, nor was HSV prepared to lower the specifications from that of the original show car intent, which may have diluted the integrity of the concept.

HSV expressed great disappointment in not bringing the 427 model to market, as the prototype vehicles that were completed had achieved their engineering objectives and vehicle intent. HSV’s General Manager, Chris Payne, confirmed “The unfortunate and disappointing decision was one purely of business case economics that could not be made viable given our price and customer studies.

“The decision is particularly disappointing as the prototypes already demonstrate the engineering prowess of HSV to develop and build high performance supercars that can compete with the best marques in the world” he added.

HSV will be in direct contact with the fifty customers who were scheduled to become owners of the 427.

“We have some other very exciting and interesting concepts coming down the track that will continue to shape HSV’s leadership in the Australian performance car segment” said Chris Payne.

Cheers

[Warpspeed]

This does not make sense. They say they are only prepared to build fifty units, and they have fifty firm orders, so what is the problem?

[akeenan]

HSV’s desire to build the car to the highest level of safety, engineering integrity and excellence to meet the expected asking price of $215,000 was not achievable at the (restricted) 50 vehicle build level.

HSV was not prepared to build more than 50 units as this would seriously degrade the exclusivity of the very exciting 427 model, nor was HSV prepared to lower the specifications from that of the original show car intent, which may have diluted the integrity of the concept.

if that makes sense

[Warpspeed]

There are going to be fifty wealthy Holden fanatics out there, that are going to be mighty pissed off at GMH I am thinking.

If the idea was to really get the blood stirring amongst the Holden fraternity, they have certainly done that, but not in the way they intended.

I think it is called shooting yourself in the foot. Duh.

[hippy]

yeah they just contradicted themselves ... a case of economics?? it must of costed more than the 200k+ to produce ... which i think would mean just about the whole car is custom hand made ...

[Warpspeed]

They probably figured it was going to be a financial loss right from the start, but worth it from the PR and product exposure point of view. Advertising is horribly expensive any way you go about it.

Probably now, they realize we are entering into another long term worldwide depression, and the car makers are fighting for survival. It is not now a question of how much profit they will make, but how long they can go on re-financing their debts before they go bankrupt for the last time.

In the 1920's there were over two thousand public companies listed in USA that declared their main business activity as "automobiles, or automobile parts manufacture". After the 1929 to 1935 stock-market crash, only THREE out of the two thousand survived. (Ford GM and Chrysler).

Back then the boom technologies were wireless, aviation, and automobiles. Now it is computers, software and the internet, and it is all crashing into a great heap just as it did last time.

In recent times we have seen one-tel, ansett, HIH, and other large companies just cease to exist. There will be many more.

[aybee]

wasnt this car allowed to race at bashturst only because it was going to be a production model and that maximum of 50 allowed them to race?

[GTS-4OrCeD]

Hahah, this is great. The HRT 427 was HSV's answer to everything. Giving then international Street cred, a porche Eater, Entry into events like the Bathurst 24hr and GTP championship and give Holden fans bragging rights that an HSV could beat most things on the road. This makes HSV look soo bad after talking it up so much, and being every HSV lovers poster boy.

My only wish now is that they now over turn the Bathurst 24hr Decision as I was under the impression it was for production cars, and the HSV was allowed to race because it was going to be making a copy of the race car (the HRT 427) for production, wouldn't this make that result invalid?

Greg.

[hippy]

they cheated ... they just wanted to win that race cause they have nothing else

[GTS-4OrCeD]

Sounds like cheating. Nissan could enter a 700 hoursepower flame shooting monster GTR (Maybe the 35 Concept GTR) saying they are going to make it, than after the race go 'Nahhh I don't think we can make it'

Greg.

[predator]

yup, exactly my thoughts if you ask me! How can they get away with that.. seems like a pretty blatant flaunt of the "production" car class rules if you ask me. Saying it will be produced, and then canning it.

I saw one at the Melbourne Motorshow, and it definitely had enough enhancements to make it seem a little different - but it still looked like a Monaro.

Well guess Holden still doesn't have anything that is quicker out of the factory than you're average gts-t

Warpspeed - man you are mr doom and gloom. At worse Holden will eventually just start using overseas drivetrains rather than trying to engineer their own..but holden as an entity making commodores will be around for a long while I'd say.

[hippy]

just proves how bad aussie engineering is?? can't do it so we quit ...

[rev210]

I say take the bathurst title off them.

[Clint32]

I think at Bathurst they were in a prototype category so they are ok there, but in GTP Nations Cup they need to be mass produced cars, 50 or so from memory, so seeing the only ones made were race cars they should be made to run the normal road going puss Monaro

[Roy]

They were allowed to do it as the race needed some big names, Holden, 427 Monaro, some recognised drivers all helped the profile of the race.

I think its a shame its not getting built, it would have been cool to see an Aussie limited edition car that had more then just new badges and wheels.

Maybe CSV will have the balls to build a sh1t hot Monaro in the same light as the HRT427.

[Greg]

At worse Holden will eventually just start using overseas drivetrains rather than trying to engineer their own

i'd say this would be a good thing

[Guest gtst88]

if they didnt stop GTRs from entering .. the godzilla would still dominate ..

[Guest RedLineGTR]

come on for that price...go get a r34 gtr...the rest of the money get on mods...jap tech much better than HSV expects from its car.

220+ on a car...it's will kill all..

[GTS-4OrCeD]

The is no prototype section for Bathurst 24hr, that is only in Le Mans. All cars have to in Production, Holden broke the rules but said the production car was coming, liars.

Take the Trophy off them, now.

Greg.

[Silver-Arrowz]

The Bathurst 24hr is strictly a production car race.