KEY POINTS:
New Zealand customers will be able to buy the ultimate Holden Special Vehicles sedan, the W427, following an announcement by Holden New Zealand that the limited run model has been approved for sale here.
But buyers will have to pay what seems like the ultimate price - $194,500 for this 7.0-litre V8 monster.
The huge price tag will be somewhat balanced by the car's guaranteed collector status, with HSV saying it will build no more than 427 cars. Just seven have been allocated for New Zealand.
The W427 is being billed by many as "Australia's first supercar" although it's not the first HSV to crack 0-100km/h in less than 5 seconds (it gets there in 4.7 seconds). The big V8 produces 375kW/640Nm - the "427" name comes from the cubic capacity of the engine in inches.
The W427 first appeared at this year's Melbourne Motor Show finished in the same Panorama Silver paintwork as the original 1988 HSV, the heavily bespoilered Group A SS VL Commodore (aka the "Plastic Pig").
The engine comes courtesy of the American Chevrolet Corvette. The W427 features a specific brake set-up with 50 per cent more pad area than the 6.2-litre HSVs.
The front fascia is unique to the W427, as are the three-piece carbon fibre rear spoiler and 20-inch alloy wheel design. The interior, including the steering wheel, is finished in lurid red leather.
