2002 HSV Clubsport R8 VXII review from Australia and New Zealand
"A hell of a lot of fun, with not too many drawbacks... A performance bargain!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
No problems thus far, however I am faintly aware of the well documented 'piston slap' issues on cold start up. It is certainly not terrible and disappears altogether after about 20 second... I guess I expected it so it's no biggy.
Also, despite the piston slap, it doesn't use a drop of oil, so I'm happy with that!
General comments?
An incredible performance bargain on the second hand market. 0-100k's in 6.1 seconds and whopper stoppers which work exceptionally well with no fade or noise.
Good fit and finish, even with a car that's done a few k's there are few rattles and panel gaps are all uniform and within tolerance (well my tolerance anyway)!
Handles very well on the R8 spec suspension with almost no body role and yet with very a comfortable ride.
Exceptional styling. (In my opinion, the best looking HSV product to date).
Very good economy from a car of this nature. Under 10ltrs/100k's on the extra urban cycle and about 12 around town.
A performance enthusiasts dream! If 255kw's is not enough for you, modifications in the form of OTRCAI (over the radiator cold air induction) and a MAFless tune will run to about $1600-2000 (dependent on tuner and OTRCAI chosen) will put the engine Kw figure up around the 330-340 mark whilst making better power all through the rev range... pretty sound value!
Recommended Reviews:
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| 2001 - Clubsport R8 VX Series 1 5.7 Litre Gen III LS1 Lemon or Friday afternoon build! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 2002 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 5.7ltr LS1 V8 Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 51000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 55000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Ford Fairmont |
| Date of Entry | 19th October, 2007 |