LS3 manual
If you were out there looking for a locally-made car with a little more punch from under the bonnet and something sharper in the handling department, HSV was a good alternative that often offered decent bang for the buck.
That’s particularly the case with its later Holdens, such as the 25th anniversary Clubsport series.
In a review of the R8 variant for 2013, Scott Newman noted: “It’s an easy car to drive close to its limit, and it always feels on your side. Initially a little light, the steering provides enough feedback with lock applied to really lean on the front-end, and from apex to corner exit the R8 just squats and fires down the road.”
The E3 variants came with a long list of add-ons while enjoying the powerful 317kW LS3 V8 under the paint.
This 2013 example is a six-speed manual, claims 87,800km and the addition of a Senator rear wing. Located near Brisbane, Qld, it’s on the market at $69,000.