Six litre V8 for Ute

They’re fitted with a new 6.0-litre alloy bent eight that will deliver 260kW of maximum power at 5600rpm and 510Nm of peak torque at 4400rpm.

Holden says torque delivery is increased significantly at lower revs offering improved acceleration, better low speed engine response and improved ease of towing than the previous 5.7-litre engine.

The 5.7-litre LS1 Corvette V8 will continue in New Zealand market Holden sedans and wagons until the new VE model Commodore bdeuts later this year. Then it will pick up the six-litre engine which is already fitted to VZ II Commodores sold in Australia.

Codenamed L76, the new engine is a member of GM’s fourth generation small block V8 family.

In the revised light utility range sold in NZ, the Holden SS Ute receive front and rear performance brakes as standard. The SS Crewman adopts performance front brakes. The front rotor is 320mm by 32mm vented compared with 296mm by 28mm vented on the previous standard system. The rear rotor is 286mm by 18mm vented compared with 286mm by 16mm solid.

The rear rotor (available on the SS Ute) is 286mm by 18mm vented compared with 286mm by 16mm solid.

The extra performance will be managed with a better breathing sports exhaust system, and significant improvements to automatic transmission characteristics. From an environmental perspective, all new variants meet strict ADR79/01 emission regulations.

To mark the launch of the 6.0-litre engine in New Zealand, Holden will be introducing a special editon Thunder SS Ute.

The 50 Thunder SS Utes earmarked for NZ have front and rear performance brakes as standard, 18-inch alloy wheels (plus an alloy spare), hard tonneau cover, colour coded leather seats and special edition Thunder badging.

V8 in detail

The L76 incorporates several significant changes to improve performance compared with the 5.7-litre LS1 third generation engine it replaces.

Key changes include an all-new aluminium cylinder block casting; cylinder bores measuring 101.6mm in diameter, combined with stroke of 92.0mm; revised high-flow cylinder heads deliver the airflow necessary to complement the engine’s larger displacement; 55mm inlet valve and 40.4mm exhaust valve diameter; flat-top piston design, and a compression ratio raised to 10.4:1 from 10.1:1.

The motor also has more efficient ignition coils that require less energy to provide a comparable spark; a larger, 90mm single-blade throttle body; a revised and more powerful engine controller that incorporates electronic throttle control, and external knock sensors

The V8s will be mated to the 4L65-E four-speed automatic transmission which has been revised with an input shaft speed sensor. The speed sensor noticeably improves shift quality and consistency under varied conditions, particularly low throttle.

The optional Tremec T56 six-speed manual transmission has a revised clutch plate and pressure plate for transmission of increased engine torque.

V8 Ute range

The special edition Thunder Ute SS gets performance brakes front and rear, a performance exhaust, 18-inch alloy wheels, a hard tonneau cover, and colour-coded leather seats. Its recommended retail price is $52,300.

The Holden Ute SS is priced at $50,900 and comes with

performance brakes front and rear, and a performance exhaust. new Devil Yellow colour new to Ute

The Crewman SS gets performance front brakes, and a performance exhaust, and lists at $57,900.