Yellow peril was a derogatory name given to the Vault sculpture revealed in 1978 as part of Melbourne’s City Square as just two decades later across the metropolitan area HSV was building its own outrageous model, the GTS-R.
Much like Vault, the GTS-R was an outlier featuring distinctive yellow paint on the outside matched by similar coloured fabric throughout the interior and a massive eye-catching rear wing to ensure it stood out.
Both Holden and HSV were somewhat conservative during the mid-1990s, but the GTS-R threw this out the window.
When it was revealed at the Sydney Motor Show with a price tag of $75,000, it was the most expensive Commodore up to that point.
Under the bonnet, a stroked Holden 5.0-litre V8 featured a Harrop crankshaft elevating capacity to 5.7-litres, pistons from ACL, exhaust valve stems and polished ports to ensure power was lifted to 215kw and torque to 475Nm. A further $10,000 option was offered where the engine was blueprinted and upgraded by Holden Racing Team engineers to further extract 10-15kw and 30Nm.
Other innovations included a Hydratrak limited slip diff and a durable Tremec T56 six-speed was installed at HSV’s Clayton plant.
Designing the wild exterior of the HSV was mostly designed by the celebrated Ian Callum of latter Jaguar and Aton Martin fame, but at this time led the TWR Design department.
Just 85 GTS-Rs were produced of which 10 went across to New Zealand and 12 were optimised by HRT, leaving these as the most desirable.
XU-3 Yellah was the hue chosen to showcase the model, enhancing the iconic and revered level of the GTS-R.
Unfortunately, many GTS-Rs have met their demise and aided in cementing HSV as Australia’s leading performance car manufacturer.
A couple of GTS-Rs did make the racetrack in GT-Performance enjoying limited success due to the rise of the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, but HSV’s follow up 300kw VT model proved a winner not only on the racetrack, but in the showroom as well.