It is an inspired combination that literally has no equal anywhere else in the world ... a big brute of a car yet it feels light and nimble behind the wheel.

The ultimate development of the Aussie V8 thumps out 220kW or more if the Optimised package is specified. The jumbo T56 6-speed manual was given a new shift action that is slicker than ever thought possible for a gearbox processing this much mumbo. The same goes for the clutch. A substantial increase in body strength reinforces the accurate impression that this GTS has been given enormous reserves. The awesome power is still the dominant quality of the GTS, but the brakes and roadholding stay with it all the way. It is a car that forces the driver to redefine what is possible. It does it with all the thunder and bluster of old yet there is a discipline and focus that was once the preserve of the highest echelons of specialist cars. The VT GTS also introduces the most striking and confronting styling package since the first Walkinshaw Group A. There are no cheap tricks in the brilliant Ian Callum’s most comprehensive work for HSV. It defies convention yet there is a harmony in its mix of edges and curves. The huge 18 inch wheels and tyres and the drilled discs of the premium brake option which they frame are a study of their own. The GTS seats also set a new benchmark for comfort and support. But plucking out mere details doesn’t acknowledge the coherence and balance of the VT GTS. It is a more complete, more thorough definition of a high performance sedan than ever seen in Australia.

As a driving experience, it is everything you could wish for. And then some.