Yup, that’s a legit supercharged LSA borrowed from the Camaro ZL1!
The Holden Ute is the biggest tease North American GM enthusiasts have ever received from The General. Based on the same underpinnings and sharing much of the same components as the Holden Commodore saloon (sedan to us Yanks), it would have made for the perfect El Camino – had it been given the chance. The closest we’ve ever gotten to a 21st century Elko, apart from a few rumor-based articles in magazines and enthusiast stipulation, was the Pontiac G8 ST – that was actually approved and scheduled for production …briefly.
As we all know, both the G8 and Pontiac as a whole were ultimately cancelled in lieu of the financial criss of just a few years ago, but the Holden Ute that it was based upon had thrived. As it turns out, however, its life is being cut short now, too, thanks to the Aussie Holden/GM manufacturing plant scheduled to close after 2016.
What GM has up its sleeve to make up for this unfortunate event is yet to be determined, but as a result, it’s becoming more clear that the the Holden Commodore, Ute, Statesman, and basically everything else based on the Zeta platform, will be killed off after 2017. Further evidence of this is solidified that current Zeta-based Camaro will make the switch to the lighter Alpha platform for 2016.
Not ones to go out with a whimper, HSV continues to build monsters like the Maloo GTS Ute; featuring an honest-to-goodness LSA that’s been plucked from the ZL1’s engine compartment, making for one killer, drift-happy cruck (car/truck). Chris Harris of /Drive, has been allowed to have a go in one of these things while on a vacation Down Under, and we have got to say, cars like this make us wish we lived in Australia. Or at the very least, seen the G8 GT make it to production. Watch the video to witness the epicness of that which is the Maloo GTS. 
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
