As you probably remember, I was all excited about the F6 Typhoon as my next car, and was looking forward to test driving it. I finally got around to it just a few days ago on Saturday. There it was, a BFII F6 (same model as mine, but a year older). I was all excited as I was getting into it, turned the key and pressed a red button on the centre console to start it. (Why you have to turn the key and then press the button is beyond me… seems pretty silly. Why not just turn the key, OR just press the button?)
It sounded just like mine, which was a little surprising, but not… I mean, it’s the same engine, just engineered better to get 270kw out of it instead of 245kw that’s in mine. But I thought it would sound different.
So then I started driving it. Yep, just like mine… Ok, I’m at the lights and waiting for it to turn green, which they eventually do. Pow! I’m off!
Oh… it’s just like mine… but I think it’s slightly faster reaching the speed limit. But it’s not as noisy, and it doesn’t have any of the ‘aggression’ that I expected from the F6 Typhoon, based on how so many people have talked and written about it. I think there’s better sound insulation in the F6, so you can’t hear the engine as much as in the XR6 Turbo, and I think the gears change a little smoother, so you don’t feel it as much as the XR6…
But all that means is that the driving ‘experience’ isn’t as exciting as what I currently get in my car. I was expecting so much more from the F6, and I didn’t get it.
With what I enjoy about mine, and how I didn’t even get that from the F6, I decided that it’s not worth my time or money to consider upgrading it. And I really don’t like the look of the new model (the FG series), so I’m not even considering that at all.
So in one fell swoop, the F6 Typhoon has been removed from my future plans.
What next? Well, I still want to upgrade within the next year or two to something that’s going to give me a better experience than what I currently get. The only other car that’s remotely interested me has been the new VE model of the HSV series of Holden performance vehicles. I think they look very, very cool. Mean-looking… intimidating… exciting.
So I test drove a HSV Clubsport R8. Oh my…
It sounds just fantastic! The 317kw V8 engine has a lot of power… In 1st gear I planted my foot – carefully, as I didn’t want to spin the wheels – and it feels like this large car is just surging with power as it quickly accelerates. They call it torque, apparently (I’m not very good at mechanical things), and the torque on this thing is very impressive.
Where my car pushes you back into the seat and leaves you grinning, the HSV slams you back into the seat instead and leaves you yelling, “WHOAHHHH!!!”
It goes from 0-100km/h in just over 5 seconds. I didn’t get a chance to push it that far, because it was a manual and the last time I drove a manual was about 6 years ago (for an hour), so I was just barely navigating through the gears. But damn, the feeling of it was fantastic. And the roar of the engine was… ummm… what was it? I guess it was exhilarating.
‘Exhilarating’ is not a word that I’ve used before. I really enjoy the XR6 Turbo, but compared to the HSV, it’s just not in the same league. It’s apparently in the same league as the F6 Typhoon, but really, it’s so much more fun!
So the plans have changed. I’ll be going for the HSV as an upgrade instead of the F6. And no, I have no brand loyalty. I’m seeking an experience with my driving, and I think the HSV is the best car to give me what I’m looking for.
Thanks for reading! Please add your own thoughts below.
Don't forget to subscribe for new posts sent to you by email!