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Original story first published in Drive on 29 March, 2001
Around the world, debate rages over any number of issues. Which skyscraper really is the world's tallest building? What really is the most popular religion?
But when it comes to the world's fastest utility, there's no argument.
Meet the HSV Maloo.
It speaks volumes for the Australian car-buying psyche that a humble work vehicle like a utility gets the full Holden Special Vehicles treatment.
Of course, it also says a lot about the HSV buyer profile: predominantly under 50, probably self-employed in a blue-collar industry and every inch the self-made man (or woman). The sort of person who probably feels pretty comfortable with a ute, but now wants some real performance and a dash of prestige into the bargain.
And if that’s the case, then the Maloo is going to be a real crowd-pleaser.
Based on the all-new Holden Commodore VU utility, the Maloo uses HSV’s 255kW version of the 5.7-litre V8 engine. The standard gearbox is a six-speed manual, but there's also a four-speed auto for those after a more relaxed drive.
Mind you, with that sort of horsepower on tap, the Maloo needs to be kept on a pretty tight reign.
The big danger with utes is that their layout places less weight over the rear (drive) wheels. In turn, that can make for a wheel-spinning monster of a vehicle that can be downright frightening on a wet or slippery road.
Fortunately, the Maloo inherits the independent rear suspension from the Commodore range and, since the basic Holden ute package is based on the floor pan of the Commodore station wagon, the Maloo also gains some extra length to its wheelbase, which helps tame it.
HSV’s suspension tweaks have also lowered the Maloo to make it a tidier handling package, and fat wheels and tyres also aid grip.
The only downside to the revised suspension is that the Maloo’s payload falls to a disappointing 356kg. And don’t be fooled for a moment; get serious with the accelerator pedal and the Maloo has the ability to flip its wig in the biggest possible way. Not a car for P-platers, then.
HSV has moved to broaden the Maloo’s appeal and will now market the vehicle in two distinct forms. The base model gets ABS brakes, the 18-inch alloy wheels from the HSV ClubSport, revised interior featuring retrimmed seats and a more comprehensive instrument panel, some leather trimmings, cruise control, single-disc CD player, dual airbags and a fire extinguisher.
The higher-spec model is called the Maloo R8. It picks up a hard tonneau, cargo-bed liner, better brakes and improved seats.
The base-model will retail for $47,995 with the R8 costing $54,950.
Taking the rubbish to the tip has never been this much fun. Drive
So was the HSV Maloo really the fastest ute in the world?
Yes! And it’s official too.
In May 2006, HSV and five-time Australian touring car champ, Mark Skaife, headed to Woomera in the South Australian desert to try and set a new world record. On hand to ratify HSV’s record-seeking attempt, the de facto overseer of all such endeavours, Guinness World Records.
The rules for the attempt are pretty straightforward. The average speed is calculated over a flying 1km stretch of road over two separate runs, one in each direction to account for any tail- or head-winds. The car itself must be showroom stock.
HSV’s attempt took place on a long stretch of straight access road located inside the Woomera rocket range, officially known as the Woomera Prohibited Area.
According to Drive, which was on hand in 2006 to witness the attempt, Skaife was a little hesitant after spying the stretch or road for the first time.
“When I first saw the road, I thought, ‘They’re kidding!’” he told Drive.
Undeterred, Skaife set off on his first – and what would be his only – run in the latest generation 6.0-litre V8-powered Maloo ute, borrowed from the local school principal, Stuart Knox (pictured above).
“They said they wanted to drive it at high speed,” Knox told Drive. “I think they thought I’d say no because no one likes letting someone else drive your car, let alone fast. But I figured they knew what they were doing. They did about 210km/h with me in it. It felt fine.”
With Knox watching on from the sidelines, Skaife only needed one attempt to establish a new world record, his run into a headwind maxing out at 265.72km/h and 277.16km/h with a tailwind, for an average of 271.44km/h.
Skaife took it all in his stride.
“The headwind and tailwind weren’t a problem but there were sections where you’d get a bit of crosswind and you’d have to guide the car through the bumps,” he told Drive. “I was very gentle with the steering.
“It sounds easier than it looks,” he added. “I was wide awake, I can tell you. The surface is very bumpy, there’s two cattle grids to go over and I wouldn’t be surprised if we got air a few times. If the surface was flat, you could do it with one arm on the window.”
Skaife’s lone record-breaking run eclipsed the previous mark and easily, some 23km/h faster than the world record set by a Dodge Ram SRT10 in 2004. But, that 2004 record had actually already been broken. And by an unlikely source.
The day prior to Skaife’s run, HSV engineer Sam Davis took part in some practice runs to ensure everything was in order with both the car and the timing equipment for the official world record attempt the following day.
Davis (pictured below) completed an easy run in both directions, as per the rules, posting an average speed of 240km/h. But rather than give the green tick, Davis and the team at HSV decided to go for one more high-speed attempt.
With an average of 269.9km/h, and with Guinness World Records already on hand for next day's ‘official’ attempt, Davis’s run was officially recognised as a new world record.
“The traction control kicked in at about 260km/h on the cattle grids and some of the bigger undulations,” Davis told Drive afterwards. “Plus, I found I should’ve got up to speed quicker as it was still accelerating near the end.”
His record lasted less than 18 hours when Skaife bested it the following day, a world record that still stands today almost 20 years later. And that means Australia’s own HSV Maloo was, and still is, the fastest ute in the world.
And with the shape of the pick-up truck and dual-cab ute market being what it is today, it’s a record unlikely to ever be broken. RM
Rob Margeit is an award-winning Australian motoring journalist and editor who has been writing about cars and motorsport for over 25 years. A former editor of Australian Auto Action, Rob’s work has also appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Wheels, Motor Magazine, Street Machine and Top Gear Australia. Rob’s current rides include a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and a 2000 Honda HR-V Sport.
