Callaway has been cranking extra horsepower out of Chevy V-8s for decades, and that's where HSV goes for its powerplants. Cylinder-head work, a cam change, more compression, revised engine-management calibrations, and a burbling dual-exhaust system equal a rating of 400 hp as installed in the M5-size HSV 300. While it doesn't feel quite like 400 horses to us, it's at least a healthy 350, reminding us of the standard engine in the Corvette. Painting black streaks of rubber onto the pavement is as easy as putting the six-speed stick in first, giving the engine 3000 rpm, coming off the clutch, and flooring it.
The HSV 300's chassis doesn't invite you to pitch it sideways and drive it sprint-car style--it begs you to. This piece is predictable, communicative, and so controllable. Its steering tells you exactly what's going on, the well-damped suspension stays in contact with the road surface, and its cornering limits feel inspiringly high. There's a bit of a ride penalty, as you'd expect with aggressive 18-in. wheels and low-profile tires. Without getting into the intricacies of price/value ratios, exchange rates, and "what would it cost here?" analysis, suffice it to say that the HSV 300 delivers about 85 percent of the BMW M5's driving thrill for less than 70 percent of the cost. A true Impala SS if there ever was one.
Nothing's as easy as it looks, but the Monaro-becomes-GTO case study proves GM is willing and able to go beyond existing boundaries in search of new product opportunities. And the Ute, Caprice, and HSV 300 also demonstrate there's a lot of life left in the small-block Chevy V-8.