A former Queensland racing engineer plans to build “brand new” Holden LX Toranas powered by 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engines, in compliance with Australia’s low-volume manufacturing laws.
The brainchild of former motorsport data analyst Andrew South, Drive South aims to recreate the 1977 LX Torana on an extruded and bonded aluminium “V8 Supercar-style spaceframe” with a chromoly roll cage – complete with full fibreglass composite body panels.
The car will be powered by an all-new GM-supplied 6.2-litre LS3 V8 producing 320kW and 580Nm, mated to the same Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission that has seen years of service in many V8 Falcons and Commodores.
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Called the Drive South Hatch, the car will also be offered with a new GM 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission, while at the rear there will be a nine-inch limited-slip differential.
The front suspension will be double wishbone, the rear fully independent, with 320mm discs clamped by four-piston Wilwood calipers at each corner.
Inside, the Drive South Hatch will feature leather-trimmed Recaro front seats and a carbon fibre dashboard with an 11-inch Kenwood infotainment screen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are even plans to fit a wireless phone charger.
Modern features will also include air conditioning, power steering, electric windows and push-button start, while making the vehicle as safe as possible was a priority, Drive South said.
Company director Andrew South said the idea came to him while he was restoring a car.
“I was driving to Gayndah in rural Queensland, it was a day trip, and I was going to buy some parts from a guy who was ripping me off with parts that weren’t good, and I was thinking as I was driving, what am I doing,” South said.
“It costs me a fortune to buy all these parts, I also have to restore them… why not build a new car? Is that such a crazy idea? What would that look like?”
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South said the idea for a spaceframe road car with fibreglass panels came to him while watching a Supercars race.
“These cars are built from a tubular chassis, so why not do that? We’re in Australia, these chassis are made in Australia, they’ve been proven by V8 Supercars, they’re very light, very strong, very safe,” he said. “So why not do it that way in terms of replicating that on a road car?”
A working prototype is currently under construction. South said his cars will come with a factory warranty and are expected to cost about $250,000, about the value of an original vehicle in good condition.
South wants to produce racing versions of the car and enter them in motorsport events, he said.