1 Oct 2002
The VY Commodore-based Y Series upgrade brought an aggressive new range of bodykits across the range, but the main act was a boost in power to better the 250kW/500Nm output offered by Ford-Tickford’s stroked 5.6-litre Windsor V8, which appeared in AUIII guise in December 2001.
Now offering 260kW (but the same 475Nm), HSV’s 5.7-litre Gen III V8 is also claimed to be smoother and more refined, as is the GTS models’ 300kW C4B version.
While the extra 5kW of peak power made no difference to performance figures, the refined four-speed auto made the VY HSV models more civilised.
Y Series also brought climate control, alloy pedals, a shift light from GTS (manual only), Performance seats for R8 and a centre sports binnacle for upstream models.
Upgraded Control Link suspension, Performance brakes as standard for ClubSport, Maloo and Senator, and Premium brakes as standard for R8 and Senator models complete the Y Series picture.