To call the HSV Maloo one of the best utility car-trucks of all time isn’t hyperbole. In their day, different models were outfitted with several varieties of V8 engines, with the Maloo R8 LSA, for example, boasting 410kW of power and 691Nm of torque. It goes without saying that these utes have some impressive power behind them, making them stand out among their contemporaries. Not to mention, the Maloo set an incredible speed record for its class that has yet to be surpassed nearly two decades after it was set.
Back in July 2006, HSV’s Mark Skaife took a Maloo R8 out for a drive in hopes of entering the Guinness World Records. He put the pedal to the metal in near Woomera in South Australia’s outback, getting the vehicle up to a top speed of 271.44 kph. Doing so set the record for the fastest land speed reached by a production standard utility/pick-up truck, which had previously been reset only two years prior. A Dodge Ram SRT-10 set the old record in February 2004 by reaching a top speed of 248.783 kph. That’s still a remarkable feat, but the Dodge Ram was no match for the HSV Maloo.