- Powerful 6.0-litre LS2 V8 engine
- Supple ride
- Spacious interior and supportive front seats
- Accurate steering provides good feedback
- Under-damped suspension produces disappointing dynamics
- Four-speed automatic transmission provides clunky downshifts
- High fuel consumption
Overview
Released in October 2004, the HSV Z-Series I (Z-I) Senator was a rear-wheel drive, performance sedan. Manufactured in Elizabeth, South Australia, and finished by HSV in Clayton, Victoria, the Z-Series Senator was powered by a 6.0-litre V8 petrol engine that was mated to either a six-speed Tremec T56 manual transmission or four-speed 4L65-E heavy-duty automatic unit. The Z-Series Senator range consisted of both standard Senator and Senator R8 models.
LS2 V8 engine
The all-aluminium, Generation IV 6.0-litre LS2 pushrod V8 engine had a 101.6 mm bore, 92.0 mm stroke, flat-topped pistons, cast-steel roller rocker arms, roller cam followers, coil pack ignition, two valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 10.9:1; maximum engine speed was 6500 mm. Although calibrated to run on 95 RON premium unleaded petrol (PULP), the LS2 engine could also run on 91 RON unleaded petrol with a small loss in power.
The Z-Series Senator could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and 5.1 seconds for the manual and automatic models, respectively.
Developments and dimensions
As with the Holden VZ Commodore range, however, the Z-Series Senator had a new power steering pump, electronic throttle control and Bosch 8.0 ABS and traction control systems. Like the Y-Series Senator , the Z-Series Senator was 4980 mm long, 1842 mm wide, 1450 mm tall and had a 2788 mm long wheelbase.
Suspension
Positioned as the luxury vehicle within HSV’s range, the Z-Series Senator had HSV’s ‘Luxury’ suspension tune for its MacPherson strut front suspension and independent rear suspension (the latter with toe control links).
| Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | 6.0-litre LS2 petrol V8 | 4sp auto | 297 kW at 6000 rpm | 530 Nm at 4400 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Z-Series Senator included dual front airbags, front side airbags, ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, traction control, anti-submarining seats, active front seat head restraints and front seatbelt pretensioners.
Brakes
The Z-Series Senator had grooved and ventilated 330 mm by 32 mm front and 315 mm by 18 mm rear brake disc brakes with two-piston calipers front and rear.
Features
Standard features for the Z-Series Senator included 19-inch ‘Chrome Shadow’ alloy wheels with 245/35 ZR19 tyres, a 260 watt Blaupunkt sound system with ten speakers (including twin subwoofers) and a six-stack CD player, dual zone climate control air conditioning, leather seats, power adjustable front seats, driver’s seat memory settings, cruise control, automatic headlights, rear parking sensors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, automatically dipping mirrors when reversing, a tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel, trip computer, Holden’s telematics system and an immobiliser.
The Senator was also fitted with a limited slip differential.
2006 Senator Skaife Signature Edition
In March 2006, the Skaife Signature Edition was released. Limited to a production run of 50 units, the Skaife Signature Edition featured 19-inch ‘Shadow Chrome’ ten-spoke alloy wheels, Nappa leather seats, xenon HID headlights and tyre pressure monitoring. Visually, the Skaife Signature Edition could be identified by its Phantom Black paint finish, GTS-style grille mesh and HSV Performance braking package which consisted of ventilated and grooved 362 mm by 32 mm front and 343 mm by 26 mm rear brake discs with four-piston calipers.
Related links
- Holden Special Vehicles: HSV Z-Series Senator
- HSV Press: Racing Spirit Celebrated In Special HSV Models (March 2006)
- Wikipedia.org: Holden VZ Commodore – HSV
- Wikipedia.org: HSV – Z Series
