HSV's Maloo R8 Still Holds Guinness's Title For Fastest Truck Two Decades Later

If someone can make a tractor go above 150 mph for laughs, the idea of pushing a utility vehicle beyond just a stereotypical farm tool/grocery-getter shouldn't sound all that surprising. Ford did it with the SVT Lightning in the early 2000s, and so did Dodge by stuffing a Viper engine into a Ram 1500, both of which were officially recognized by Guinness for being fast trucks. However, in 2006, the Guinness title for the world's fastest production pickup was taken away from the V10-powered Dodge Ram SRT-10 by an Australian "ute" called the HSV Maloo R8 — a record it still holds today.

Before the ute versus pickup debate begins, it's worth pointing out that the blurb in HSV's press release (that's Holden Special Vehicles) specifically mentions the Maloo R8 breaking the "Guinness World Record for the top land speed reached by a production standard utility/pick up truck." The run took place on the Woomera Prohibited Area in outback South Australia, with six-time Bathurst winner Mark Skaife behind the wheel. The speed? A two-way average of 271.44 kph, or 168.66 mph in freedom units.

Sure, the Maloo's record top speed is a decent chunk faster than the Ram's 154.58 mph, but you could argue that this V8-powered Maloo is perhaps not "the" fastest pickup in the world at the moment. Although not Guinness-certified, the new Ram 1500 Rumble Bee has an advertised top speed of 170 mph, which makes it faster on paper than the Maloo R8. But to be fair, the record-setting Maloo did manage to hit a peak speed of 277.16 kph (172.21 mph), so perhaps Ram marketing the Rumble Bee as the "World's Fastest Production Truck Ever" is just that: marketing.

If you're wondering, the Maloo gets its name from an Aboriginal word that means "storm" or "thunder," and is essentially a spicier version of Holden's Commodore Ute. Part of the VZ-generation, the record-setting Maloo R8 is powered by a 6.0-liter LS2 V8 putting out 398 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. Running a 10.9:1 compression ratio, the Gen 4 LS2 features a lightweight aluminum block and high-flow cathedral-port cylinder heads, along with sequential multi-point fuel injection. HSV also gave the Maloo R8 some exterior bling with a 63mm dual exhaust system featuring billet aluminum tips. HSV also gave the Maloo its sport suspension upgrade with progressive spring rates front and rear, featuring unique damper calibrations. While the standard brakes were four-piston units, HSV offered optional AP six-piston front brakes with grooved discs. On the outside, it features 245-section 19-inch tires and a host of Maloo-specific styling elements as standard.

In terms of transmission, you had the choice of a T56 six-speed manual or a 4L65E Turbohydramatic four-speed automatic with a specific HSV performance calibration. The record-setting car was apparently an automatic, as according to Australia's WhichCar, the manual version, with its different gearing, was not set up to pull that off. In any case, the HSV Maloo R8's unique Guinness world record for being the fastest production pickup means it truly is, as YouTube's JayEmm on Cars puts it, "the thunder from down under."