If you subscribe to the theory that too much power is never enough, then Walkinshaw Performance's latest bolt-on kit might be the perfect accompaniment.

Priced from $24,490 installed, the commemorative pack honouring the Walkinshaw Group's 30-year involvement in Australian motor sport transforms a regular 6.0-litre V8 Commodore - with its already-ample 260kW and 517Nm in automatic guise – into an 1850kg road rocket.

On sale now, each of the 50 Racing Limited Edition kits comprises a supercharger, high flow injectors, cold air intake package, ceramic coated headers, cat-back exhaust, and a camshaft and valve spring upgrade, among other items. The pack can be fitted at several Walkinshaw franchise locations across Australia to almost any VE/VF SS Commodore or E-Series/GEN-F HSV Clubsport.

The power fillip is claimed to deliver an astonishing 500kW and 800Nm from the standard SS Commodore's 6.0-litre V8. In the HSV Clubsport, which is driven by a more powerful 325kW/550Nm 6.2-litre V8 to begin with, those figures are uprated to 550kW and 980Nm – more than HSV's venerable 430kW/740Nm GTS.

Walkinshaw Racing is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a limited edition supercharger kit for SS Commmodores and HSV Clubsport models

The addition of the Walkinshaw kit on either vehicle is immediately obvious from start up.

The muted idle of the standard SS Commodore is transformed into a ferocious guttural growl. That's from inside the cabin. Outside, the dual active cat-back exhaust elicits a chest-thumping rumble capable of waking every neighbour in the street. It's a similar story in the Clubsport, with an even more sonorous warble than standard – though strangely, thanks to the Walkinshaw bi-modal exhaust, its rumble isn't as ever-present as the Commodore at highway speeds and would be the easier option to live with everyday.

Both vehicles are surprisingly tame and manageable during initial testing, with none of the lumpiness or crankiness you'd typically associate with a highly-strung blown V8 engine. Gradually applying the accelerator still provides the same lazy, linear power band as before, albeit accompanied by a loud and delightful crackle from the quad exhaust outlets.

A deliberate stab of the right pedal serves as a timely reminder of the additional plumbing under the bonnet. Even at rolling speeds of up to 80km/h on damp roads, we manage to push the limits of adhesion on either vehicle's Continental tyres under aggressive acceleration, sending the yellow stability control icon on the instrument cluster into a frenzy and provoking the rear to squirm frivolously under its own power.

Walkinshaw Racing is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a limited edition supercharger kit for SS Commmodores and HSV Clubsport models

Testing the natural boundaries of the Walkinshaw kit is both playful and exciting. But it does demand respect.

This much is evident during standing start acceleration testing, where we manage to clock a 4.4 second 0-100km/h sprint time in the Commodore and a supercar-quick 4.1 second post in the Clubsport. With some driver discretion, both manage to put their power down with little scrambling from the rear tyres.

The Walkinshaw kit doesn't include any modification of the standard Commodore or Clubsport's gearboxes, which means the six-speed automatic with a sports mode and a manual mode remains. The Clubsport gets a slightly different calibration from standard.

Using either car's manual mode offers brutal and seamless in-gear acceleration. Both tend to hit their straps from about 2500rpm and rev cleanly until their respective cut outs, the supercharger whining almost maniacally in the background at the upper reaches.

When you leave either vehicle to change gears for themselves, in the respective Drive or Sport modes, we notice a slight hesitation upon opening the taps. It is more noticeable in the Commodore than the Clubsport; a second-long delay between the vehicle dropping back to its desired gear and then the supercharger dishing out its full compliment of power. It's almost as if the engine and computer need a moment to deliberate on what they're doing.

The pause is particularly noticeable under 2500rpm, and likely stems from the calibration of the vehicle's ignition timing and the automatic transmission's torque management system.

The hesitation is a small mark against an otherwise comprehensive package, the only other criticism being a subtle fuel hammer sound emanating through the engine bay firewall at idle, as well as a slight characteristic rattle from the supercharger's gears at idle.

Walkinshaw Racing is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a limited edition supercharger kit for SS Commmodores and HSV Clubsport models

Elsewhere, the Walkinshaw kit looks and feels refined. Its packaging under the bonnet is impressive, with a cast engine cover emblazoned in bold Walkinshaw letters and a numbered plaque denoting each vehicle's order in the 50 kits produced.

Fuel consumption with the pack fitted isn't overly offensive either. In both vehicles, we manage a combined average of about 13.5/100km combined – essentially smack-bang on the standard cars' claimed figure, or just better.

The inevitable question of durability springs to mind with the Walkinshaw Pack. Will the standard gearbox hold up to the job? What about the rest of the driveline?

Walkinshaw Performance chief Tony Harris assures Drive the kit is the result of thousands of hours of in-house testing and comes backed with a full driveline cover for the duration of the standard new car warranty.

Of course, the donor vehicles for the Walkinshaw kit are fairly accomplished to begin with. The VF Commodore offers a brilliant one-size-fits-all ride and handling package equally capable of carving through corners and suppressing everyday road imperfections.

The Commodore's immediate flaw isn't in its ride and handling, but the tendency of its standard braking package to quickly fade under duress.

The HSV, on the other hand, is more of a performance proposition to begin with. It receives upgraded 367mm disc brakes with four-piston callipers as standard, quickly curtailing those braking issues. There are also different driving modes on offer to enhance performance.

The problem with the Clubsport is that it costs about $70,000 plus on-road costs from new. Adding another $24,490 to that figure takes you past the purchase price of the HSV GTS, which offers similar or better levels of performance, better overall refinement and packaging, a bigger and stronger driveline and the inclusion of modern technology such as magnetic dampers.

In any case, the latest Walkinshaw Racing kit is arguably the best yet from the Victorian tuning house and certainly delivers on what it promises. If outright power is your penchant, this sledgehammer offering isn't likely to disappoint.

Walkinshaw Racing Limited Edition kit

On sale: Now

Price: $24,490 installed

Engine: 6.0-litre petrol V8/6.2-litre petrol V8

Transmission: 6-speed manual/6-speed automatic

Power: 500kW/550kW

Torque: 800Nm/980Nm

Fuel use: About 13.5L/100km combined

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