This episode of Carnage is short but super sweet, as we head back to the MPW Performance & Race Fab dyno to crank out a fresh power PB from the eight-second, twin-turbo LS-powered VS Commodore ute we call Grimace.

Scotty successfully podiumed this purple wonder in the PSR 8.5 Radial index class at Street Machine Drag Challenge last year, running mid-eights and finishing third in class – an impressive feat for a car that’d really only just been put together.

We bought this VS ute at auction as a factory V6 manual car, but we soon swapped in a 427ci Dart LS Next from VPW Australia, complete with fire rings, a Torrington bearing upgrade, and the full Proflow catalogue of goodies – intakes, intercooler, fittings and so on. With a Haltech Nexus R5 VCU, E85, and amazing fab work and tuning from MPW Performance, it’s our most complete build to date.

The 8.54-second PB this car pushed out at last year’s Drag Challenge was wicked, but like all good car people, we need more. We’re aware that the rods in this thing are close to their limit, but the temptation to run a seven as it sits is just too great to ignore.

Before we do that, though, Scotty decided to take the ute back to Adam Rogash at MPW for a check-up on the tune. We were also keen to see if it could break its 1362rwhp record it made at Street Machine Summernats earlier this year.

Adam wasted no time, chucking it straight on the dyno at 32.5psi of boost, and Grimace responded by immediately thumping out a stonking 1497hp to the hubs. Phwoar! Scotty was flabbergasted, as was everyone else (well, except for the always cool-headed Adam).

Now the mission is to run that seven-second PB. With Heathcote Park Raceway currently closed, that leaves Melbourne-based Scotty and the ute having to travel either to Dragway at The Bend in South Australia or Sydney Dragway to chase that number. When that happens, you can be sure you’ll see it on future episodes of Carnage!