Vauxhall Monaro

Vauxhall Monaro VXR

It might not be renowned for its performance models, but Vauxhall has introduced some pretty hot machinery in recent months. And here's the latest car that the Luton firm hopes will finally lay its dowdy image to rest.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Craig Cheetham

December 2004

It might not be renowned for its performance models, but Vauxhall has introduced some pretty hot machinery in recent months. And here's the latest car that the Luton firm hopes will finally lay its dowdy image to rest.

Spearheading a line-up of sporty VXR range-toppers that's set to grow steadily over the coming months, this is the new Monaro VXR - another interpretation of the Australian Holden supercoupί¿½. It will become the fastest car ever to wear the Griffin badge, and Auto Express is the first magazine in the world to get its hands on this latest incarnation of the V8-powered beast.

It's sure to be popular - the original batch of Monaro VXRs sold out within three months, and you can't buy another until this one comes out in the spring. But the newcomer will be worth waiting for, as it's faster, meaner and has more torque than before.

Visually, the biggest changes are at the front. The bumpers are different, and the bonnet now boasts two distinctive 'nostril' intakes, which not only give the car a more menacing appearance, but also improve airflow to the engine. Other tweaks include new 19-inch alloys, four stainless-steel round exhaust pipes - in place of the original's two square ones - and a different back bumper.

Inside, new sports seats and improved dashboard plastics give the Monaro a better-quality feel, while the instrument cluster now comes with a choice of background colours for the dials. So far, then, the changes aren't huge. But to get to the centre of the Monaro's new soul, you have to look beneath the skin. There, you will find a sensational new powerplant. Gone is the previous car's 382bhp 5.7-litre V8, its bore and stroke increased to 6.0 litres, power upped to 398bhp and torque boosted to 530Nm from 510Nm.

From the driver's seat, the new unit gives an extra edge to the Monaro's already thrilling aura. Fire up the big V8 and it rumbles at low revs, breaking out into a fierce growl as you bury the throttle. Do so, and you'll be rewarded with startling performance - 0-60mph is now despatched in more or less five seconds flat. Vauxhall estimates that the new car will have a top speed of 180mph, too, making it 4mph faster than the company's previous record holder, the Lotus Carlton.

A few suspension tweaks have been carried out to help give the Monaro more grip and cornering stability, but it remains a traditional rear-drive coupί¿½. So although it promises to be tricky to handle on the limit, this is all a part of the big Vauxhall's brutal appeal.

To put it into perspective, the latest VXR offers a package very similar in terms of performance and character to the MG SV-R, but at less than half the price. And that means this new Monaro remains one of the best-value performance cars on the market.