5.7i V8
Daniel Steene
Overall Rating |  |
Firstly let's clear one thing up: the only part of this car that Vauxhall has had any part in manufacturing are the 'griffin' badges.
That's right; the Vauxhall Monaro you see is actually a rebadged Holden from Australia which is part of the GM Group. But at £28,650 you aren't going to say no to the tasty 5.7 litre engine blagged from a Corvette. Wedged into the Monaro it produces a mind-numbing 330 BHP and 341 lb ft of torque. So then, the Vauxhall means business.
The car is good looking too; it's subtle and understated; a welcome change from cars like the Subaru Impreza with its big hood scoop for sucking in cute little animals and ridiculous rear wing for decapitating children. However, the chrome 'V8' on either side betrays a dark side of the Monaro.
When you get into the car there are exceptionally comfortable and supportive seats that wrap around you. There is no shortage of equipment either; you find such posh gizmos like memory seats, and cruise control, as well as a 10-speaker sound system. The dash feels well made and while not up to BMW standards with the plastics, it is generally very good.
Rear room is excellent and can very easily accommodate a six-foot individual for legroom although headroom is less generous. The boot is equally impressive, giving 370 litres of space, although the hinges which open it will crush anything in their path - worth bearing in mind during food shopping.
Any previous misgivings you will forgive, because when you fire up that V8 an instant smile is sure to follow. At idle it is quiet although the whole car gently rocks with the sheer power of the engine. The clutch is heavy enough to remind you what you're driving but not a 'test your strength' job like some powerful cars. At low revs it burbles along quite happily but when you open up the throttle it's an experience to be savoured. As with any powerful, normally aspirated engine you get a surge of torque in the middle of the rev range then high end surge of power at the top. With the Monaro there is a huge surge at 4000 RPM when the torque peaks and pulls harder and harder until at 5600 all hell breaks loose or rather all 330 horses breaks loose, fighting their way to the rear wheels; then you change into second and it pulls harder, you can feel your brain lurching in your head, with third comes another even harder surge and you could swear the front half of your head was empty, at the end of fourth it is still pulling! Just as you change gear you have time to glance down and notice you're doing 120mph. In fifth it still pulls and when you hit 6000 rpm you carelessly notice that the speedometer says 150mph.You then use the equally impressive brakes and you pull to stop. You have to take a breath to believe what just happened, and it truly does happen. 0-60 takes only 5.7 seconds and should you desire take you to nearly 170mph.
Fuel consumption is less good averaging only 19.6mpg but stick it in sixth and you get 43.5mph for every thousand rpm meaning on the motorway you can get 30mpg no problem. But don't think this car is all straight line performance; it's blessed with rack and pinion steering and for a big car it can handle windy B-roads with exceptional ease.
So this is a performance car; but wait. On the motorway it's as relaxed as you could wish. It can swallow suitcases so it's practical and is bound to be a hit with the lads. This could be the answer for all you middle-aged men who yearn for a VX220 turbo or suchlike but made the agonising mistake of having a family. It's affordable and a brilliant car. Vauxhall have made the point of saying that nothing under £50000 can match it. A bold statement with cars like the M3 around but the Monaro is 25% cheaper than that and 45% cheaper than a 6-Series. You'll also be in a far more exclusive car - only 250 a year will make it to our shores compared to the M3 which accounts for 20% of the substantial 3-Series sales. There is also the hotted-up VXR version to be considered, but at £35,995 it takes it just out of bargain territory although with 380bhp it is certainly tempting.
Don't be put off by the badge; Vauxhall are turning their cars around and this is the next step after the VX220. It is truly a good car so don't be boring and predictable, buy a proper Aussie muscle car and stick two fingers up at the constitution; and have a lot of fun doing it.
Vital Statistics
Cubic Capacity: 5667
Brake Horse Power: 329
Max Torque (lb ft): 341
Maximum Speed: 168mph
0-62mph: 5.7 secs
MPG (combined): 19.6
(Thanks, Daniel. That must rate as the most thorough user review we've received. Enjoy your Monaro!)
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