Auto-maniac

Could this be the car to go where no Vauxhall has ever gone before? With 404 bhp of power supplied by the Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2 V8, the new Monaro VXR is set to be the first ever production Vauxhall to top 180 mph, finally overtaking the Lotus Carlton to become the fastest ever Vauxhall. The latest version of the company’s performance flagship takes over from the original Monaro VXR, which sold out within three months of going on sale earlier this year. The new car takes the VXR brand to even further extremes, with more power and torque than any other production car to wear the Vauxhall badge.Under the new ventilated bonnet sits the new high-output 6.0-liter LS2 V8 engine, which recently made its debut in the Corvette C6. As you’d expect from a supercar engine, power figures are impressive, with 404 bhp (up from the last model’s 388 bhp) and a massive 391 lb-ft of torque (compared to 376 lb-ft). Although performance figures have yet to be officially recorded, it’s expected that the VXR will be able to comfortably surpass the 177 mph record set by the Lotus Carton in 1990. A 0-60 time of around 5.0 seconds is also predicted.

Motoring enthusiasts across Britain mourned the passing of the Monaro. The only Australian-built car to be sold in the UK offered raw and exciting performance thanks to its 6.0-liter V8 and rear-wheel drive set up. But the thunder from down under hasn’t stopped yet – in fact it’s only going to get louder. Vauxhall has announced the arrival of a new Aussie musclecar – the VXR8 – and it’s more powerful and exciting than even the legendary Monaro.

The dramatic-looking new saloon is powered by the same 6.0-liter V8 as the outgoing Monaro VXR, but revisions to the engine have made it even more efficient. It now develops a massive 420 bhp and 406 lb-ft of torque, giving it enough grunt to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. No other supercar offers this sort of power for anywhere near the VXR8’s price. Yet the VXR8, based on Australia ’s Holden HSV Clubsport R8, offers more in the way of practicality than the outgoing Monaro, with four doors and space for all the family.

Although practical, with a spacious boot, comfortable, long-legged cruising ability and luxuries such as climate control and leather trim, the VXR8 is certainly no softie. Driver aids such as the stability system and traction control can be turned off at the flick of a switch – perfect for drivers who want to hone their skills on a track day. And VXR8 goes as well as it stops, too, with powerful 365mm front disc brakes that slow the car down from 60 mph to a standstill faster than a Lamborghini Murcielago or BMW M5.

In response to customer demand, the VXR8 will also be the first VXR model to be offered with an automatic gearbox. In order to maintain the control which VXR buyers require, the optional £1,400 self-shifter has a manual override and a sport setting which ensure the performance isn’t blunted – in fact the auto is only half a second slower to 60 mph than the manual.