Motoring enthusiasts beyond Britain mourned the casual of the Monaro. The alone Australian-built car to be awash in the UK offered raw and agitative achievement acknowledgment to its 6.0-liter V8 and rear-wheel drive set up.
But the barrage from bottomward beneath hasn't chock-full yet - in actuality it's alone activity to get louder. Vauxhall has appear the accession of a new Aussie musclecar - the VXR8 - and it's added able and agitative than alike the allegorical Monaro.
The dramatic-looking new alehouse is powered by the aforementioned 6.0-liter V8 as the approachable Monaro VXR, but revisions to the agent accept fabricated it alike added efficient. It now develops a massive 420 bhp and 406 lb-ft of torque, giving it abundant balance to dart from 0-60 mph in aloof 4.9 seconds. No added supercar offers this array of adeptness for anywhere abreast the VXR8's price.
Yet the VXR8, based on Australia 's Holden HSV Clubsport R8, offers added in the way of acumen than the approachable Monaro, with four doors and amplitude for all the family.
Although practical, with a ample boot, comfortable, gangling canoeing adeptness and luxuries such as altitude ascendancy and covering trim, the VXR8 is absolutely no softie. Driver aids such as the adherence arrangement and absorption ascendancy can be angry off at the flick of a about-face - absolute for drivers who appetite to hone their abilities on a clue day.
And VXR8 goes as able-bodied as it stops, too, with able 365mm advanced disc brakes that apathetic the car bottomward from 60 mph to a standstill faster than a Lamborghini Murcielago or BMW M5.
In acknowledgment to chump demand, the VXR8 will additionally be the aboriginal VXR archetypal to be offered with an automated gearbox. In adjustment to advance the ascendancy which VXR buyers require, the alternative £1,400 self-shifter has a chiral override and a action ambience which ensure the achievement isn't blunted - in actuality the auto is alone bisected a additional slower to 60 mph than the manual.
Satellite aeronautics and 20-inch auto will be offered as options for those who appetite to accomplish their VXR8 attending added characteristic and advice acquisition their way to the best active roads. Alike with all the advantage boxes ticked however, the VXR8 is still about bisected the amount of added cars with commensurable performance.
Vauxhall VXR8 2008 Specifications| Chassis | |
| Brakes F/R: | ABS, vented disc/vented disc |
| Tires F-R: | 245/40 R19 - 275/35 R19 |
| Driveline: | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Engine | |
| Type: | V8 |
| Displacement cu in (cc): | 364 (5970) |
| Power bhp (kW) at RPM: | 420(307) / 6000 |
| Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM: | 406(550) / 4400 |
| Redline at RPM: | n.a. |
| Exterior | |
| Length × Width × Height in: | 194.5 × 85.6 × 57.8 |
| Weight lb (kg): | 4036 (1831) |
| Performance | |
| Acceleration 0-60 mph s: | 4.9 |
| Top Speed mph (km/h): | n.a. |
| Fuel Economy EPA city/highway mpg (l/100 km): | n.a. (15.3) |
