Vauxhall Monaros: hired muscle

By Simon Hucknall

| 7 Apr 2025

Classic & Sports Car – Vauxhall Monaros: hired muscle

In 2003, there was a lightning strike in Luton, followed closely by a clap of thunder from Down Under.

Vauxhall had marked its first century with a very un-Vauxhall-like concept called VX Lightning.

Essentially a redesigned Pontiac Solstice, more importantly it was a statement of intent for the company’s future.

At the extreme edge of this brave new world emerged a Griffin-badged, V8-powered, Aussie-built coupé the likes of which had never been seen before in a Vauxhall brochure. It was called Monaro.

Vauxhall’s rebadging of an Australian V8 coupé was an ingenious corporate coup that also inspired its fiery VXR performance sub-brand

While Vauxhall had blitzed the fleet market through the 1990s with stolid Astras, Vectras and Omegas, its appeal to enthusiasts had been in freefall.

Other than the odd GSi derivative, there had been little to pique petrolheads’ interest since the mindblowing Lotus Carlton had departed at the start of the decade.

But by the turn of the century, a small contingent of Griffin folk was set on restoring some spice to the brand.

A collaboration with Lotus had already led to the launch of the Elise-based VX220, but that was merely a taster.

The Vauxhall Monaro V2 Series III’s black-plastic dashboard is very of its time

General Motors, Vauxhall’s parent since 1925, wanted its global businesses to share more vehicle and engine technologies.

Luton’s incoming managing director, Australian-born Kevin Wale, identified Holden, Vauxhall’s sibling Down Under, as the perfect source for an aspirational offering in the UK.

Holden’s Monaro coupé, which had just been introduced in its Commodore-based third generation, was the obvious choice, combining GM’s fruity, 5.7-litre LS1 V8 with four-seater practicality to deal a cut-price blow to the big-engined Mercedes-Benz CLKs and 6 Series BMWs.

This late-registered Vauxhall Monaro V2 III speaks to slow UK sales

Stuart Harris, then Vauxhall head of product planning, was tasked by Kevin to set the wheels in motion.

He recalls: “We were lucky because GM Canada was just about to start importing the Monaro, and Holden had created a special rustproofing area for its cars, which we were able to take advantage of.

“With the favourable exchange rate, plus the fact that the cars were right-hand drive, it was an attractive package.”

Stuart and marketing colleague Peter Hope – effectively Vauxhall’s Monaro working group – flew to Australia to meet their counterparts not only at Holden, but also at HSV (Holden Special Vehicles), with their aim being to investigate the viability of Vauxhall versions of both the cooking CV8 Holden Monaro, plus a more performance-focused model.

The Vauxhall Monaro V2 III’s restrained bodywork allows it to fly under the radar

However, as Stuart admits today, the process of bringing the car to Britain was far from straightforward.

To start with, permission was needed at board level from Detroit, as well as Opel in Rüsselsheim (Vauxhall’s European HQ).

With Vauxhall having previously been the lead brand for smaller performance cars, and Opel for larger offerings, Stuart said that the initial response from Germany was: “It’s a bit thirsty, and it’s not built by us.”

But the simple and compelling rationale of creating something different for British car enthusiasts, while offering maximum bang for the buck, was so obviously a unique selling point that approval was eventually granted.

Early Vauxhall Monaro V2 Series IIIs offered 329bhp from the 5.7-litre V8 engine

Which just left low-volume type approval, which permitted UK sales of up to 250 units per year.

With support from Tom Walkinshaw, who had established HSV in the ’80s, modifications were made to the Holden Monaro’s braking and exhaust systems, emissions equipment and instrument pack to comply with the UK’s regulations.

Fortuitously, a Monaro had already been undergoing tests at the then GM-owned Millbrook Proving Ground (now UTAC Millbrook) in Bedfordshire, allowing Vauxhall to complete noise and emissions tests locally, and ultimately to crash-test the vehicle before receiving full certification.

The Vauxhall Monaro 5.7’s late-2004 update added aggressive bodywork

By May 2004, the first Vauxhall Monaros – in base V2 Series III, CV8 trim – arrived on UK shores, priced at £28,650.

Generously equipped and powered by the same all-alloy, 5665cc pushrod V8 fitted to the Chevrolet Corvette C5, it was the perfect shoo-in to the British market before Vauxhall unleashed the VXR version later that year.

All-Terrain Automotive’s example, in which we’ve arrived today, is something of a rarity in that it is completely standard, right down to its 18in, five-spoke alloy wheels and factory-spec exhaust.

The Vauxhall Monaro 5.7 VZ received twin bonnet scoops and restyled bumpers

When the same basic model appeared in the United States as the Pontiac GTO (albeit with a restyled front end), its design was panned for being too bland, and if you were being generous today you’d say that its styling is subtle, verging on being almost too discreet.

But at just shy of 16ft long and 6ft 6in wide between the mirrors, it is still an imposing car on British roads.

Inside, as outside, there are no hints that this Vauxhall Monaro is anything more than a big-hearted cruiser – which, as we’ll see, is not far from the truth.

Swathes of black plastic abound across the dashboard, and facing you is a large, four-spoke steering wheel with an oversized airbag cover – all very 1990s.

The Vauxhall Monaro 5.7 VZ’s engine tweaks resulted in 349bhp

A neat binnacle houses just four dials, for water temperature/revs/speed/fuel, supplemented by digital displays for secondary information.

What really impresses, though, is the sheer spaciousness and comfort of the cabin: you sit on a well-bolstered, squidgy, electrically adjustable chair that’s so large it makes you feel like a child poised behind the wheel; the twin rear seats are equally accommodating.

If you had an Outback-grade mileage to cover in a day, this would be your Monaro of choice.

The main controls have an appropriately beefy feel to them – especially the stubby, short-throw gearshift, which always requires a positive action – but the power-assisted rack provides decent communication with the front wheels, being linear and relatively high geared.

This Vauxhall Monaro 5.7 VZ has an optional rear boot spoiler

The primary ride is impressive, though the multi-link rear end is occasionally bamboozled by awkward cambers or surfaces.

But there’s good balance through corners and ample grip – until you give in to temptation, turn off the traction control and let the rear Eagle F1s dictate the direction of travel.

Even then, body control is tight enough to avoid any dramas; it’s also worth noting how structurally together this 95,000-mile car feels.

And the V8? In this application, it produces 329bhp at 5600rpm and a fulsome 343lb ft of torque at 4000rpm.

The Vauxhall Monaro’s multi-link rear suspension can lose composure over bumps

The gearing is hilariously high – it pulls around 44mph per 1000rpm in sixth – which at least means that, with some discipline, you can approach 30mpg.

The engine is also tractable and refined in its lower reaches, but only after 4000rpm does it start to come alive, although the accompanying small-block soundtrack remains disappointingly subdued.

Fortunately, the Vauxhall Monaro V2 SIII’s relative lack of visual and aural drama was addressed when Holden updated the model later in 2004, giving it the internal ‘VZ’ code.

Design-wise, the revised car was instantly recognisable by its twin bonnet scoops at the front, plus restyled front and rear bumpers.

The Vauxhall Monaro 5.7 VZ has dials for water temperature, revs, speed and fuel in the neat binnacle

There were now dual (rather than twin) exhausts, each of which featured a larger, 95mm bore, to better amplify the V8’s tonal delights.

Reinforcing this were engine tweaks, including a reprofiled camshaft, which not only raised power by 20bhp to 349bhp and torque from 349 to 369lb ft, but also meted out the performance across a broader rev range.

Improving the aerodynamics and safety was a relocated fuel tank, now sited between the rear seat and back axle, instead of underneath the boot (although this did reduce the luggage space).

Inside, the centre stack was redesigned, with better integration of the stereo.

Sharper bumpers and extra intakes mark out the Vauxhall Monaro VXRs (on left) against the original and facelift cars (on right)

Built in October 2004, Keith Brooks’ Vauxhall Monaro 5.7 VZ is one of the first produced and has been owned by him for five years.

Equipped with optional privacy glass and a rear boot spoiler, it has an instant cosmetic lift over the V2 model.

On the road, there’s also clear space in the way the facelifted car drives. The extra performance is evident as soon as you pull away – not in absolute terms, but more in how it hauls from lower engine speeds.

It’s an easier car to drive briskly on a twisty road: its improved pick-up means fewer gearchanges, and there’s a bigger-hearted growl from the V8.

The Vauxhall Monaro VXR 5.7 received special sill covers

Of course, these first Vauxhall Monaros were merely Vauxhall’s hors d’oeuvre in the performance-car market.

At the 2004 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Stuart’s team officially presented the VXR performance sub-brand, the tentacles of which were to stretch to its successful British Touring Car Championship race team, also to be renamed VXRacing.

On display were an early, pre-production Vauxhall Astra VXR, a VXR220 and the very first Monaro VXR.

It was a bold initiative, but one that ultimately paid dividends, with almost all Vauxhalls receiving a VXR makeover across the following decade.

The Vauxhall Monaro VXR 5.7’s output swelled to 382bhp with 369lb ft of torque, from the same all-alloy, 5.7-litre V8

More than 20 years on, Trish Hodder’s VXR 5.7 is not only another rare factory-spec car, but testament to the Monaro’s inherent durability and longevity.

Incredibly, it’s still going strong after 258,000 miles, without any major work on either the engine or gearbox.

Trish has been using the car on her daily commute for the past eight years and purchased it “so that I could keep up with my partner’s Lotus Carlton”.

Deeper sill mouldings and a new design of optional 19in wheel, along with a raised boot spoiler and redesigned rear bumper, outwardly set the car apart from the VZ.

This Vauxhall Monaro VXR 5.7 has covered 258,000 miles

Inside, a different seat design, with Alcantara trim and VXR branding on the backrests, combines with a dash-top pod containing oil temperature and pressure gauges.

As expected, there was yet another rise in power and torque, this time to 382bhp and 369lb ft, though the latter figure was produced at a higher 4800rpm.

Compare those numbers with a contemporary rival, such as the E46 BMW M3, and the Vauxhall Monaro looks peachy: a 5.7-litre V8 against a 3.2-litre ‘six’; an extra 40bhp and 107lb ft; a 170mph top speed versus a restricted 155mph; and, at £35,565, nearly £6000 cheaper than the BMW.

All Vauxhall Monaros rocket to the horizon on long, Corvette-sourced gearing, but the VXR (on left) has added punch

Subjectively, Trish’s VXR feels little faster than Keith’s VZ, but it would be churlish not to take into account her car’s spaceship mileage and the inevitable effects on its performance over the years.

Dynamically, its firmer chassis settings and larger wheels improve cornering composure on smooth surfaces, but this comes with a deterioration in ride quality, with the suspension hitting its bump-stops at times on our challenging Lincolnshire test route.

Weighing 1658kg, the Monaro is still a hefty car to manhandle at speed along rural roads – I’d wager an M3 driver would still leave it for dead.

Then again, that sense of brutish substance is what gives the V8 Vauxhall its unique character.

The Vauxhall Monaro VXR 6.0 has huge grip and balanced handling

Have we left the best for last? The final official throw of the Monaro dice came in the form of the VXR 6.0, introduced to the UK in 2005.

With the LS1’s capacity increased again, to 5967cc, power rose to 398bhp, with torque leaping up to 391lb ft at 4400rpm.

Peruse the benchmark data and there was no real-world improvement over the 5.7 model, save a tenth of a second shaved from its 0-60mph time.

More tellingly, though, when Autocar recorded in-gear times during its road test, it proved to be a full five seconds quicker from 50-70mph in its ultra-long top gear, at just 10.2 secs.

The Vauxhall Monaro VXR 6.0 bumped displacement to 5967cc, for 398bhp

Handling was also improved, by higher-spec rear dampers and revised suspension bushing, along with modified steering and braking systems.

The car wore new, lighter 19in rims shod with Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres.

Leigh Rose’s 2006 VXR 6.0, like so many Vauxhall Monaros, is some way from being standard, though.

An uprated intake manifold, sports catalytic converters and a remap give 430bhp and 409lb ft of torque, sent through a beefier clutch and short-shift gearchange.

Chassis upgrades include coil-over suspension and brakes from the Cadillac CTS-V, and there’s no doubting how low and aggressive it looks compared with the other cars here.

‘Mash the throttle and it’s NASCAR on steroids’

“It’s loud, I warn you,” says Leigh.

After the previous owner had elected to remove the catalytic converters, Leigh asked an exhaust specialist to reinstall them and then found the silencers were missing, too.

Photographer Jack is positioned two miles away to capture some cornering shots, yet as I accelerate out of our base in this Vauxhall Monaro VXR 6.0 he can hear it quite clearly. It’s that loud.

But compulsive, too. Mash the throttle and it’s NASCAR on steroids: unruly, rebellious and guaranteed to elicit the ire of any passing environmentalist.

The Vauxhall Monaro VXR 6.0’s large cabin has comfy seats

Yet, noise aside, the VXR 6.0 feels like the best-resolved car here.

Across its rev range, it feels bigger-lunged, making it a large but incredibly rapid point-to-point weapon.

While you can never ignore its weight, it turns into bends with more precision and stability, with tenacious grip at the front and its rear end easy to balance on the throttle.

The Vauxhall Monaro’s long wheelbase allows it to flow over awkward surfaces, despite this example’s firmer suspension, and you soon find yourself wishing that the roads were wider and emptier so that you could exploit its true potential.

This Vauxhall Monaro VXR 6.0 has been fitted with Cadillac brakes

Viewed through a marketing lens, Vauxhall did just that.

The Vauxhall Monaro was an image-building masterstroke that, along with its VXR8 saloon successor, allowed it to occupy a unique corner in the UK’s performance-car sector, as well as a special place in enthusiasts’ hearts – or at least those who were badge-blind.

Catch one while you can today, because there will never be another Vauxhall like it again.

Images: Jack Harrison

Thanks to: All-Terrain Automotive; Autobahnstormers

Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500: the last hurrah

Just 10 supercharged Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500s were built

Despite the positive impact of kick-starting Vauxhall’s VXR sub-brand in the UK, sales were slow towards the end of the Monaro’s life, with the final 50 VXR 6.0s struggling to find buyers.

Enter Vauxhall dealer Greens of Rainham, who conceived a factory-endorsed conversion for 10 of the last cars with Holden tuning specialist Wortec.

What resulted was the Monaro VXR 500 – basically a standard VXR 6.0 fitted with a Wortec supercharger, increasing power to 493bhp and torque to a slightly insane 500lb ft at just 3200rpm.

Incredibly, Greens priced the car at £35,995, a grand less than the regular VXR 6.0, and also offered a menu of chassis and brake upgrades to cater for the Monaro’s improved performance, which was now in the sub-5 secs to 60mph zone, along with a claimed 185mph top speed.

The Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500 packed 493bhp

Vauxhall retained a fully specified VXR 500 on its heritage fleet until recently, and I had the chance to drive it on some quiet Alpine roads in the south of France a few years ago.

The new-found thrust from the supercharged V8 was ballistic, with the blower’s high-pitched whine ever present as you sprinted between hairpin bends, kicking the rear end wide through them with the merest whiff of throttle.

Chassis and brake upgrades meant that, dynamically, the car never felt out of its depth, either.

Perhaps the ultimate sleeper, especially if you remove the ‘VXR 500’ badges.

Factfiles

Vauxhall Monaro 5.7 (V2 III)

Sold/number built 2004/240
Construction steel monocoque
Engine all-alloy, ohv, 16-valve 5665cc V8; Bosch engine management
Max power 329bhp @ 5600rpm
Max torque 343lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission six-speed manual, RWD via limited-slip differential
Suspension independent, at front by MacPherson struts rear multi-link, coil springs, telescopic dampers; anti-roll bar f/r
Steering power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes ventilated discs, with servo
Length 15ft 8in (4789mm)
Width 6ft 8in (2010mm)
Height 4ft 7in (1397mm)
Wheelbase 9ft 1½in (2788mm)
Weight 3655lb (1658kg)
Mpg 19.9
0-60mph 5.7 secs
Top speed 160mph
Price new £28,650
Price now £9-15,000*