Vauxhall beefs up Monaro

Vauxhall’s beefy Monaro coupe has increased in power by 21bhp to 349bhp and jumped in price by £1245 to £29,895.

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Vauxhall’s beefy Monaro coupe has increased in power by 21bhp to 349bhp and jumped in price by £1245 to £29,895.

The Australian-bred, 5.7-litre V8 muscle car now has enough brawn to strip almost half a second off the sprint to 60mph, which now stands at 5.6sec. Vauxhall said the updated Monaro will also ‘comfortably’ exceed the previous car’s 160mph top speed.

Other performance figures are yet to be released, but expect the Monaro to have a raging thirst. Combined fuel economy of less than 20mpg will mean frequent trips to the forecourt.

In case buyers thought the previous version of the coupe looked a little wimpy, Vauxhall has added a pair of not-so-subtle bonnet scoops to improve engine cooling. It has larger disc brakes, improved steering and sportier springs.

If you are still worried about having sand kicked in your face in the 349bhp 5.7-litre Monaro, a VXR version with a 399bhp 6.0-litre V8 crammed under the bonnet is also on hand. Priced from £36,995, it hits 60mph in 5.0sec and is capable of more than 180mph.