RE: PH Carpool: Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S
Discussion
Fastdruid said:
While our car is not quite up to the standard of this it is gratifying to park something quick amongst the MPV's, hybrids and sheds in the Parent and Child spaces.
Somewhat of a shame sometimes the MPS is rather subtle, although amusing when visiting anywhere with 'younger' petrol heads as you get comments such as "Wow, an MPS, that's as quick as an M3" (it's not but thanks).
Touche, and I rekon it has the edge on looks too ;-)Somewhat of a shame sometimes the MPS is rather subtle, although amusing when visiting anywhere with 'younger' petrol heads as you get comments such as "Wow, an MPS, that's as quick as an M3" (it's not but thanks).
Great article, would love one after my MPS, but the costs maybe even more crippling!
Nothing changes fortunately.
The original 327 Bathurst Monaro was quite a thing, in it's day in 1968, particularly if you got to drive it at Bathurst.
Nothing of course compared to this today. I am so glad that the "Bathurst" label has not been devalued as have other names once special.
I do enjoy a man who loves his car.
The original 327 Bathurst Monaro was quite a thing, in it's day in 1968, particularly if you got to drive it at Bathurst.
Nothing of course compared to this today. I am so glad that the "Bathurst" label has not been devalued as have other names once special.
I do enjoy a man who loves his car.
Oh how I wanted to buy a VXR8 when my baby daughter was born last year!
Or a Monaro.
Oh how I drooled and groaned with sheer desire for one of the above. Especially after living and working in Australia for a year.
But that was the crux. I fell for the Falcon and the joys of watching Allan Moffat winning Bathurst in the GTHO. Damn the Falcon! (well, no, but you get my drift)
Truth be told, a very, very nice E55 Estate became available for less money than either the VXR8 or Monaro and that was it. 'Only' 5.5 litres and 354bhp. But oh-so subtle to the less educated non-PH'ers.
And, you know, the VXR8 bug still bites very hard indeed. Reading the related article hasn't helped!
Or a Monaro.
Oh how I drooled and groaned with sheer desire for one of the above. Especially after living and working in Australia for a year.
But that was the crux. I fell for the Falcon and the joys of watching Allan Moffat winning Bathurst in the GTHO. Damn the Falcon! (well, no, but you get my drift)
Truth be told, a very, very nice E55 Estate became available for less money than either the VXR8 or Monaro and that was it. 'Only' 5.5 litres and 354bhp. But oh-so subtle to the less educated non-PH'ers.
And, you know, the VXR8 bug still bites very hard indeed. Reading the related article hasn't helped!
hammo19 said:
Most important modification of all....and probably the best value too
When I bought my Monaro it was badged as a Holden all except the engine cover, £55 later and I had one winging its way to me from Oz. I know I payed over the odds but it finished to cover up LOL. Sold the Monaro but kept the cover just in case.......Trouble with re-badging is the seats will always say 'VXR' (unless you re-trim them) and as a friend of mine said 'the logbook and tax discs still say Vauxhall'.
Anyone who knows these cars knows it's an 'HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) Clubsport R8' which is a brand in it's own right. There are a few Youtube videos out there looking at what goes on at the HSV Factory and how they take a Holden Commodore VE and strip it down and rebuild it with bespoke components and create this. There's a similarity there on the lines of the Alpina Marque there I think.
I don't have an issue with de-badging/re-badging because each to their own. FWIW, I removed 5 HSV badges from my car not because I wanted a 'stealth' approach (despite my best endeavours, it hardly that!) but I simply didn't like them.
I actually enjoy watching peoples faces when you say 'it's a Vauxhall' when asked what I drive. If it's someone you want a conversation with it's a good starting point. If you don't want a chat, it normally ends there
Anyone who knows these cars knows it's an 'HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) Clubsport R8' which is a brand in it's own right. There are a few Youtube videos out there looking at what goes on at the HSV Factory and how they take a Holden Commodore VE and strip it down and rebuild it with bespoke components and create this. There's a similarity there on the lines of the Alpina Marque there I think.
I don't have an issue with de-badging/re-badging because each to their own. FWIW, I removed 5 HSV badges from my car not because I wanted a 'stealth' approach (despite my best endeavours, it hardly that!) but I simply didn't like them.
I actually enjoy watching peoples faces when you say 'it's a Vauxhall' when asked what I drive. If it's someone you want a conversation with it's a good starting point. If you don't want a chat, it normally ends there
If I needed a 4 door this is the car I would have - stuff the petrol economy! I first saw a standard VXR8 in bright red - similar to the torch red used on Corvettes. It looked amazing and sounded so - the guy had changed the rear boxes. Whilst i prefer a 6 speed in other cars I drive I think I would take on in auto. Any red VXR8's owners out there that want to share images of their beauty with us on here?
Gary H 2008 said:
I actually enjoy watching peoples faces when you say 'it's a Vauxhall' when asked what I drive. If it's someone you want a conversation with it's a good starting point. If you don't want a chat, it normally ends there
It is funny when people dont know what it is, I had some scrote say to me "I didnt know they made a Calibra V8" looking at my Monaro, didnt even bother to educate 😉
I'm amazed the badges bother people that much - if I got a VXR8 I'd spend the badge money on a tank of petrol and go for an extra drive through Wales.
Well done Vauxhall for bringing them over here
Fluffsri said:
hammo19 said:
Most important modification of all....and probably the best value too
When I bought my Monaro it was badged as a Holden all except the engine cover, £55 later and I had one winging its way to me from Oz. I know I payed over the odds but it finished to cover up LOL. Sold the Monaro but kept the cover just in case.......Well done Vauxhall for bringing them over here
Shipper said:
StripeyMiata said:
I for one am horrified by what I just read.
"Why I bought it:
With the imminent arrival of our first child, I was on the look-out for a four-door saloon."
So Mr Handa is about to have his first child. And what does he buy, a rebadged Vauxhall built in Australia. A nation that is known so much for the high quality of it's cars that they get exported all over the world. Not.
Not only does he buy something built by a few alcoholics married to someone called Sheila he buys a model with over 500HP with RWD, how dangerous is that going to be on a greasy road in the Autumn with some leaves just dropped from England's finest trees? And I bet that thing hasn't been NCAP tested either.
And then there is Global Warming, while Mr Handa is writing how smug he feels with the Prius drivers truth be told he is murdering Polar Bears who are drowning today because of the selfish people like Mr Handa. You should be ashamed of yourself Mr Handa, you have baby Polar Bear blood on your hands, try and hide it if you like with those gloves but it will never wash off from your conscience.
OK, I get the whole cool Dad thing, I've done my fast driving and track days in the past but when I first child I chopped my Westfield SEi for a Toyota Auris Hybrid and I havn't looked back and it has 5 NCAPS unlike that Waltzing Matilda bag of nuts you have.
10 years from now unless you mend your ways Mr Handa you'll be in a refugee camp on Snowdon Mountain watching the waters caused by the melting ice caps heading for your feet. Your child will look at you with tears in his eyes asking “Daddy, Daddy why is the world covered in water?” and it will be all your fault.
Damn you Gary Handa, damn you to hell.
StripeyMaita, Gary Handa may be damned to hell, but not because he bought an Australian V8 with pure racing pedigree built on the backbone of touring car racing that included Walkinshaw Bathurst 1000 challenges, but because he did not hit that smug prius driver square in the nose!"Why I bought it:
With the imminent arrival of our first child, I was on the look-out for a four-door saloon."
So Mr Handa is about to have his first child. And what does he buy, a rebadged Vauxhall built in Australia. A nation that is known so much for the high quality of it's cars that they get exported all over the world. Not.
Not only does he buy something built by a few alcoholics married to someone called Sheila he buys a model with over 500HP with RWD, how dangerous is that going to be on a greasy road in the Autumn with some leaves just dropped from England's finest trees? And I bet that thing hasn't been NCAP tested either.
And then there is Global Warming, while Mr Handa is writing how smug he feels with the Prius drivers truth be told he is murdering Polar Bears who are drowning today because of the selfish people like Mr Handa. You should be ashamed of yourself Mr Handa, you have baby Polar Bear blood on your hands, try and hide it if you like with those gloves but it will never wash off from your conscience.
OK, I get the whole cool Dad thing, I've done my fast driving and track days in the past but when I first child I chopped my Westfield SEi for a Toyota Auris Hybrid and I havn't looked back and it has 5 NCAPS unlike that Waltzing Matilda bag of nuts you have.
10 years from now unless you mend your ways Mr Handa you'll be in a refugee camp on Snowdon Mountain watching the waters caused by the melting ice caps heading for your feet. Your child will look at you with tears in his eyes asking “Daddy, Daddy why is the world covered in water?” and it will be all your fault.
Damn you Gary Handa, damn you to hell.
Edited by StripeyMiata on Monday 25th June 20:18
A Land Rover Discovery V8 produces less green house gasses in a 20 year life cycle than a prius produces during its fabrication alone. Then you burn brown coal to power your power stations to produce non green energy to charge the prius. Then at the end of its battery life you need to find some way of discarding highly toxic batteries and then, produce more (while adding to the green house affect).
He should have hit you in the nose for being a racist pig. My wife is not called Sheila, she’s called Yesdear. Wait…. You have a hybid? One that produced untold quantities of greenhouse gasses just to fabricate it? Then he should have hit you in the nose again. Not once damned, not twice damned but thrice damned.
Wait wait, you already had your track day period in your life and now you are denying others, to save a Polar Bear? If I knew what came after Thrice you would be damned to that number as well!!!
Finally, the NCAP rating of a holdern commodore is 5! Here’s the link Mr. “I make out with Polar Bears”, http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.as... which is a damn site better than my Land Rover Discovery II, which can only make a wheezily 3! Quite honestly I’ve run out of exclamation marks to explain just how many times you Sir (and I use that term as loosely as possible) are damned!!!!!!!............ crap..
Just to clear up any confusion, "the glove picture" was a response to a picture that appeared in The Carpool a few weeks back feature a rather nice Alpina, but not so nice pair of red driving gloves:
The Original:
The Homage:
I hope it's a trend that catches on
Edited by Gary H 2008 on Tuesday 26th June 21:20
Gary H 2008 said:
Just to clear up any confusion, "the glove picture" was a response to a picture that appeared in The Carpool a few weeks back feature a rather nice Alpina, but not so nice pair of red driving gloves:
The Original:
The Homage:
I hope it's a trend that catches on
Edited by Gary H 2008 on Tuesday 26th June 21:20
M666 EVO said:
Shipper said:
StripeyMiata said:
I for one am horrified by what I just read.
"Why I bought it:
With the imminent arrival of our first child, I was on the look-out for a four-door saloon."
So Mr Handa is about to have his first child. And what does he buy, a rebadged Vauxhall built in Australia. A nation that is known so much for the high quality of it's cars that they get exported all over the world. Not.
Not only does he buy something built by a few alcoholics married to someone called Sheila he buys a model with over 500HP with RWD, how dangerous is that going to be on a greasy road in the Autumn with some leaves just dropped from England's finest trees? And I bet that thing hasn't been NCAP tested either.
And then there is Global Warming, while Mr Handa is writing how smug he feels with the Prius drivers truth be told he is murdering Polar Bears who are drowning today because of the selfish people like Mr Handa. You should be ashamed of yourself Mr Handa, you have baby Polar Bear blood on your hands, try and hide it if you like with those gloves but it will never wash off from your conscience.
OK, I get the whole cool Dad thing, I've done my fast driving and track days in the past but when I first child I chopped my Westfield SEi for a Toyota Auris Hybrid and I havn't looked back and it has 5 NCAPS unlike that Waltzing Matilda bag of nuts you have.
10 years from now unless you mend your ways Mr Handa you'll be in a refugee camp on Snowdon Mountain watching the waters caused by the melting ice caps heading for your feet. Your child will look at you with tears in his eyes asking “Daddy, Daddy why is the world covered in water?” and it will be all your fault.
Damn you Gary Handa, damn you to hell.
StripeyMaita, Gary Handa may be damned to hell, but not because he bought an Australian V8 with pure racing pedigree built on the backbone of touring car racing that included Walkinshaw Bathurst 1000 challenges, but because he did not hit that smug prius driver square in the nose!"Why I bought it:
With the imminent arrival of our first child, I was on the look-out for a four-door saloon."
So Mr Handa is about to have his first child. And what does he buy, a rebadged Vauxhall built in Australia. A nation that is known so much for the high quality of it's cars that they get exported all over the world. Not.
Not only does he buy something built by a few alcoholics married to someone called Sheila he buys a model with over 500HP with RWD, how dangerous is that going to be on a greasy road in the Autumn with some leaves just dropped from England's finest trees? And I bet that thing hasn't been NCAP tested either.
And then there is Global Warming, while Mr Handa is writing how smug he feels with the Prius drivers truth be told he is murdering Polar Bears who are drowning today because of the selfish people like Mr Handa. You should be ashamed of yourself Mr Handa, you have baby Polar Bear blood on your hands, try and hide it if you like with those gloves but it will never wash off from your conscience.
OK, I get the whole cool Dad thing, I've done my fast driving and track days in the past but when I first child I chopped my Westfield SEi for a Toyota Auris Hybrid and I havn't looked back and it has 5 NCAPS unlike that Waltzing Matilda bag of nuts you have.
10 years from now unless you mend your ways Mr Handa you'll be in a refugee camp on Snowdon Mountain watching the waters caused by the melting ice caps heading for your feet. Your child will look at you with tears in his eyes asking “Daddy, Daddy why is the world covered in water?” and it will be all your fault.
Damn you Gary Handa, damn you to hell.
Edited by StripeyMiata on Monday 25th June 20:18
A Land Rover Discovery V8 produces less green house gasses in a 20 year life cycle than a prius produces during its fabrication alone. Then you burn brown coal to power your power stations to produce non green energy to charge the prius. Then at the end of its battery life you need to find some way of discarding highly toxic batteries and then, produce more (while adding to the green house affect).
He should have hit you in the nose for being a racist pig. My wife is not called Sheila, she’s called Yesdear. Wait…. You have a hybid? One that produced untold quantities of greenhouse gasses just to fabricate it? Then he should have hit you in the nose again. Not once damned, not twice damned but thrice damned.
Wait wait, you already had your track day period in your life and now you are denying others, to save a Polar Bear? If I knew what came after Thrice you would be damned to that number as well!!!
Finally, the NCAP rating of a holdern commodore is 5! Here’s the link Mr. “I make out with Polar Bears”, http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.as... which is a damn site better than my Land Rover Discovery II, which can only make a wheezily 3! Quite honestly I’ve run out of exclamation marks to explain just how many times you Sir (and I use that term as loosely as possible) are damned!!!!!!!............ crap..
This is why I joined PH, the wry humour is tremendous!
Oh, and the original article is good, as well. Love these cars. A buddy of mine, Ed, has the U.S. version, the Pontiac G8. He couldn't wait for the GXP (our version of the VXR8), so he settled for a GT, but don't be fooled, his is no ordinary G8. He's currently pushing over 455hp at the rear wheels, and it's naturally aspirated.
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