Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500 v Ford Shelby GT500
James Mills compares two similar-seeming but utterly different V8-powered animals
Ford SHelby GT500 v Vauxhall Monaro VXR500
I've seen the future and it ain't pretty. Oil shortages, famines, coastal erosion, floods, war. Mother Earth is heading, slowly, inevitably, toward turmoil. But that's nothing.
I've seen the future, and it ain't pretty for car drivers. Black boxes, pay-as-you-go mileage tax, automatically generated traffic offences being added to your license that you use to start your car. Queues of cars that drive themselves stretching for 30 miles every rush hour, their drivers not driving but working away slavishly on laptops as the car's brain delivers them to and from work in a safe, sedentary fashion.
Can you see it too? Are you thinking what I'm thinking? That ain't no way to live. And it sure ain't no way to drive.
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Light at the end of the tunnel
Fear not. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Not a faint, flickering glimmer of hope. No. This is a search-light burst of power, energy and clarity, cutting through the fear of the future and revealing a rude wake up call: the new Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500 and Ford Shelby GT500.
There's a small hint in the names about what type of animals we're dealing with here: muscle cars. Both pack supercharged V8s. Both have 500bhp. And both make the hair leap up on the back of your neck just thinking about them.
Now, like me, you may not have paid much attention in your maths lessons at school. But I don't think you'll struggle too much to work out that between these two we're dealing with 1,000bhp. It was only back in the late 1970s that Cosworth-DFV powered F1 cars were putting out that sort of figure. Sure, today, you can buy yourself cars with twice that figure – Bugatti's unreal Veyron – but you can't buy anything like this new VXR 500 for so little money.
Heritage
A mere £35,995 secures you the keys to Vauxhall's new super coupé. Unbelievably, that's cheaper than the standard 398bhp Monaro VXR on which it's based. (Should help Vauxhall shift the last 50 VXRs, which linger unsold round the back of Luton somewhere.) And for the record, that's £12,000 cheaper than 1990's Lotus Carlton, the twin-turbo, headline-hogging, super saloon that would shape up as a relative lightweight these days at just 377bhp. How time flies.
Talking of the past, Ford and a certain Mr Carroll Shelby have bedded one another before. The original 1964 Shelby GT350 was the first official tie up between two of America's greatest icons, and the Shelby GT500 you see here (circa £45,000 via a typical internet importer) faithfully pays homage to the 1966 GT500. Both its forebears were packing supercharged V8s (later on, in the case of the GT350), but neither could hope to come close to today's 5.4-litre supercharged V8, which thumps out 506bhp. All through a live rear axle. Er, nurse?
Headturning
And boy do these cars look like the full monty, the real deal. You know their spec sheets will make for impressive reading from the visuals alone. Especially the Shelby GT500. It grabs your attention like a fist in the face. There's nothing subtle about it. It doesn't make any apologies. This is loud and proud, the stars and stripes through and through. A car from the place where you have the right to bear firearms, and most of the population exercise that right with arsenals the size of a modest army.
Thanks heavens for that. Not everyone aspires to German engineering, right?
Comically overbearing detailing abounds, from the over-developed power bulge which you literally strain to see over the top of, to the venomous Cobra badging on the nose, tail and steering wheel. Add in the electric blue paintjob and twin white stripes from tip to tail, and this is one of the few cars where 'headturner' isn't some tired cliché.
What a shame then that, as I enjoy the inevitable petrol station forecourt Q&As en route to great driving roads in Wales' Brecon Beacons, I can't quite shake off the feeling that the arse end rides too high and the sharply cut, machined-look alloys look a little lost in the arches. No surprise there. They're only 18s, inadequate for a road hog like this.
The VXR 500 isn't quite as anti-social looking. But it's hardly the chosen wheels of your local Conservative MP, either. It seems longer than the GT500, but truth is they're identical. The lower roofline, laid-back windscreen and sloping nose create an illusion of Titanic-proportions.
There are enough scoops, vents and bulges plastered about the place to make the average WRC car designer feel at home. But the reality is that above the surface, nothing's changed from the standard Monaro VXR, save for the addition of a 500 badge on the back. Not that other drivers will be getting a good look at that for long.
Stomach-turning
It's the Mustang I'm aching to drive. I can kind of imagine what the VXR 500 is like: a faster, more sideways-to-victory, Monaro. But the visitor from America has got my attention. It is, after all, something of an icon. Call me an old romantic, but the appeal of driving a genuine muscle car is too much to resist.
For such a big car, there's not a great deal of room inside, and the seats themselves aren't all that special. But the driving position is good, the aluminium pedals well spaced, I can see the dials and if I raise the seat a touch I can even see out over the power bulge without the need for a periscope.
It all looks cool too. In a retro, minimalist kind of way. But don't go expecting Audi or Porsche-rivalling build quality. Most of the plastics and switchgear can be found in Ford's mass-consumption shopping trolleys. A pity, but what the hell, it helps keep the price so reasonable.
There's no faddish starter button in here. Instead, it's clutch to the floor and a twist of the (cheap) key in the ignition. The Shelby GT500 bursts to life with a deep-chested roar, and patters off down the road burbling away. Once things warm through, it's quickly apparent that there's something missing: noise. The supercharger's whine is this car's most dominant feature, and the standard exhaust system is disappointingly muted. It's not what you expect.
The performance, however, is everything you'd expect. This is a big mule of an engine. It hauls from 800rpm in sixth, but when you shift down and swing the rev counter's needle past 4,500rpm, the 480lb-ft of peak torque hits you in the back and sends the GT500 belting toward the horizon. How quickly? Try 0-60mph in a tried and tested 4.9 seconds.
It calls for some careful recalibrating of your driving style, braking points and closing speeds on other traffic. Or else you'll end up with one sick pony on your hands.
But for all its might, you're more aware of its bulk. By the end of a day belting across Wales, I'm feeling like Kowalski from Vanishing Point. The Shelby GT500 is a tiring thing. It saps every last bit of mental and nervous energy to keep it moving along at a decent lick. Driving it back to London isn't going to be much fun either.
The finger of blame lies firmly at the suspension. It's primitive, to say the least, with a live rear axle that goes to pieces over bumps, be it in a straight line or, more scary still, mid-bend.
The primary ride is harsh and jittery, yet the secondary ride is wallowy and poorly damped – the worst possible combination, and quite a feat by Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT).
That said, traction isn't too bad and switching off the TCS isn't quite the sudden hair-loss experience I'd expected. You have to manhandle it. Take it by the scruff of the neck and show the thing who really is The Boss. Easier said than done, however, when you're sat on the left side, it weighs 1,778kgs and the thing tends to straddle the white line.
Power
By way of contrast, the VXR 500 is deadly ordinary inside. It's dull beyond belief, and cheap with it. You sit too high and -- again -- the seats are nothing special. This thing feels like a Daewoo'd Vauxhall. Or should that be Chevrolet these days? Whatever, it's tacky and devoid of design flair, and unlikely to impress anyone who's come in search of high speed thrills from something like a Porsche 911. But then you start it.
And you don't give a flying f***. The optional sports exhaust (an extra £960) snaps your senses alert sharply. It reminds you that this is a 500bhp beast, unlike the Shelby GT500, which seems a bit timid.
In a bid to rid itself of its last 50 unsold Monaro VXRs, Vauxhall turned to specialist Monaro tuners Wortec, and the VXR 500 features a new positive displacement supercharger, uprated fuelling and ignition systems and clutch revisions. The latter is undoubtedly a wise move. The good news for existing Monaro VXR owners is they can retro fit all of it. And believe me, it's worth it.
Let's start with the engine. The conversion means the 6.0-litre (Corvette-sourced) V8 now musters a true 493bhp and 499lb-ft. Sufficient, I think you'll find, to give the GT500 a very hard time indeed. One thing's for sure, it feels and sounds faster on the road. Carrying 100kg less, packing slightly more torque, and bombarding you with its TVR Griffith-esque exhaust note, it takes some beating in the exhilaration stakes.
Control
It also takes some beating in the dynamics department. The VXR'd Monaro chassis was always a cracker. Exploitable, engaging and entertaining, it refreshed the driver's parts other so-called sports cars couldn't reach. Our VXR 500's adjustable sports suspension (£1,695) goes one step further, giving the chassis a more taut, tied-down feel without robbing the big super coupe of its essential character: big, lairy power oversteer.
Switch off the traction control -- which has trouble keeping up when engaged on wet roads -- and you can make the most of its friendly on-the-limit behaviour, delightful throttle response and limited slip differential, adopting an angle of your choice in second and third gear corners -- depending on the number of brave pills you've got handy.
You can't take such liberties in the Shelby GT500. It doesn't communicate and instil confidence like the VXR 500, which gives great feel for what's happening beneath. Yet none of this comes at the expense of ride comfort. It proves remarkably absorbent yet never soft or sloppy when you open up the loud pedal and revel in that exhaust note.
The VXR 500 is a car drivers can immerse themselves in. That feeling of being a part of the machine is getting increasingly rare these days, especially in larger sports cars. But this Vauxhall pulls it off brilliantly.
Decision time
This pair of 500bhp irrational non-conformists will brighten up any PHer's life. They perfectly capture the national makeup of their respective heartlands – American ham-fisted stubbornness and laid back Australian brawn -- summoning up endless stereotypes before your very eyes.
Despite its crowd-pulling abilities, however, it's obvious the Shelby GT500 can't cut it here in the UK. It's out of its depth, challenged by our peculiar roads and caught off guard by our distinct dynamic tastes. The fact that Ford's SVT department couldn't get round the suspension problem was never going to further its cause, either.
As an example of how to do it, Ford should have checked out the Monaro VXR during its development phase. They'd have found a great car, and one which has leant itself so well to this 500bhp, final-fling conversion. It's a hilarious bit of kit, the VXR 500. And that's before you've even started considering the fact that it's a bloody bargain.
The VXR 500 annoyed neighbours because its comically flatulent sports exhaust made their alarm clocks redundant at five in the morning. The Shelby GT500 wound another up because it took up near-on two spaces in a residents' parking bay.
But do you know what? Good.
Save the planet?
These cars aren't about sophistication. They're not meant to be lavish, cutting edge or achingly fashionable. And there's no danger that they're here on a bold mission to save the planet. No sir.
This pair is for those of us who are fed up with the so-called march of progress. And I, for one, am glad they exist. I'll bet you are too.
Pictures by Nathan Morgan
What gets up my nose though is that M500FMC is a Ford press car, yet Ford have no intention of importing it officially - let alone in RHD.
Still, lets hope the new Camaro/Challenger (esp. Camaro which is mooted to be made for the UK too) concepts force a change of heart.
And... Spend a bit of extra money getting the suspension sorted/lowered with bigger wheels and suddenly the car is a much more muscular looking beast.
My Mustang GT makes the GT500 look like it's on stilts with puny wheels. Mine's lowered/uprated with 20" rims. And in my opinion, has more character and more muscular looks over the Monaro...
I would like to drive a right hand drive version of the GT500 just to compare the two, maybe i would change my mind.
The VXR 500 annoyed neighbours because its comically flatulent sports exhaust made their alarm clocks redundant at five in the morning. The Shelby GT500 wound another up because it took up near-on two spaces in a residents' parking bay. But do you know what? Good.
Why is it good to piss off your neighbours by waking them up at 5am and preventing them from parking?
The monaro says "i just need to be somewhere quickly and don't five a damn about the badge"!
I'm glad they both exist, but I'd take the monaro
As for the live rear axle. Not really a problem. It's supposed to be one of the best live rear axles setups ever made. Some journalists in the states were said to have looked under the car in disbelief when the car was originally released. In my opinion, there's a downside and an upside. Although the downside is not at all bad. The downside (if any!) is that mid corner bumps can make the axle "hop". I've felt this, but it doesn't make me nervous. The upside is launching from a stop. A live rear axle is excellent for putting the power down at the traffic light grand prix (and drag racing for that matter).
To be honest, as you all know... you very rarely get the chance to push a car to it's handling limits. Especially a car of this size! So based on that fact... the Mustang is an excellent proposition.
And it rides damn good as well. Even now that it's lowered/uprated!
Coming from a WRX I'm not surprised
You see, I don't look for ultimate outright grip, I look for predictable handling so you can exploit it at sane speeds. That's the appeal of the 'stang to me just like it is with a Seven, which will allow tail-out-tomfoolery well within the legal limit. Try doing that in a Scoob (and don't even go there in an Ultima
) The 'Stang feels well planted and reassuring. The suspension isn't the latest word in high-tech, but you really need to try it before writing it off (not literally of course
) Edited to add: Other than the front grill, I prefer the GT over the GT500 too
As for the live rear axle. Not really a problem. It's supposed to be one of the best live rear axles setups ever made. Some journalists in the states were said to have looked under the car in disbelief when the car was originally released. In my opinion, there's a downside and an upside. Although the downside is not at all bad. The downside (if any!) is that mid corner bumps can make the axle "hop". I've felt this, but it doesn't make me nervous. The upside is launching from a stop. A live rear axle is excellent for putting the power down at the traffic light grand prix (and drag racing for that matter).
To be honest, as you all know... you very rarely get the chance to push a car to it's handling limits. Especially a car of this size! So based on that fact... the Mustang is an excellent proposition.
And it rides damn good as well. Even now that it's lowered/uprated!
I agree because I would. Sure I'm biased but then I had the choice and took the uprated Mustang approach instead. That said, I would certainly have considered the VXR500 far more seriously than the stock VXR, being £1000 cheaper than the stock VXR and remarkable value. Before, it's looks were against it, for that price, i could easily overlook them.
However, I think you need to understand that much of the GT500 problem is to do with the GT500 alone. For those with short memories, the live axle isn't the problem but rather the setup. The EVO PCOTY test placed the Roush 420RE second in it's handling category behind the M3 CS and above the 350Z. The GT500 has a weight problem in the nose due to the cast iron engine which must surely dictate it's road manners. The Roush uses better dampers, lower springs and bigger roll bars in the same way the VXR uses HSV parts instead of Holden parts and it's a matter of suspension control and weight distribution.
On a recent PH run, my Mustang was well within it's comfort zone running with a wide variety of hard-driven sports cars including Porsche, Maserati, Lotus and TVR and never once stepped out of line or had any problem in the damp conditions taking in narrow and winding hilly lanes (which is more than can be said for some of the others) so the popular idea that you have some car fisdhtailing through corners in a lairy and out of control way at modest speeds is somewhaat at odds with reality. Of course, it may be that at some point way beyond the reason or ability of any normal driver on a public road, the Monaro might have an edge but I doubt you'll ever really find it unless you're some journalist thrashing the car because he didn't have to pay for it.
I think the Mustang GT also posts a faster time than the VXR round Bedford piloted by EVO on stock tyres and whilst that doesn't count for much, it counts for something. I hope Top Gear take these cars and give them to the Stig. That will be pure petrol-driven heaven watching them slide against one another in the heat of competition. But I hope they test a Roush too.
Ultimately, these cars will be about looks and price. For me, the Mustang looks a different league better but for the money, I'd take the VXR500. In either case, i doubt anyone will be whining about their choice and it's a hell of a choice to have.
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