Monaros - what's the obsession?

[veevee]

These seem to pop in virtually every 'what car' thread, seemingly having overtaken the MX-5 as the default answer to pretty much everything. What's so good about them? I understand that they're a V8, but there are quite a few other directly comparable v8 options, and they don't seem especially keenly priced vs. the competition?

[anonymous-user]

veevee said:

These seem to pop in virtually every 'what car' thread, seemingly having overtaken the MX-5 as the default answer to pretty much everything. What's so good about them? I understand that they're a V8, but there are quite a few other directly comparable v8 options, and they don't seem especially keenly priced vs. the competition?

What other options offer the same tuning potential and toughness?

[Benbay001]

yonex said:

What other options offer the same tuning potential and toughness?

And manual gearbox

[J4CKO]

There are only actually about 600 of them in the country so they do get a dissproportionate number of mentions, cant be that many to chose from at any one time.

[Motorrad]

LS1 is a fantastic engine. The Monaro has very few driver aids and as such offers a 4 seat, old school V8 experience you rarely find in the Sceptic Isle.

[Ozzie Osmond]

The oddity is that people wet their knickers over Monaros but no-one will buy the Vauxhall VXR8.

[veevee]

Benbay001 said:

And manual gearbox

E39 540i/M5?

Newer BMW V8s.

Are all the 5.4 AMGs auto?

[Garlick]

Ozzie Osmond said:

The oddity is that people wet their knickers over Monaros but no-one will buy the Vauxhall VXR8.

I'd like a VXR8, probably take one over a Monaro in fact.

[Ozzie Osmond]

veevee said:

Are all the 5.4 AMGs auto?

I think all AMGs are auto.

[jayemm89]

Ozzie Osmond said:

The oddity is that people wet their knickers over Monaros but no-one will buy the Vauxhall VXR8.

I was under the impression that the earlier Holden was quite a different proposition to the later car, which became the Vauxhall thingie.

[s m]

Garlick said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

The oddity is that people wet their knickers over Monaros but no-one will buy the Vauxhall VXR8.

I'd like a VXR8, probably take one over a Monaro in fact.

I would also - I like the saloons

[BUG4LIFE]

The noise, and the fact that it isn't a BM, Merc etc. I really want one [or an S-type R].

[J4CKO]

I know a lad who went on about getting one for ages after a string of Astra Turbos, honestly, he used to spend all lunch time looking at Monaro related stuff, drove one and really didn't like it and bought an Impreza WR1 instead.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Ozzie Osmond said:

The oddity is that people wet their knickers over Monaros but no-one will buy the Vauxhall VXR8.

Not really.

When I last looked a decent Monaco could be picked up comfortably under £10k, VXR8s were £15k+. The difference might now be less, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't still there.

[papercup]

veevee said:

E39 540i/M5?

Newer BMW V8s.

Completely different experience to the LS engines.

[glasgowrob]

Big lazy rwd v8

What's not to like

[-Z-]

Had a Monaro VXR 6.0 a few years ago.

I loved the thing, but how much of that love was rose tinted because I was only 22/23 and finally in possession of a V8 I don't know

Needed LOTS of warranty work though so it'd be a brave man to run one as a daily on a budget.

As standard the VXR8 handles far better too.

[TheAngryDog]

I'd quite like a VXR8 but think I'll go V10 M5 next

[anonymous-user]

They are big, simple and very tunable beasts that look and sound different to anything on the market. They are also rare, RWD and turn heads for all the right reasons. I've owned mine for 8 years and still love it, every journey feels like an event. Get one while you can as it's unlikely they'll make anything like it again.

[longblackcoat]

glasgowrob said:

Big lazy rwd v8

What's not to like

Big, heavy, inert and really not that fast due to the intergalactic gearing. Plus the inside's a bit horrid and I don't like the styling. Oh, and they don't handle all that well.