Monaro - First Impressions
Discussion
Well, after a hectic morning removing various hardware and electronic mods from the TT, I set off to collect the Monaro. It was a rather poignant moment, leaving my trusty TT 8.5 years after my then new girlfriend (now wife and bearer of loin fruit) and I flew over to Audi in Germany and drove the car back. It had been my dream car ever since I saw the ‘concept’ at the motor show 4 years earlier and I saved every penny until I could afford one and managed to bag 1 of only 100 Le Mans editions Audi released. It has been a fantastic car, much better than anything I have ever had before. Driving away in the Monaro (especially this Monaro) should have been a very special moment but the TT parked in my rear view mirror as I left the dealer, somewhat dampened the excitement.
So, how does the Monaro compare? Well, whilst being pretty good, GM build quality is nothing like the Audi. Just a few examples; the silver spokes of the steering wheel have their silver coating lifting off, the interior light buzzes annoyingly at motorway cruising speeds, the clip on the centre console phone holder has broken so the lid will not close, the 6 CD head unit is nothing to get excited about and even the infinity amp / speakers fitted by the previous owner are not a patch on the TT BOSE system. However, I have to be pragmatic here, if I wanted a 400+ BHP V8 car with similar build quality to the TT, I would have to buy the S5 and that is about three times the price of my Monaro.
As far as driving is concerned I find the car, even with the suspension modifications, does not handle anything like as well, changes of direction are lumbering by comparison. I guess this is not surprising as the Monaro is 300KG heavier. There is almost no feel at all at the steering wheel which makes it a little vague and difficult to ‘feel’ the road in my hands. The TT has speed sensitive power steering and only really helped you out when parking. Once at speed the steering was much more direct and you could feel as the tyres broke traction and when it started coming back.
However, all of the above is me being fussy and perhaps a bit spoiled. How does the Monaro really make me feel? Well, after spending a little while this morning sorting out the buzzing light and the broken clip on the centre console, I filled the tank and took the Monaro out for a play. What a car! I used the best part of half a tank blasting around the local countryside in the spring sunshine. My face is hurting from grinning, especially with the exhaust on overrun; it crackles, pops and bangs with a deep baritone that stops people in their tracks. Whilst the TT would attract the general public, purely on looks, the Monaro appeals to true petrol heads. For example; I pulled in to the village station car park to turn around after overshooting the florists (collecting for Mother’s Day). At the entrance of the car park is a tyre and exhaust centre which I passed burbling and crackling as I came off the gas. As I turned the car around and hit the power again, I noticed that the mechanics had all downed tools and run out to see what the hell made that noise and all gave me a thumbs-up passed them.
Even with the traction control on, I find that the rear wheels struggle to contain the huge torque of the supercharged V8 and I have to feed in a little opposite lock to hold things in check. God only knows what would happen with the traction control disabled but I will wait until I have a few more miles under my belt before experimenting. The howl of the supercharger is not as intrusive as in a Mini Cooper S; this was something that I was worried about. I love Mad Max’s interceptor but would eventually become tired of the aural assault. I hardly ever hear the Harrop working; it is only when full on the gas above 4K RPM that you can really hear it. Even then, when blended with the V8 exhaust note, it creates a wonderful cacophony of sound that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and has the curious additional effect of scrotal contraction.
So, how does the Monaro really compare to the TT? It may not be as well built, as well designed and proficient as the TT but where it loses out to the German coupe it more than makes up with raw unadulterated pleasure. Can I live with it for 8.5 years? I don’t yet know and cash flow may become an issue (I averaged 17MPG today) but perhaps if I convert to LPG the Monaro may actually be cheaper than the TT to run. After all with servicing varying between £400 and £1K at Audi, I am surely going to save considerably on maintenance and parts at Vauxhall. Anyone know of a good LPG conversion company that can deal with a supercharged Monaro?
Cheers,
B
So, how does the Monaro compare? Well, whilst being pretty good, GM build quality is nothing like the Audi. Just a few examples; the silver spokes of the steering wheel have their silver coating lifting off, the interior light buzzes annoyingly at motorway cruising speeds, the clip on the centre console phone holder has broken so the lid will not close, the 6 CD head unit is nothing to get excited about and even the infinity amp / speakers fitted by the previous owner are not a patch on the TT BOSE system. However, I have to be pragmatic here, if I wanted a 400+ BHP V8 car with similar build quality to the TT, I would have to buy the S5 and that is about three times the price of my Monaro.
As far as driving is concerned I find the car, even with the suspension modifications, does not handle anything like as well, changes of direction are lumbering by comparison. I guess this is not surprising as the Monaro is 300KG heavier. There is almost no feel at all at the steering wheel which makes it a little vague and difficult to ‘feel’ the road in my hands. The TT has speed sensitive power steering and only really helped you out when parking. Once at speed the steering was much more direct and you could feel as the tyres broke traction and when it started coming back.
However, all of the above is me being fussy and perhaps a bit spoiled. How does the Monaro really make me feel? Well, after spending a little while this morning sorting out the buzzing light and the broken clip on the centre console, I filled the tank and took the Monaro out for a play. What a car! I used the best part of half a tank blasting around the local countryside in the spring sunshine. My face is hurting from grinning, especially with the exhaust on overrun; it crackles, pops and bangs with a deep baritone that stops people in their tracks. Whilst the TT would attract the general public, purely on looks, the Monaro appeals to true petrol heads. For example; I pulled in to the village station car park to turn around after overshooting the florists (collecting for Mother’s Day). At the entrance of the car park is a tyre and exhaust centre which I passed burbling and crackling as I came off the gas. As I turned the car around and hit the power again, I noticed that the mechanics had all downed tools and run out to see what the hell made that noise and all gave me a thumbs-up passed them.
Even with the traction control on, I find that the rear wheels struggle to contain the huge torque of the supercharged V8 and I have to feed in a little opposite lock to hold things in check. God only knows what would happen with the traction control disabled but I will wait until I have a few more miles under my belt before experimenting. The howl of the supercharger is not as intrusive as in a Mini Cooper S; this was something that I was worried about. I love Mad Max’s interceptor but would eventually become tired of the aural assault. I hardly ever hear the Harrop working; it is only when full on the gas above 4K RPM that you can really hear it. Even then, when blended with the V8 exhaust note, it creates a wonderful cacophony of sound that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and has the curious additional effect of scrotal contraction.
So, how does the Monaro really compare to the TT? It may not be as well built, as well designed and proficient as the TT but where it loses out to the German coupe it more than makes up with raw unadulterated pleasure. Can I live with it for 8.5 years? I don’t yet know and cash flow may become an issue (I averaged 17MPG today) but perhaps if I convert to LPG the Monaro may actually be cheaper than the TT to run. After all with servicing varying between £400 and £1K at Audi, I am surely going to save considerably on maintenance and parts at Vauxhall. Anyone know of a good LPG conversion company that can deal with a supercharged Monaro?
Cheers,
B
I have never had so much fun in a car as my Monaro, I love it, also there are a million TT's on the road, and a handfull of Monaro's it's a very individual car to own and to add this forum to the recipe is just top notch.
It may not be the fastest or the best handling car compared to what about these days, but that falls by the wayside when out in the car.
Simply supeb grin grin grin grin grin
It may not be the fastest or the best handling car compared to what about these days, but that falls by the wayside when out in the car.
Simply supeb grin grin grin grin grin
3 yr in love it crisisjez said:
Well said
Can you make it to Thunder Road? Its a good opportunity to meet some serious nutters and really see what your car can do in a safe environment
When you say serious nutters are yo refering to yourself ther?? Can you make it to Thunder Road? Its a good opportunity to meet some serious nutters and really see what your car can do in a safe environment
I believe you have hsvrulz car in which case its a stunning example well done
Dear Boggie,
regards,
Jet
Boggie said:
<snip>
Even with the traction control on, I find that the rear wheels struggle to contain the huge torque of the supercharged V8 and I have to feed in a little opposite lock to hold things in check. God only knows what would happen with the traction control disabled...
I'm off to increase my stake in Bridgestone/Pirrelli/Goodyear Even with the traction control on, I find that the rear wheels struggle to contain the huge torque of the supercharged V8 and I have to feed in a little opposite lock to hold things in check. God only knows what would happen with the traction control disabled...
regards,
Jet
Boggie said:
Well, after a hectic morning removing various hardware and electronic mods from the TT, I set off to collect the Monaro. It was a rather poignant moment, leaving my trusty TT 8.5 years after my then new girlfriend (now wife and bearer of loin fruit) and I flew over to Audi in Germany and drove the car back. It had been my dream car ever since I saw the ‘concept’ at the motor show 4 years earlier and I saved every penny until I could afford one and managed to bag 1 of only 100 Le Mans editions Audi released. It has been a fantastic car, much better than anything I have ever had before. Driving away in the Monaro (especially this Monaro) should have been a very special moment but the TT parked in my rear view mirror as I left the dealer, somewhat dampened the excitement.
So, how does the Monaro compare? Well, whilst being pretty good, GM build quality is nothing like the Audi. Just a few examples; the silver spokes of the steering wheel have their silver coating lifting off, the interior light buzzes annoyingly at motorway cruising speeds, the clip on the centre console phone holder has broken so the lid will not close, the 6 CD head unit is nothing to get excited about and even the infinity amp / speakers fitted by the previous owner are not a patch on the TT BOSE system. However, I have to be pragmatic here, if I wanted a 400+ BHP V8 car with similar build quality to the TT, I would have to buy the S5 and that is about three times the price of my Monaro.
As far as driving is concerned I find the car, even with the suspension modifications, does not handle anything like as well, changes of direction are lumbering by comparison. I guess this is not surprising as the Monaro is 300KG heavier. There is almost no feel at all at the steering wheel which makes it a little vague and difficult to ‘feel’ the road in my hands. The TT has speed sensitive power steering and only really helped you out when parking. Once at speed the steering was much more direct and you could feel as the tyres broke traction and when it started coming back.
However, all of the above is me being fussy and perhaps a bit spoiled. How does the Monaro really make me feel? Well, after spending a little while this morning sorting out the buzzing light and the broken clip on the centre console, I filled the tank and took the Monaro out for a play. What a car! I used the best part of half a tank blasting around the local countryside in the spring sunshine. My face is hurting from grinning, especially with the exhaust on overrun; it crackles, pops and bangs with a deep baritone that stops people in their tracks. Whilst the TT would attract the general public, purely on looks, the Monaro appeals to true petrol heads. For example; I pulled in to the village station car park to turn around after overshooting the florists (collecting for Mother’s Day). At the entrance of the car park is a tyre and exhaust centre which I passed burbling and crackling as I came off the gas. As I turned the car around and hit the power again, I noticed that the mechanics had all downed tools and run out to see what the hell made that noise and all gave me a thumbs-up passed them.
Even with the traction control on, I find that the rear wheels struggle to contain the huge torque of the supercharged V8 and I have to feed in a little opposite lock to hold things in check. God only knows what would happen with the traction control disabled but I will wait until I have a few more miles under my belt before experimenting. The howl of the supercharger is not as intrusive as in a Mini Cooper S; this was something that I was worried about. I love Mad Max’s interceptor but would eventually become tired of the aural assault. I hardly ever hear the Harrop working; it is only when full on the gas above 4K RPM that you can really hear it. Even then, when blended with the V8 exhaust note, it creates a wonderful cacophony of sound that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and has the curious additional effect of scrotal contraction.
So, how does the Monaro really compare to the TT? It may not be as well built, as well designed and proficient as the TT but where it loses out to the German coupe it more than makes up with raw unadulterated pleasure. Can I live with it for 8.5 years? I don’t yet know and cash flow may become an issue (I averaged 17MPG today) but perhaps if I convert to LPG the Monaro may actually be cheaper than the TT to run. After all with servicing varying between £400 and £1K at Audi, I am surely going to save considerably on maintenance and parts at Vauxhall. Anyone know of a good LPG conversion company that can deal with a supercharged Monaro?
Cheers,
B
Do you write for a living? That was truly superbSo, how does the Monaro compare? Well, whilst being pretty good, GM build quality is nothing like the Audi. Just a few examples; the silver spokes of the steering wheel have their silver coating lifting off, the interior light buzzes annoyingly at motorway cruising speeds, the clip on the centre console phone holder has broken so the lid will not close, the 6 CD head unit is nothing to get excited about and even the infinity amp / speakers fitted by the previous owner are not a patch on the TT BOSE system. However, I have to be pragmatic here, if I wanted a 400+ BHP V8 car with similar build quality to the TT, I would have to buy the S5 and that is about three times the price of my Monaro.
As far as driving is concerned I find the car, even with the suspension modifications, does not handle anything like as well, changes of direction are lumbering by comparison. I guess this is not surprising as the Monaro is 300KG heavier. There is almost no feel at all at the steering wheel which makes it a little vague and difficult to ‘feel’ the road in my hands. The TT has speed sensitive power steering and only really helped you out when parking. Once at speed the steering was much more direct and you could feel as the tyres broke traction and when it started coming back.
However, all of the above is me being fussy and perhaps a bit spoiled. How does the Monaro really make me feel? Well, after spending a little while this morning sorting out the buzzing light and the broken clip on the centre console, I filled the tank and took the Monaro out for a play. What a car! I used the best part of half a tank blasting around the local countryside in the spring sunshine. My face is hurting from grinning, especially with the exhaust on overrun; it crackles, pops and bangs with a deep baritone that stops people in their tracks. Whilst the TT would attract the general public, purely on looks, the Monaro appeals to true petrol heads. For example; I pulled in to the village station car park to turn around after overshooting the florists (collecting for Mother’s Day). At the entrance of the car park is a tyre and exhaust centre which I passed burbling and crackling as I came off the gas. As I turned the car around and hit the power again, I noticed that the mechanics had all downed tools and run out to see what the hell made that noise and all gave me a thumbs-up passed them.
Even with the traction control on, I find that the rear wheels struggle to contain the huge torque of the supercharged V8 and I have to feed in a little opposite lock to hold things in check. God only knows what would happen with the traction control disabled but I will wait until I have a few more miles under my belt before experimenting. The howl of the supercharger is not as intrusive as in a Mini Cooper S; this was something that I was worried about. I love Mad Max’s interceptor but would eventually become tired of the aural assault. I hardly ever hear the Harrop working; it is only when full on the gas above 4K RPM that you can really hear it. Even then, when blended with the V8 exhaust note, it creates a wonderful cacophony of sound that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and has the curious additional effect of scrotal contraction.
So, how does the Monaro really compare to the TT? It may not be as well built, as well designed and proficient as the TT but where it loses out to the German coupe it more than makes up with raw unadulterated pleasure. Can I live with it for 8.5 years? I don’t yet know and cash flow may become an issue (I averaged 17MPG today) but perhaps if I convert to LPG the Monaro may actually be cheaper than the TT to run. After all with servicing varying between £400 and £1K at Audi, I am surely going to save considerably on maintenance and parts at Vauxhall. Anyone know of a good LPG conversion company that can deal with a supercharged Monaro?
Cheers,
B
However "scrotal contraction" is a function i'm not yet familiar with Any doubts you may have will soon diminish i promise and anything that you feel really needs sorting can be done. Monkfish Performance, amongst others are the chosen modification specialists for many owners on this forum
Anyway, glad your happy
Have fun
i am running a supercharged ute on gas its a zavoli system and has had a few mods from the standard mine however is a vortech not sure how you get on with the top mount due to the gas being sprayed into the intake manifold ??
worth doing though its not quite double but out on a run over the weekend i was seeing constant 20mpg giving it some stick thats almost 37mpg my works mondeo only does 39mpg and that runs on dirty oil
Hope this helps
worth doing though its not quite double but out on a run over the weekend i was seeing constant 20mpg giving it some stick thats almost 37mpg my works mondeo only does 39mpg and that runs on dirty oil
Hope this helps
Don't know where you are based Boggie but try Capital Autogas in Kingston-Upon-Thames. They did my VXR8. Used the BRC Sequent and I am happy, it's lost power however (or torque or whatever that made it slower).
Give them a call and tell them you got the reference from Bart with black VXR8.
PS. Congrats on getting the car
Give them a call and tell them you got the reference from Bart with black VXR8.
PS. Congrats on getting the car
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