VXR8 reviews - Evo vs James Martin

[J. J.]

Just read the latest Evo magazine COTY review. VXR8 finished next to last (but higher than the Aston DBS), HOWEVER just look at the competition! It did well to get there and they seemed to like it (top car was the Porsche 997 GT3 RS - £95,000).
A few weeks ago James Martin reviewed the VXR8 for a Sunday paper - he slaughtered it, in spite of having owned a Monaro himself. Hard to believe that they are both the same car!

[VXR_Daz]

All a matter of opinion really. There will be a lot of people out there (me included) that love the Monaro but don't like the look of the VXR8.

Mechanically the VXR8 is superior to the Monaro but in some ways I love the basicness of the 'ro.

And as for the VXR8 and Monaro being the same car, I disagree. They are both Holden V8s but beyond that the are completely different.

[willisit]

EVO did mention that after the COTY tests, they went back to Aston and tried a revised DBS - which was much better....

[anonymous-user]

VXR_Daz said:

All a matter of opinion really. There will be a lot of people out there (me included) that love the Monaro but don't like the look of the VXR8.

Mechanically the VXR8 is superior to the Monaro but in some ways I love the basicness of the 'ro.

And as for the VXR8 and Monaro being the same car, I disagree. They are both Holden V8s but beyond that the are completely different.

Agreed, I wouldn't swap my CV8 for a VXR8 as the look of it does nothing for me. The 'ro maybe simpler but it's also chepaer and quite a bit lighter. I wish traction was better though, tyres are too skinny in my opinion, especially with FI.

[J. J.]

Sorry but you've mis-interpreted my comments, or my English wasn't good enough. What I tried to say was that the two reviews on the VXR8 were poles apart, but were obviously the same car. I mentioned the Monaro because he had owned one and seemed to like it - I thought that if he had liked the 'ro, he would probably have liked the VXR8. As a matter of interest, I too love my 'ro and its shape. Like yourselves, I can't see me swapping it for the VXR8 either, really because of its shape I suppose....I just don't think the VXR8 is anything outstanding. Performance, I accept, is something else.

[ads_green]

I was not really a fan of the Monaro styling and prefer the VXR8 - the two extra doors were a big selling point as well though! Granted - I don't see many people going from a monaro -> VXR8 or vice versa. The cars are too similar in many ways and too different in others.

[anonymous-user]

J. J. said:

Sorry but you've mis-interpreted my comments, or my English wasn't good enough.

It's a damn site better than a lot of people's on here!

[V2RAC]

I sometimes wonder if these so called motoring correspondents actually drive the products they are reviewing. At times it would appear that they skim through the sales brochure, head off to the typewriter and produce utter twaddle. how can you run a Monaro and then "slaughter" the VXR8 which is a better driving car. I agree they are two different motors and personally I think they are both brilliant. (Not saying J.M.didnt drive the car though, just my thoughts in general)

Edited by V2RAC on Tuesday 20th November 09:40

[ads_green]

The problem is the company as well...

I'm sure I'd feel the VXR8 was a little less than perfect right after drving a 911 GT3, Lotus 211R, Lambo etc...

I'm surprised they featured it to be honest as it's not that kind of car.

[V2RAC]

In addition to above comments re. press reviews on new models I recall JC test driving a Monaro for a well known motoring mag circa March 2004. He went on to extoll the virtues of the car but in the accompanying photography the car was quite clearly an auto. AFAIK autos didnt make it to these shores!!

[LathamJohnP]

ads_green said:

The problem is the company as well...

I'm sure I'd feel the VXR8 was a little less than perfect right after driving a 911 GT3, Lotus 211R, Lambo etc...

I'm surprised they featured it to be honest as it's not that kind of car.

I think this years COTY reflected the weird/wonderful state of the performance car industry, what with mega BHP, active damping, automated gearboxes and electronically-bypassed silencers.

ISTR the Audi R8 was the "best" car, but came third because it wasn't "fun" enough. The Fezza came higher, because it was the most exciting, but lost out to the GTSRS because it was so capable that the driver involvement was dulled. Its all a bit confusing.

Personally I think they should exclude all cars which won't pass trackday noise tests, since that makes them entirely pointless except for showing off/annoying people. You spend £80k+ then can't use much of the performance legally on the road, and you get black-flagged on track.

John