Supercharged Monaro leads VXR upgrades

By Phil McNamara

Motor Industry

07 September 2006 09:07

Vauxhall is throwing heaps more power at its two VXR flagships.

The Monaro V8 coupe is being supercharged, by Kent dealer Greens of Rainham. The 6.0-litre unit's peak power and torque jump by 25 percent, for extra rubber-burning getaways and even more mid-range surge. The suspension is beefed up to cope, while six-pot callipers are fitted as standard. The only visual difference over the current 403bhp flagship is the VXR 500 badging. The Eaton supercharger conversion is endorsed by Vauxhall, and comes with a full manufacturer warranty. Best of all is the bargain price. Greens is forsaking its dealer margin to sell the car at £35,995 – £1000 cheaper than the standard 403bhp VXR. The Vectra VXR is also getting a power upgrade, as reported by CAR Online. The turbocharged 2.8-litre V6 is being bumped from 255 to 280bhp. The upgrade should slice around 0.4sec off the hatch's 0-60mph time, taking it down to 6.1sec. Vauxhall has also tweaked the IDS-Plus electronics. Sources claim the revised adaptive damping is more effective at ironing out body roll and minimising understeer. The 2007 model year VXR is available now, costing £24,395 for a hatchback, £25,495 for the estate.

By Phil McNamara