Holden Monaro

The Age

Saturday May 31, 2008

David Morley

This born-again Aussie motoring icon has street cred to spare, writes David Morley.

HOLDEN has a bit of a habit of stealing the thunder at motor shows. Most recently, its coupe concept wowed the crowds at Melbourne, but a few years before that at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, Holden really made a splash.

Again, it was a two-door car that stunned the show-goers, and legend now has it that the top-secret project was known to exist only by a handful of Holden employees who built the concept after hours. In fact, the story goes that even Holden's boss at the time only learned of the coupe the night before it was unveiled.

Apart from ruining the day of every other company exhibiting at the show that year, that coupe concept is also notable for actually making it to production.

Even Holden was amazed at the public's reaction to the swish-looking coupe and it soon became apparent that not building the car would be a mistake.

And just to heighten the car's impact, Holden dug up an evocative model name from its past: Monaro.

The born-again Monaro landed in showrooms at the end of 2001. Straightaway, Holden knew it was on to a winner, with dealers holding waiting lists.

Originally available in two variants, the Monaro line-up was soon whittled back to one main version as buyers rejected the model that wasn't seen as the full nine yards. That car was called the CV6, whose main problem was that it didn't have a V8 engine under the bonnet.

What it did have was a supercharged version of the Commodore's V6, making 171 kW and plenty of torque (375 Nm). But it wasn't an especially refined engine and there was a fair degree of noise and vibration when you started to use it hard.

Also, it only came with the disappointing four-speed automatic and, in a car so overtly sporty as the Monaro, the lack of a manual transmission was a real shortcoming.

For all these reasons, the CV6 Monaro was dumped in August 2003, just a few months after its first facelift.

The Monaro everybody wanted was the CV8 with its 5.7-litre V8 and choice of either four-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.

The V8 engine pushed all the right buttons.

While the engine and gearboxes did have some issues, the car's exhaust note was enough for many fans.

The CV8 was also faster than the CV6, with 225 kW of power and 460 Nm of torque. But what those numbers don't tell you was that the torque peaked quite high in the rev range.

If you thought the fact that the engine measured 5.7 litres equated to loads of lazy, bottom-end torque, you were going to be disappointed. Without plenty of revs, the 5.7 could feel a bit lethargic and with the moonshot gearing in either automatic or manual versions, overtaking required dropping at least a couple of gears. Not what fans of big-inch V8s were expecting.

The automatic gearbox had the same inconsistent and crude shifting as ever and the manual was not perfect, either, with a clunky, stiff and slow shift action and a heavy clutch.

When all was said and done, buyers seemingly couldn't have cared less. The Monaro looked stunning and, even if it drove like a Commodore with two doors missing, it was still an emotional car.

We've noticed quite a bit of variation in the way Monaros drive, suggesting that Holden was still having a few problems with production tolerances. Some steered sharply and handled beautifully, while others felt dead through the tiller and lacked the grip of some apparently identical examples.

Regardless of the automatic's problems, it still makes for a nicer day-to-day car than the six-speed manual. Long after you would have adapted to the automatic's quirks, the manual will still be making commuting a chore thanks to that dreadful gearshift.

Even then, the model's popularity seems to have held up well as a used-car, too, and the buoyancy of second-hand prices suggests the Monaro tag still has plenty of currency and street cred.

NUTS'N'BOLTS

Engines: 3.8-litre, supercharged V6/5.7-litre V8.

Transmissions: 4-auto/5-man.

Fuel economy (city/highway): 12.5/7.6 L/100 km (CV6); 13.0/8.0 L/100 km (CV8).

Safety rating: 4 stars (howsafeisyourcar.com.au)

LIKES

Mechanically, it's a Holden Commodore, so exotic looks don't mean expensive ownership.

Styling is often a polarising subject. Not this time; just about everybody loves the Monaro.

Big enough inside that the rear seat is usable - not something that can be said for all coupes.

Long-distance traveller of the highest order. Can also tow a boat or caravan.

DISLIKES

Neither gearbox is perfect. The auto is indecisive and slow; manual has heavy, clumsy shift action. Gearing too high.

V8 engine needs a big rev to get things happening. V6 is flexible but lacks outright puff and is considered the poor relation.

Quality (and handling) seemed to vary from car to car. Make sure you buy a good one.

NEED TO KNOW

Check V8s for oil burning. Early examples of the LS1 5.7-litre engine had all sorts of quality woes and oil consumption was one of the symptoms.

While you're at it, make sure any V8 engine isn't rattly and making ticking noises from the top end.

Uneven rear tyre wear suggests problems with wheel alignment. Does the car have a big tow-hitch fitted?

Make sure all the interior trim is intact and not squeaking or rattling.

Modifications don't always improve a car and, in the case of something potentially collectable like the Monaro, can decrease its value.

COMPETITORS

Ford XR8 A logical competitor on tribal grounds, but the XR8 Falcon will never be confused for a two-door, nor does it have the cachet of the Monaro. Decent wheels for the money, though, and still able to lift heavy things. 3/5

Holden Commodore SS More or less the four-door version of the Monaro, or is that the other way around? Has the same foibles as the Monaro but is even roomier inside and a better bet for families. Cheaper, too. 3.5/5

Ford Mustang Previous-model Mustang was converted to right-hand-drive in Australia but, beyond that, was all-American. Bad news there, because the engine lacked oomph, the finish was dreadful and the high-speed handling decidedly iffy. 1/5

WHAT WE SAID THEN

Holden Monaro CV8, reviewed October 18, 2004.

We liked: Hearty V8, comfortable seats, reasonable value for money.

We didn't like: Handling fell short of sports-car looks. Thirsty.

© 2008 The Age

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