Special edition has power

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), March 19, 2004

Just 400 right-hand drive Vauxhall Monaros are destined for the UK this year, giving it the same sort of exclusivity as the Nissan and Chrysler's rival Crossfire coupe from America.

However, while the similarly-priced Crossfire offers just 266bhp, and pale performance by comparison, the Vauxhall aims to sell on the basis of sheer grunt.

With pulling power of almost 345lb/ft, it offers impressive mid-range overtaking prowess, albeit with the sort of economy that nose-dives to about 13mpg, and averages less than 20mpg overall.

Vauxhall is keen to compare the Monaro to accomplished rivals from BMW, Mercedes and Audi, some of which it eclipses in terms of power and price, and expects it to find particular favour with affluent, 30-something, car-aware men.

However, depreciation is the greatest single factor determining any car's lifetime ownership costs, and this could prove to be the mighty Monaro's weakness.