Cut-price power; Vauxhall's new Monaro is muscling in on the market, packing 354bhp for less than pounds 30k, says CHRIS REES.

Byline: CHRIS REES

IBLAME it on those long, straight Outback roads and their couldn'tgive-a-four-X attitude.As if their muscle-bound Monaro hadn't enough kick, they've now shoe-horned even more power under the bonnet.

The outgoingVauxhall Monaro's American-engineered 5.7-litreV8 had a 'mere' 333bhp.The newone gets an extra 21bhp, taking it to 354bhp. And all for just pounds 29,895.

The next mostpowerful car under pounds 30,000 is Mitsubishi's Evo VIII FQ-320 - the same price, but with only 320bhp. Behind that, it's the 280bhpNissan 350Z.

If you want anything like the Monaro's 354bhp, you're looking at something that costs a heck of a lot more, like a 333bhpBMW 645Ci at pounds 50,000 or the 360bhpTVRCerbera V8 that will set you back pounds 41,100.

Horsepower-per-pound, there's nothing to touch the Monaro. But can it put down that prodigious power given that there's no four-wheel drive, noemergency brake assistance and no electronic stability programme.

TheMonaro does have traction control to tame its wild edge. But it lets you turn the traction control off, with hilarious results.

That many horses galloping unbridled through the rear wheels is a recipe for just one thing: rubber-burning, tyre-squealing spin. On corners, you can step the rear end out sideways almost before you've even thought of pressing the accelerator.

My advice is to keep the traction control onwhenmovingaway from traffic lights, unless you like disappearing in a cloud of smoke. For the Monaro will reach 60mph in around 5.5 seconds and keep on going to about 165mph.ThenewMonaro is much improved. Sportier suspension -setting s sharpen the handling, while lighter steering components improve feel.

Visual changes include bonnet scoops and air dam,new 18-inch alloys, changed front lights and, to tell youwhat's happening under the bonnet, two extra dials inside a new central binnacle.

OK, this is not the most elegant or well-finished car I can think of. You feel it's been super-sized to suit trips along straight outback roads. The leather seats look as though they've been painted on rather than stitched and there areswathes of black plastic. But it's still today's muscle car bargain.

As with any good story, there's always a punchline. In the Monaro's case, it's this: the car you've just been reading about is the entry-level model.The really powerful one is the revised Monaro VXR.That's got a 6.0-litreV8 engine taken from the Corvette C6 - with no less than 404bhp.

TheVXR will power to 60mph in around five seconds and max out at around 180mph. Say what? Just to remind ourselves, we're talking about a four-seaterVauxhall here.

Andone that costs pounds 36,995, about half that of a BMW or Porsche with the same sort of performance.With figures like that doing the talking, no further explanation is needed.

Road test

Vauxhall Monaro

FactfileModel: VauxhallMonaro Engine: 5.7 litre V8Power: 354bhp 0 to 60mph: 5.5secondsWarranty: Three years/60,000 miles Price: pounds 29,895 On sale:Now