Tradition meets technology at Holden

Holden showcased a concept car at the Melbourne International Motor Show in 1998 that had car enthusiasts and motoring journalists alike wanting nothing more than a "Yes, they're rolling off the manufacturing lines now," from Holden.

But alas, the Holden staffers were skeptical - "It's only a prototype..." they kept saying. There were rumours floating around that if Holden pushed the big red button to go ahead with such a monumental car, the Monaro could see the light of day in as little as two years. Well, I guess they pushed the big red button, because now, after a long wait, the Monaro is back.

Holden took quite a gamble with the new Commodore Coupe. Instead of going down the the text-book path of constructing 12 hand-built prototypes, which can cost up to $500,000 each, then using them for crash and durability tests, the younthful Holden team used computers. In doing so, the team saved a year's work and about $20 million in R&D.

So, after more than 20 years without an updated Monaro, which was first seen in July of 1968 - the HK series, the Monaro is back and it's quite a vehicle.

The Monaro is similar to the Holden Commodore in many ways, but cosmetically, it has many differences compared to your garden-variety Commodore. The most obvious are it's two doors, but the tail-end has been given a little more sculpting, resulting in a shorter, slightly higher and sportier rear section. The brake light cluster is new to the Holden family as well, with lots of circles and barely a hint of VX Series II.

The middle high-mounted stop light is an LED light, which alerts other drivers to your braking movements quicker - by about .2 of second over normal brake lights, in fact. In theory, this equates to about 5 metres of extra stopping distance from 100km/h.

The profile of the new Monaro is also different. It appears to sit much lower - the roof has been trimmed down by 40mm and together with a sports-tuned suspension package, the overall ride height has also been reduced.

The new headlight cluster is very swish, with black bezel outlines accentuating the three lights beneath - the indicators, high-beams and the fancy new quartz halogen projector headlamps. The latter light bulbs provide a more progressive viewing range and are produce less glare for other drivers. There are also two fog-lamps located on the lower front apron for increased visibility.

While the new Monaro isn't radically different from the stock-standard VX Commodore, the differences are enough to make it an eye-opener and will help provide an even more solid base for Holden. The new look is sleek and perhaps even a little sexy. The company is even looking at exporting the new coupe to countries around the world and quiet whispers about a convertible Monaro in future are promising.

There are two models of Monaro on offer at this stage: the sub $50k V6 model and a more powerful, and more expensive, V8 model. Both models come standard with black leather interior, while the V8 gets a choice of four other colours.

Other interior features, standard on both models, include air conditioning, leather wrapped steering wheel, multi-function trip computer, six-speaker CD audio with steering-wheel mounted controls and power windows. Contoured, race-style leather front seats offer eight-way power adjustment plus an electric slide/fold system that allows simple and effortless access to the rear seats.

There are seven colour options, some exlusive to the Monaro:

• Phantom - Metallic black

• Flame - Solid orange

• Delft - Metallic mid blue

• Quicksilver - Metallic silver

• Devil - Solid yellow

• Hothouse - Metallic green

• Red hot - Solid red

The two Monaro models, the CV6 and CV8, put through fairly decent number when it comes to power. The V8 Commodore SS weighs in at 1597kg, but strangely, the new Monaro tips the scales at an even heftier 1640kg in it's V8 guise.

Even so, the Monaro boasts plenty of tractable, linear power, thanks to a supercharged V6 and the massive 5.7-litre, all-alloy Gen III V8.

The V6 uses forced induction, in the form of an electronically controlled supercharger, to create a massive 375Nm of torque @ 3000rpm. Unfortunately, the CV6 is only available with a four-speed auto transmission, but even so, the acceleration of the "baby" Monaro is still blindingly quick. The V6 engine creates 171kW @ 5200rpm, which should propel the 3.8-litre car to 100km/h in just under eight seconds.

The all-alloy, Chev-imported V8 engine, while costing more, offers Monaro buyers a close-ratio, six-speed manual gearbox, plus the option of a four-speed auto. Coupled to such a race-style gearbox, the 225kW V8 Monaro should be able to reach 100km/h in under seven seconds. It churns out maximum of 225kW @ 5200rpm and creates a massive 460Nm of torque @ 4400rpm. It's lucky the car comes with traction control - luckier still it can be turned off!

The CV8 model sits on gargantuan 18-inch alloys, while the CV6 models comes with 17-inch wheels. These overly large wheels actually give the new Monaro a real sportscar look and together with specially developed, low-profile rubber, offer unparalleled traction and handling.

Holden chairman Peter Hanenberger had this to say about the 2002 Monaro: "The Monaro has been Holden's stepping stone to a whole new era in product development. The company will never be quite the same again. With Monaro, Holden has proven it could be fast to market – capturing the mood of the market while it is still hot."

Indeed, it's been a long time between drinks for the Monaro - but now an Aussie legend is back on the road and more powerful, more attractive and more refined than ever. Will it be a sales success for Holden? Only time will tell, but the Monaro is now likely to be a permanent member of the Holden family.

Expect to pay $47,990 for the CV6 and $56,990 for the CV8.