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MONARO - oh dear, I knew you WOULDApr 16 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line As I predicted the Monaro, already selling its head off in Australia is about to go racing against the world's best.
Now fair go you lot. How could a little country like Australia win at sport against the giants of this world? It is absurd. With only twenty million people to choose from and sponsorship far less than overseas it just could not be! It's not logical. Well logical or not playmates, we put in a reasonable showing at little camps like the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games - and all the more incredibly since I can't be there for business reasons. We just have to face it - the ......er.....well, awesome displays put on by Australians are legendary. Sorry to hesitate but I can only write truth and sometimes it conflicts with my inherent modesty. Now what I started to say was what happens when, in the motor racing world, the big teams from the USA and Europe look at their TV and see Australian designed and built family cars racing around a mountain? Well invariably what crawls up their respective noses into their brains is the thought of easy money, that's what, easy money. They think if they bring out their so called race cars they will leave ours for dead and after snatching the million dollars shoot through. So every year out they come and every year they get creamed. There is always an interview afterwards and the excuses often fly thick and fast, but in fairness most simply acknowledge they totally underestimated the power and handling of the Aussie tanks. So why do I mention that - just to tell you what you already know about Australia being supreme? Never would I suggest such a thing (?). The real reason is the new Monaro, to be exported to the USA from early next year. As I predicted recently a race version has been produced already and later this year the Monaro will make its debut in the International "Australian Nations Cup Championship". That event includes all the worlds greatest racing sedans and their teams. Now as they do with the Commodore, Holden have tweaked up the Monaro sporting a seven litre version of the Generation III all-alloy V8 engine, a six-speed sequential racing gearbox, huge 18-inch racing wheels and new factory-designed aerodynamics. In this famous race the Monaro will be taking on the 'Michelotto' 360 Ferrari, Lamborghini Diablo GTR 'supercars', the V10-powered Chrysler Viper GTS and the new Porsche Supercup GT3 amongst others. To put that in perspective Dads standard toy, the Monaro CV8 2 Door Coupe 6 Speed Manual puts out 225 kilowatts or about three hundred horsepower. At $56,990 here in Australia it’s a steal since that is the average annual wage. The race version above with its much bigger seven litre engine puts out more like seven hundred horsepower plus. This faster version I expect to be Holden's standard race car here in Australia and that means street legal versions will be sold, but obviously at more like $80,000-. I think the CV8, being capable of well over two hundred miles an hour will be fast enough for my purposes! Naturally the race is hardly worth running with the four "Race" Monaro's currently built no doubt being the first four cars over the line. However for the sake of Television the race will be going ahead! The name Monaro is Aboriginal for "high plateau", and having always been a performance car up with any company in the world the name really suits, especially now with the seven litre version that would power a Boeing 747 - well, almost. Personally I am looking forward to next year when General Motors rename Monaro's sold in the USA as Pontiac GTO's. Naturally the Australian Monaro will still be called the Monaro here so International racing will become particularly interesting when Pontiac GTO takes on Monaro, or is that Monaro takes on Pontiac GTO? Can an orange beat an orange? Is the name "Monaro" better aerodynamically than "Pontiac GTO" - Only time will tell. Incidentally, a rumour is going around that counselling has been arranged for the drivers and teams of all the other super cars. The rumour has only just started so is yet to be verified. And as of now the Monaro in its three guises is selling like "hot cakes" Australia wide. To my knowledge no one has put one up a gum tree yet! My other prediction that Ford Australia will not allow Holden to go unchallenged has not as yet resulted in any announcement. They do have three clear options though. They could boost the power further of the "race" Falcon, already a two hundred miles per hour plus screamer. Alternatively they could do the same with the Aussi XR8 series which has the style appeal of the Monaro. The last option is the existing GT40 but I doubt that it will be the choice at least here in Australia.  |
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