2006 Vauxhall Monaro VXR500

In the care of its current owner since 2007, ‘S600 HSV’ is one of only 15 VXR500 models ever built.

Struck by the sight of the then-new, right-hand-drive Monaro in The Observers Book of Cars as a child, the seller vowed that one day he’d own one – and what a model he ended up with.

Finished in Phantom Black with a Midnight interior, the seller used it quite a bit for the first few years, largely to attend for HSV events, of which he’s a member. In his own words, “it’s not a sophisticated car, it’s all about the noise it makes!”  

Still completely standard, he took it off the road in 2014 due to ill health, and it’s only covered around 300 miles since then.

However, he’s spent a small fortune in the past couple of years to bring it up to a condition he’s happy with prior to selling it, which tells you all you need to know about his money-no-object attitude towards maintenance.
 

With just 30,000 miles on the clock, the same owner since 2007, a clear HPI report, and having been in storage since 2014, it’s no wonder the Monaro is in such good shape – and that includes factoring in its colour, which is notorious for highlighting even insignificant flaws.  

And it really is in an exceptional condition, with factory-quality shutlines and an ungodly shine to the menacing Phantom Black coachwork.

Squatting down and peering along the flanks shows only straight, well-preserved metalwork too, and the four corners of the bumpers are free of scuffs and scrapes too, as are the mirror caps.

Speaking of scrapes, the 19-inch alloy wheels have been refurbished in the past two years and so are completely free of any damage, and their open design allows you to admire the red AP Racing brake calipers that are fitted on all four corners.

The tyres are matching Pirelli P-Zero, and we are told that they have covered around 600 miles since being fitted. They show a build date of 2020, and their tread depth was measured at 8mm all round when the front wheels were aligned in July 2024 and 29,585 miles.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The rear numberplate plinth is from Greens of Holborough, which is a nice touch – but not as nice as the fact the cherished number of ‘S600 HSV’ will stay with the Monaro.

The lamp lenses and badges, including the all-important ‘VXR500’ additions, are all present and free of damage.

As for flaws, the offside wiper arm, door latches, mounting hardware for the boot spoiler, and the tailpipes have some rust. There is a little on some of the wheelarches too, which the new owner will want to get sorted out sooner rather than later.

There are also blemishes in the paint on the nearside edge of the boot lid, the nearside corner of the rear spoiler, just ahead of the nearside door mirror, and above the front numberplate on the nearside air intake.

Finally, the headlamps are going opaque.
 

The shapely, supportive, and electrically adjustable front seats are in an excellent condition. Free of anything you could conceivably call wear ‘n’ tear, the edges of the driver’s seat are only lightly creased – and we do mean lightly.

The rear seats, which are equally shapely, are in an even better condition having seen only light use. Nonetheless, this is a full four-seater and it has been used as such; the seller is 6’ 4” tall and yet his equally tall sons can sit behind him when he’s driving it, even for long distances. There aren’t many cars, performance oriented or not, you can say that about.

The stubby gearlever terminates in a leather-covered gearknob and both it, the handbrake, and the steering wheel boast the same contrasting white stitching as the seats and door cards.

The pedals are suitably sporting too, and there are instruments to measure oil pressure and battery charge in a small binnacle on top of the dashboard.  

The carpets, door cards, and dashboard are all in an excellent condition. Even the netting pockets in the back of the front seats are still taut; this is a pampered example in every sense of the word.

And that pampering extends to the air-conditioning, which blows nice and cold after having been recharged in April this year following the installation of a new compressor.

Music comes via a factory-fitted Blaupunkt jobbie that includes a six-disc multichanger. There are cupholder too; this is a very usable high-performance car.

Including in terms of luggage space because the boot is as vast as it is clean. It also contains a space-saver spare wheel, plus a jack and a fire extinguisher.

Removing the spare wheel shows only solid and rust-free metalwork underneath too, which is reassuring.

As for stuff you might like to take care of, the stitching is easing apart near the headrest on the offside rear seat, and there are some marks to the trim covering the offside C-pillar and the driver’s door pull. That’s it.
 

You’ll have seen a couple of rolling road printouts, one of which is lower than the other. The explanation is that Surrey Rolling Road tested it on an HSV day and were surprised to discover it only made 371bhp with the power flatlining at 5,500rpm.

They took a quick look and suggested that the wrong supercharger belt had been fitted, which baffled the owner as he’d left the car completely stock. He checked in with Greens of Holborough and it confirmed they’d been sent the wrong belt in the conversion kit.

They fitted the correct one at the car’s next service and the full 410bhp was restored. He toyed with the idea of having them covert it to VXR600-spec, and even bought the appropriate cherished number in anticipation, but then decided he already had enough power; he’d tested it on a disused airfield in Suffolk on another club event and found it would reach 167mph from a standing start at then end of a measured mile – and that’s enough for most folk, eh?

He has kept it meticulously serviced over the years:

•    16.08.2007 and 6,461 miles – service by Greens of Holborough
•    22.08.2009 and 12,862 miles – service by Greens of Holborough
•    18.09.2010 and 19,180 miles – service by Monkfish Performance
•    07.07.2011 and 27,580 miles – service by Monkfish Performance 
•    07.11.2013 and unknown miles – service by Monkfish Performance including new sparkplugs and HT leads

It went into storage in 2014, emerging a couple of years ago for recommissioning. Walkinshaw Performance provided new brake lines, tie rod end, front and rear dampers, brake discs, pads, handbrake cables, a cooler kit for the power-steering system, a steering rack, and much more.

The invoice from April 2022 is on file, and the bill came to £4,340 – and that was for parts alone.

The work was carried out by a friend of the vendor who “is an American car specialist with his own garage who has owned both a Monaro and a VXR8 so knows his way around them” and a new oil filter and fresh oil were fitted at the same time. The fuel tank was also removed and cleaned, and the fuel lines were replaced.

More recently, K.T. Automotive fitted a new alternator, air-conditioning compressor, high-level brake light, bonnet struts, and fresh coolant in March 2025.

Earlier work includes an LS7 clutch in May 2010. A remote bleed kit and rear crankshaft oil seal were changed at the same time.

The mighty V8 starts with a burble and idles with a hint of what’s to come. Pressing the throttle brings it to life, and the noise from the twin exhausts is everything you could hope for; there are few better ways of converting petrol into noise than this.

As for its cosmetic appearance, the engine bay does have quite a bit of rust on things like the fasteners and brackets.

More urgent is the rust that’s broken out on near the strut tops and the slam panel. There’s some on the underside too, on both the suspension and steering components as well as the floor, sills, and other structures.

And, the underside of the front valance has some scratches to the finish. 
 

The VXR’s MoT certificate is valid until March 2026, and the only advisory was for pitting and worn brake discs. It’s not an urgent job by any means but needs to stay on your radar.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two sets of keys, the original sales invoices, a dyno reading showing the full 410bhp, and lots of invoices for servicing as well as the stamped service history booklet.
 

Those of us who missed buying a Lotus Carlton for sensible money have spent the past decade bemoaning our lack of foresight.

If you are count yourself as one of our number, this might just be the car for you.

Even faster and more capable than its spiritual father, the Monaro VXR500 is the sort of car we are all going to miss in future decades: Loud, fast, and brutal, there are few more anti-social ways to shift four people around sideways.

And yet, like the Lotus Carlton, buying the wrong car exposes you to a whole world of hurt, which is why you need to tread carefully. What you really need is an enthusiast-owned car with a verifiable mileage and a flawless service and maintenance record. 

As for our estimate, when it was new Evo magazine said it offered “BMW M6 poke for BMW 335d cash”, which is a statement that applies even today.

Because, if you fancy a bit of Thunder From Down Under, we’re predicting the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £27,000 and £32,000, which is peanuts for the performance and fun that unlocks – and is about the same sort of figure the Lotus Carlton was fetching a decade ago...

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