Sneak peek at racing Monaro

HOLDEN has given a sneak peek of what the racing version of the new Monaro might look like when it takes on the world's sports car marques in the Australian Nations Cup Championship later this year.

The Nations Cup car will feature a 7.0-litre racing version of the Monaro's Generation III all-alloy V8 engine, a six-speed sequential racing gearbox, huge 18-inch racing wheels and factory-designed aerodynamic enhancements.

Already seen "racing" a number of exotic machines in the computer-simulated "Game Over" TV commercial currently screening, in real life the Monaro will compete on a head-to-head basis with the $700,000 'Michelotto' 360 Ferrari and Lamborghini Diablo GTR 'supercars', the V10-powered Chrysler Viper GTS and the new Porsche Supercup GT3 in the GT sports car category.

"The Monaro nameplate is an Australian icon and it will now be able to show its abilities on the racetrack against some of the world's greatest and most expensive sports cars," Holden Motorsport manager John Stevenson said.

"If the Nations Cup Holden Monaro performs half as good as the Holden Design impression looks, then it will simply be a case of 'Game Over'."The first two of four cars to be built for the category are under construction at the Bathurst-winning Garry Rogers Motorsport workshops, with an on-track debut expected mid-year.