Vauxhall VXR8 GTS | Spotted

More than 20 years since the introduction of Monaros to the UK and more than we’d like to admit since the VXR8 went off sale, it can feel like there’s not very much more to say about the Vauxhall-badged Holdens. They always appealed thanks to a combination of V8 muscle, thuggish good looks and great value; an array of talents that’s only become more attractive to enthusiasts in recent years as cars like them have become so hard to come by. Monaros were scandalously cheap for a long time; not quite so much in 2025. 

By the time this VXR8, the supercharged GTS, arrived in 2013, the Holden proposition was quite a different one to those early ‘Ros. Power was up beyond 500hp, the price was beyond £50k, and there was an abundance of tech to enhance the driving experience: Brake Torque Vectoring, Magnetic Ride Control dampers, a Driver Preference Dial and more. It all worked an absolute dream as well, VXR8 capable of playing both the four door muscle car and athletic supersaloon. 

Crazy though it might have seemed for a 585hp, two-wheel drive saloon back, there was absolutely scope to push the big Vaux a bit further – it was a great chassis. So that’s exactly what the owner of this one has done. It’s a 2017 VXR8, one of the last made before the 15-unit GTS-R special edition, one that’s been treated to more than £30,000 of upgrades at Walkinshaw Performance. Nowhere better to fettle a Holden, of course. 

And if you’re thinking that that amount of money spent on a car as powerful as a VXR8 GTS might make for something spectacular, then you’d be absolutely right. Thanks to custom cams, high flow injectors, intake and exhaust upgrades, a new supercharger pulley and bespoke headers, this is now said to be 760hp strong. Which ought to be pretty entertaining, putting things lightly. 

Furthermore, ignoring the wild power for just a second, this is a pretty glorious example of a VXR8. It has covered just 33,000 miles in eight years, and had actually been in storage for the past three, used occasionally by a doting owner. It really does look as good as new, while also benefitting from an upgraded infotainment system as part of the modifications. Perhaps the power might make the VXR8 a tad extreme for everyday use – to say nothing of the fuel consumption – but on the other hand everything is in place for a sensational supersaloon experience. 

When we previously wrote about a VXR8 GTS last year, a standard manual was £45k with fewer than 30,000 miles. The asking price on this one now is £65k, reflecting the upgrades and the status as one of the final examples. A heck of a lot of money, no doubt – those German alternatives it once undercut will have fallen much further – but a very special car nonetheless. And just imagine the sound. 

Engine: 6,162cc V8, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 585@6,150rpm (standard)
Torque (lb ft): 546@3,850rpm (standard)
MPG: 18
CO2: 373g/km
Year registered: 2017
Recorded mileage: 33,197
Price new: £54,999 (2013)
Yours for: £64,990