VAUXHALL will launch a four-seater, rear-wheel drive muscle car next year with a 328bhp 5.7-litre V8 engine that can reach 60mph in just over six seconds and hit a top speed of 160mph.

The Monaro will go on sale in the spring, priced at about £28,500 and aiming to offer more power per pound than any other new car in the UK.

The Monaro was launched in Australia in 2001 under the Holden brand and Vauxhall has decided to import 300 units a year. It will feature leather seats (electrically adjustable in the front), 18-inch alloy wheels, four airbags, electronic climate control and a six-CD autochanger.

Kevin Wale, Vauxhall managing director, said: 'The Monaro is a great car for the real enthusiast. The Monaro is an icon in Australia and I am sure the UK car enthusiast will thoroughly enjoy it.

'This also demonstrates General Motors' ability to bring the best of its products to fill niches in other markets.'

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