Thunder from down under

Like the distant cries from the mad uncle locked in the attic, we hear that Vauxhall has another barmy Aussie motor on the way, just waiting to howl at the moon.

The Antipodean is called the VXR8, so it won't take a forensic scientist to work out that there's a big old V8 lurking under the bonnet.

It's the same 6.0-litre 420bhp monster that we last saw in the end-of-line Monaro VXRs, and in this VXR8 saloon, this is enough to see off 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds, although there's no word on top speed as yet.

Sticking with rear-wheel drive, the VXR8 comes with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed auto.

The auto attracts a £1,400 premium, but when the VXR8 costs only £34,995, we reckon you can afford to indulge in a few extras when the car goes on sale in July.