Craig Lowndes has revealed the completed Project Monaro at Holden HQ in Port Melbourne. The unique Monaro was created over five months and soon a Holden customer will be able to win the prize car.
“I wish I could take it home myself actually,” said Lowndes. “It really is a one-of-a-kind Holden Monaro, and it drives incredibly well. How awesome is this car? It is seriously something special and it sounds great! I’ve had an absolute ball driving this around.”
The prize car has a specially developed Panorama Blue Suede paint which was formulated by PPG, while the LS1 V8 engine has been hand-rebuilt by Maurice Fabietti, who runs the ACDelco Pro Slammer Monaro drag racing team. Also added was a Chevrolet Performance camshaft from Eagle Auto and some cylinder head finessing. A US specification GTO exhaust system deals with the spent fumes and adds a rumble. The additional engine output is managed by a heavy-duty rework of the original transmission to GM global specifications.
The big coupe was fitted with AP Racing brakes and the suspension was improved by Sachs Performance in conjunction with Triple Eight Race Engineering, with the latest Bridgestone high performance S007A tyres also fitted. The bespoke bonnet scoops, front splitter, fuel filler door and a lip spoiler were all devised by Holden Design department and implemented by HP-EVOK3D 3D Printing Solutions.
The interior was entirely refreshed by Auto Image Interiors, with finishing touches like unique badges, build plates and wheel centre treatments, which were all created as one-off parts by long term Holden supplier LNI.
Holden’s lead Performance Engineer, Rob Trubiani, has been responsible for the way Holden vehicles drive and handle for the past 23 years. He has been refining and fine-tuning the Project Monaro and has taken it through a mix of the Holden Proving Ground tests to ensure everything is working as it should.
“Some of the tests we put Project Monaro through were similar to the tests our talented engineers put the original V2 Monaros through almost 20 years ago,” said Trubiani. “It’s a great car to drive and someone is going to be very lucky when they win it.”
Holden has documented the build of Project Monaro in a series of videos hosted by Craig Lowndes. You can watch the final instalment here.
To enter to win the Project Monaro, visit a Holden dealer service department or purchase Holden Genuine or ACDelco parts. The competition is open until 31 March 2020. Terms and conditions apply – see acdelco.com.au/offers for full details.