The humble Munro fights it out with a smooth German

Let's face it, many of Australia's exports range from dull to dire: ugg boots; Home And Away; any Paul Hogan movie; Steve Irwin; (early) Kylie Minogue.

And the launch of an Australian car in an international market is still so potentially excruciating it can have you practising your English accent.

The Holden Monaro, rebadged as a Pontiac GTO Coupe, hasn't exactly taken the US by storm.

Sure, it's much more expensive than Ford's Mustang, but one is tempted to suggest that Americans wouldn't know a good car if it ran them over.

Now the mighty Munro has begun its assault on England, a market where it will be better value for money and one that has astutely not taken the Hollywood option of giving it a nose job and an old-world name.

Early reports, and headlines such as "Champagne quality at lager prices" are positive enough. Although, as one English colleague wrote recently: "I hope it's a success, but I fear the Germans may have too much of a hold."

Considering the Poms are comparing the car to its German competitors, I thought I'd drive it back to back with another V8-powered coupe, the new BMW 6 Series. On paper, the differences aren't all that great.

Both offer 245kW, but the Holden wins narrowly on torque (465Nm to 450Nm) and is only 20kg heavier at 1640kg. At $59,650, however, the Monaro CV8 is a week's wages for someone who can afford the BMW at $203,000.

Considering that price differential, one would expect the Australian car to take a good jackbooting from the BMW.

It doesn't. In fact, in terms of looks and practicality, the humble Holden is the better car. What is really impressive, and atypically Australian, about the Monaro is Mike Simcoe's styling.

It's undeniably a sexy car, cohesive and complete, and free of the frippery of so much HSV styling.

The 645Ci Coupe, on the other hand, looks like it was designed by two people who didn't get on-a German in charge of the muscular front and an American in charge of the bulbous butt.

The Monaro actually has rear seats, while the 6 Series only looks as though it does. Two adults can sit comfortably in the rear of the Holden in supportive bucket seats with heaps of headroom.

The Bimmer's front seat is lifted up and forward manually, and when it's put down, the rear occupants feel like a wine press is trying to make something drinkable out of their feet. The headroom is shoebox-like.

Interior-wise, the BMW is austere, refined, like sitting in an opera house taking in a Brahms recital.

The Monaro is like a shinily refurbished Aussie pub, which sadly didn't throw away the well-worn Khe Sanh CD on the disc box.

The Holden had done nearly 15,000km and was holding up remarkably well, despite the disparity in material quality.

Even the bright blue velour trim, which one would expect to wear as badly as the pub pool-table surface it resembles, looked good.

Mechanically, the Monaro was also going strong, but not as strongly as a 6 Series. You expect the 5.7-litre V8 Monaro to feel thrusty, while the 6 Series, considering its older market, should be more fusty.

The engines have the same kilowatts, but they make them very differently.

The 6 Series, with its rather smaller 4.4-litre V8, feels far more lively and revvable, thanks to the computercontrolled adjustment of valve timing, valve lift and even the length of the intake manifold.

Its power is just so accessible, whereas the Munro needs a good kick in the guts, but then has good mid-range punch. Off the line, it can be felt shifting its bulk, but once it's moving it feels unstoppable.

The 645Ci is already gone, hitting 100km/h from rest half a second quicker at 5.6 seconds. It's a technical knockout.

On the open road, the Monaro feels effortless, but you need to crack it through the gears to get real pick-up. This is a shame, because the gearchange feels about as modern as wind-up windows.

The BMW's six-speeder is much slicker.

The other readily noticeable driving difference is the traction control. It's like comparing a pocket calculator with that chess champ computer, Deep Blue.

The Monaro steps in like a bouncer brutal and belligerent; the BMW is as smooth as a five-star hotel's concierge.

Of course, the extra $143,650 gets you other technical innovations almost too numerous to mention, the best being Dynamic Drive, which hydraulically removes body roll. It allows the BMW to dramatically outpoint the Holden in handling terms as well as in its incalculable badge cachet and rocksolid residuals.

The 645Ci may be a better to drive than the CV8, but it's not four times as good. Moreover, the Holden is prettier and more practical.

On price, the little Aussie belter is a winner by a sunburnt country mile-an export you'll be proud to see overseas.