Ukraine Train

Just got off the phone with my friend who said the Holden Monaro (not Camaro) will be imported next year as a Pontiac GTO.

For those of you who don't know what this car is:
http://www.holden.com.au/app/serve?page=monaroEntry

while you're at it check out their specialty vehicles:
http://www.hsv.com.au/

Vader

Cool! A Rear Wheel Drive, supercharged Buick 231 V-6 or LS1 V-8 powered GM vehicle! Where have I seen those before? But this one's got Independent rear suspension (ala Corvette) and gets 38 MPG. We all know the Aussies are masters at skinning snakes.

Now if they would only import the Commodore, we'd have a big, RWD platform to play with again.

I be darned if that doesn't look a lot like a Grand Prix though ....

ViciousZ

iTrader: (1)

I think they coulda made it sportier looking. To me it looks like every other car on the road today.

SoCo80p

iTrader: (5)

what an absolute disgrace to the pontiac and GTO names, jim wangers is probley ****ting a brick now, no wonder GM is going into the ****ter

sleeper

I wasn't too keen on it when I first saw it either. As Vader says it looks like a Grand Prix. I think it looks like a Grand Prix stuck to a Dodge Avenger.

GM has again proven that they have no vision. The heater controls and seats look like the same ones that were in my 95 Monte. When are they going to learn that people don't want the same thing over and over and over and over again? The high trunk will ensure that you can't see what it is you just backed over. Doesn't every GM owner complain about this problem on all their cars?

It's a step in the right direction but at $35000US GM has again priced it outside of the market they are trying to sell it to. Was this not one of the reasons the F-body failed? Gm needs to do some mass firing of their R&D guys.

There is not a snowball's chance in hell that I would pay $35000 for a Pontiac when I can get a 2 year old Vette for $30000.

I wish they'd stop using old, cool car names on new, uncool family cars. This car is nothing more than a Camaro with a slightly larger back seat, plain jane styling, and costs $5000 more than the car it's attempting to replace.

I spit on it

StngKlr

Any body watch the last Car and Driver, Gm brought out all of their play toys. Had the ZL1 Camaro, TT Trailblazer, Couple vettes, and some hosey cavaliers. There was a bunch of cars on there that will never get produced, but just platforms to build around. I thought some of the Trucks were cool, and of course I liked the 4th Gen. Drag Camaros. Just saying.

Corry

I have to say I agree about the looks...Amazing that GM actually listened though that we don't want another 6 cylinder Front wheel drive car! But still, I won't be spending any money on that ugly thing hehe. Another let down, is in the exotics market, the new lamborghini is disgusting! How could the producer of the Diablo come out with such an ugly car?! Just on a whim I decided to check out some other exotic manufacturers, and I now feel old in saying they just don't make 'em like the used to. This new rounded edge everywhere look is just grating to my eyes. It seems that everyone wants to be the VW Beetle. Oh well, that just means when I can afford to buy some of these cars, their value will have dropped significantly! I'll stick to my 3rd Gen Trans am, probably get a 4th gen sometime, but that "new GTO"? never. New ferrari/lambo/lotus/etc never hehe

1991tealRSt-topGuy

POWER= AWESOME!!!!!!

STYLE= I'D RATHER DRIVE A HURSE

Hg

I don't know what you guys are talking about, but it doesn't look bad to me. I think it looks pretty spiffy, but I'm not saying it's GTO worthy. SO, let's all be narrow minded and not want another LS1 powered sports car and let the 4 banger ricers take over GM is even starting to get into the compact tuner section with their cavalier, we can't afford to be picky now. It's the Monaro or a riced out Cavalier. I don't know about you guys, but my vote is for the Monaro...

Synapsis

Have you seen the Pontiac Aztek (I think that's what it was)? Looks like a newer LeMans with a trunk extension.

I don't think the new GTO looks all that bad... but it does remind me of a BMW 5 series.

IMHO, the only new car out right now that doesn't look absolutely horrid is the Vette.

Vader

Sleeper,

In reality, GM needs to take control of the corporation away from the Chief Financial Officer and put it back into the hands of the designers and R&D people.

The CFO is trying to make all the dollars from the smallest investment - just like Chrysler did in the early-middle '80s. I guess some people never pay attention to what's happening around them.

What the CFO doesn't realize is that it is the cars and trucks that appeal to our more basic instincts (like killing the compettition) that get people in the showroom. They may not buy the top-of-the-line sports car, but they'll also see other things while they're there.

It's like jewelers that have a 10-carat diamond in their inventory. Not many people buy them, but it gets more people in the door to buy other things. Another parallel is the factory sponsored racing programs. Sure it costs money, but it also gets people interested in your product and into the show rooms. Too bad the CFO doesn't understand marketing a little better.

I hope he's about ready to retire and hasn't trained his own replacement - please, GÖD! An indication of this is that GM Holden isn't part of GM NAO, and does it's own thing. If it weren't for that, this "Monaro" car wouldn't even exist.

RB's84camaroF-41

looks like a benz in back and a monte in front, in effect its FUGLY but hell if its fast, why not?

Ukraine Train

I agree that it's too bubbly and doesn't look aggressive enough but it's got *****.

check out the second link in my original post. the Coupe GTS and GTO are based on the Monaro. The GTS puts out 400hp, has six piston front/ 4 rear brakes, shift light, and 19" wheels among others. I'm impressed.

It is 95K AUD and 74k AUD for the less built GTO which equates to 49k USD and 39k USD, respectively.

Rob P

iTrader: (1)

I was looking at Motor (ford) Trend and they said that the Holden would come to the U.S. as a limited edition Impala SS. Rear wheel drive and LS1.
At least I think it was the Holden platform. I don't have the mag in front of me. The website probably has something about it.

Ukraine Train

coupe gts

johnsjj2

How much do you want to bet, those won't be imported. I have wanted one of these for years. And the price is not 35000 USD, the Monaro is 27,150 USD loaded. The GTS is around 42,000 USD, and the GTO is in the neighborhood of 37,000 USD. They look the same b/c they are all built on the GM 2300 series platform, shared with the Grand Am, Monte Carlo, and Impala I believe. It is cost prohibitive to make a bunch of different cars in a bunch of different styles, when they know they won't make enough money to justify the cost of designing that many styles. I agree, they all look the same, and they look like a lot of other cars in the US. But they have the LS-1, 6sp., and are available in a 4 door model, which is what I would be after. Right now the only way to get one is to go to Australia, buy it, ship it back, and then hope you can get it plated due to emissions standard differences. I would like to get one that is exported to the United Arab Emerates. They have the left hand drive, with no emissions equipment at all. Of course this will do me no good once I get it here.

salty

Awwhh you guys are just spoilt with the thousands of LS1's lying around over there and the variety in home grown performance. I'd put one in my lawn-mower given the prices i see you lot buy stuff for.

Its about time we had +300kw toy available off the showroom floor and I can't wait to see it on the track up against the falcons.

Granted the base model looks ordinary but the HSV is a fox to our muscle car starved eyes over here.

( You think you've got a rice virus)


At 95000AU$ it'll be 20 years before i own one tho.

Ukraine Train

won't be imported, eh? Here's the article that says otherwise

looks like the Ute (el camino) might make its way over too

Mark A 91Formula

iTrader: (3)

If I'm gonna drop that kind of cash on a new car it had better have ***** AND look like it could eat small children. I wouldn't buy that steaming pile. I'm sick of seeing GM make all of these sweet concept cars and then produce the same old plane jane styling crap, well except for the Aztek but lets not go there. Look at the PT cruiser, it's a love it or hate it affair same with the Dodge trucks, but at least they have the ***** to produce something that is differant, and it sells!!

Vader

Mark,

I agree that everything automotive is beginning to be homogenous. If you pan back with a long camera angle at a Winston Cup race, you'd have a very hard time telling one car from another if it weren't for the goofy paint and numbers on the cars.

There is a reason that everything is getting a common shape. The most aerodynamic shape is something like an egg. If you cut one in half lengthwise and put wheels under it, you basically have the modern sedan. Every manufacturer wants every advantage for fuel efficiency, and reducing drag is a large part of that. Unfortunately, that leaves little variation for style, except for wheels, grilles, and tail lights, and the like. Even the Corvette has lost a lot of its harsh angles and wedge shape, and is becoming more like the "egg".

The only place to go from here, aerodynamically speaking, is to the "torpedo" shape, which may present slightly less drag than the "egg". If you remember Gary Gabelich and his "Blue Flame", that would be the next logical progression in auto design. Unfortunately, not many people would probably buy a six-passenger vehicle in which the occupants were seated single-file, front to back. Americans are too fat and stubborn for that, so don't hold your breath. Besides, that large vertical stabilizer would have a real problem with most garage doors.

sleeper

Vader... yes, you're right about it not being the R&D guys... I wanted to say "bean counters" (meaning accountants) but somehow I missed it. I mentioned once before that it's GM's greed (product cost vs profit) that will ultimately doom them. I was stunned to read in the paper that about 50% of a cars cost to manufacture (depends on the vehicle) is actually advertising.

I was guessing at the price of the car based on converting the Aussi dollar to US dollars. If the GTO is $37000 then that is even worse. A new Firehawk can be bought for less than that... how stupid does GM think we are?

On a different note: I've seen reports lately that the LS1 engine is prone to oil consuption problems. Apparently a large number of them consume about a quart of oil every 1500 miles. GM redesigned the rings for 2002 to fix this. Has anyone else heard this? If so then what are the past 5 years of LS1 engines going to be like after 10 years? Will they blow blue like an 80's Chrysler product?

johnsjj2

Ukraine Train,
I stand corrected. I am now anxious to see how much GM will try to rape us on these.

Homer

iTrader: (1)

If that's true, I just have to ask. Why aren't F-bodies free?

You guys want to know why GM is so messed up? I'd recommend the book On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors by John DeLorean. He explains how the bean counters got control of GM and everything else that's wrong with the company. It was written in the seventies, but it's real easy to see that the situation has not changed much, unfortunately.

Not so sure about that one. The small block Chevy has been around for fifty years and it still draws quite a fan base.

I was never too keen on the idea of a company telling me what I want. That's why I'll probably never buy a new car.