Camaro to kill off VE Monaro?
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Camaro to kill off VE Monaro?
http://www.carpoint.com.au/car-review/2352089.aspx
Words - Joe Kenwright
Holden insiders have revealed Camaro is coming Down Under with a pricetag that will make the oppositions' eyes water… Alas, it spells the end of the locally-built Monaro
Holden's US export announcement this week has brought the Monaro/Pontiac GTO program back into sharp focus with various spokespeople defending the record of the enterprise. Not the least of them Holden boss, Denny Mooney.
Mooney argues the GTO project was a success, even if US sales targets for the two-door were not met. He says as a brand builder, both for Pontiac and Holden's engineering expertise (the latter within the GM 'world'), the Aussie-built car achieved much. The only mistake made, he contends, was labelling the car with the iconic GTO badge.
Successful in the USA or otherwise, a combination of factors have now ensured that a Monaro based on the VE will not happen -- here at least.
Instead, within two years, Australian drivers will be offered a new coupe in the shape of Chevrolet's new Camaro. And it's tipped to arrive carrying an eye-wateringly competitive pricetag. It could kick off in V6 form at close to $40,000 in today's money...
Holden's chief Mooney has always said that any future 'Holden' sports-coupe must bring new, younger buyers to the brand. The Camaro -- which is being developed with a keen eye on costs so as to be able to compete with the Mustang in the USA -- should be well placed to fill Mooney's requirements.
Several Holden sources have told CarPoint/Carsales that the Camaro will be targeted at the same buyers who currently consider the Commodore SS utility and sedan. With a competitive entry price it may also attract buyers from grey import coupes.
That it is based on Holden's VE architecture makes it much easier and therefore much cheaper to prepare for the Australian market.
Badged as a Chevrolet, Camaro will likely be offered via the newly-establish GM Premium Channel dealerships.
GM Premium Channel's establishment also opens the door for other Chevrolet models such as Corvette to share showroom space. Although Holden's current position is that the latest Corvette C6 program will not be offered as a right-hand drive by the factory, there is a wild card -- HSV was 85 per cent down the track of re-engineering the previous Corvette C5 for local sales, and most of this expertise and development is directly transferable to the C6.
Make no mistake: the C6 could be placed in local GM showrooms much faster than is currently being acknowledged.
On the subject of the return of the Monaro to Australia, a senior Holden manager was blunt: "We placed the last Monaro VZ CV8-Z up for auction as the last Australian Monaro. We have no intentions of reneging on that."
That doesn't rule out a Monaro built overseas… Perhaps a car that again shares the GTO nameplate, but this time badge-engineered for Holden?
The most sobering statistic on the market potential for a coupe came from Denny Mooney himself when quizzed on the likely success of the new Commodore-based G8 versus the Monaro-based GTO. According to the Holden boss, a sedan in the US market has the potential to sell 20 times more than a coupe in the same segment. Do we need to highlight the odds that a new Monaro/GTO will face any clearer?
That said, if the Camaro brings a younger demographic into the GM fold, there may be an opportunity to revive the Monaro as a classier and more substantial 'step-up-to' coupe. Ironically, the Pontiac export program for the VE SS sedan may one day return the favour and generate the springboard needed to make this to happen.
For the record, the VE-based Monaro replacement got as far as the final clay ready for tooling before it was shelved. Allegedly the 'car' is hidden in the bowels of Holden, and while it will never appear as a Monaro, CarPoint/Carsales has been told it may yet surface in another guise.
Words - Joe Kenwright
Holden insiders have revealed Camaro is coming Down Under with a pricetag that will make the oppositions' eyes water… Alas, it spells the end of the locally-built Monaro
Holden's US export announcement this week has brought the Monaro/Pontiac GTO program back into sharp focus with various spokespeople defending the record of the enterprise. Not the least of them Holden boss, Denny Mooney.
Mooney argues the GTO project was a success, even if US sales targets for the two-door were not met. He says as a brand builder, both for Pontiac and Holden's engineering expertise (the latter within the GM 'world'), the Aussie-built car achieved much. The only mistake made, he contends, was labelling the car with the iconic GTO badge.
Successful in the USA or otherwise, a combination of factors have now ensured that a Monaro based on the VE will not happen -- here at least.
Instead, within two years, Australian drivers will be offered a new coupe in the shape of Chevrolet's new Camaro. And it's tipped to arrive carrying an eye-wateringly competitive pricetag. It could kick off in V6 form at close to $40,000 in today's money...
Holden's chief Mooney has always said that any future 'Holden' sports-coupe must bring new, younger buyers to the brand. The Camaro -- which is being developed with a keen eye on costs so as to be able to compete with the Mustang in the USA -- should be well placed to fill Mooney's requirements.
Several Holden sources have told CarPoint/Carsales that the Camaro will be targeted at the same buyers who currently consider the Commodore SS utility and sedan. With a competitive entry price it may also attract buyers from grey import coupes.
That it is based on Holden's VE architecture makes it much easier and therefore much cheaper to prepare for the Australian market.
Badged as a Chevrolet, Camaro will likely be offered via the newly-establish GM Premium Channel dealerships.
GM Premium Channel's establishment also opens the door for other Chevrolet models such as Corvette to share showroom space. Although Holden's current position is that the latest Corvette C6 program will not be offered as a right-hand drive by the factory, there is a wild card -- HSV was 85 per cent down the track of re-engineering the previous Corvette C5 for local sales, and most of this expertise and development is directly transferable to the C6.
Make no mistake: the C6 could be placed in local GM showrooms much faster than is currently being acknowledged.
On the subject of the return of the Monaro to Australia, a senior Holden manager was blunt: "We placed the last Monaro VZ CV8-Z up for auction as the last Australian Monaro. We have no intentions of reneging on that."
That doesn't rule out a Monaro built overseas… Perhaps a car that again shares the GTO nameplate, but this time badge-engineered for Holden?
The most sobering statistic on the market potential for a coupe came from Denny Mooney himself when quizzed on the likely success of the new Commodore-based G8 versus the Monaro-based GTO. According to the Holden boss, a sedan in the US market has the potential to sell 20 times more than a coupe in the same segment. Do we need to highlight the odds that a new Monaro/GTO will face any clearer?
That said, if the Camaro brings a younger demographic into the GM fold, there may be an opportunity to revive the Monaro as a classier and more substantial 'step-up-to' coupe. Ironically, the Pontiac export program for the VE SS sedan may one day return the favour and generate the springboard needed to make this to happen.
For the record, the VE-based Monaro replacement got as far as the final clay ready for tooling before it was shelved. Allegedly the 'car' is hidden in the bowels of Holden, and while it will never appear as a Monaro, CarPoint/Carsales has been told it may yet surface in another guise.
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From: Annapolis MD
On the subject of the return of the Monaro to Australia, a senior Holden manager was blunt: "We placed the last Monaro VZ CV8-Z up for auction as the last Australian Monaro. We have no intentions of reneging on that."
That doesn't rule out a Monaro built overseas… Perhaps a car that again shares the GTO nameplate, but this time badge-engineered for Holden?
The most sobering statistic on the market potential for a coupe came from Denny Mooney himself when quizzed on the likely success of the new Commodore-based G8 versus the Monaro-based GTO. According to the Holden boss, a sedan in the US market has the potential to sell 20 times more than a coupe in the same segment. Do we need to highlight the odds that a new Monaro/GTO will face any clearer?
That doesn't rule out a Monaro built overseas… Perhaps a car that again shares the GTO nameplate, but this time badge-engineered for Holden?
The most sobering statistic on the market potential for a coupe came from Denny Mooney himself when quizzed on the likely success of the new Commodore-based G8 versus the Monaro-based GTO. According to the Holden boss, a sedan in the US market has the potential to sell 20 times more than a coupe in the same segment. Do we need to highlight the odds that a new Monaro/GTO will face any clearer?
Id love to see what the Aussies think of the Camaro and Vette when it gets there! G8 is imported I dont see why the Camaro couldnt be built down under in the beginning too...
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: GA
http://www.carpoint.com.au/car-review/2352089.aspx
That doesn't rule out a Monaro built overseas… Perhaps a car that again shares the GTO nameplate, but this time badge-engineered for Holden?
That doesn't rule out a Monaro built overseas… Perhaps a car that again shares the GTO nameplate, but this time badge-engineered for Holden?
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,724
From: Hebron, KY
http://www.carpoint.com.au/car-review/2352089.aspx
For the record, the VE-based Monaro replacement got as far as the final clay ready for tooling before it was shelved. Allegedly the 'car' is hidden in the bowels of Holden, and while it will never appear as a Monaro, CarPoint/Carsales has been told it may yet surface in another guise.
For the record, the VE-based Monaro replacement got as far as the final clay ready for tooling before it was shelved. Allegedly the 'car' is hidden in the bowels of Holden, and while it will never appear as a Monaro, CarPoint/Carsales has been told it may yet surface in another guise.
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,209
I don't know if that's such a good idea. From what I've seen, Aussies are very hostile to having changes made to their cars - on several messageboards I've visited, they were livid that the Monaro/GTO got hood scoops due to American complaints of "blandness".
I look at it as being similar to our situation here at the end of 2002. Many of us were left out in the cold, with other vehicles we didn't want being forced in our faces.
I look at it as being similar to our situation here at the end of 2002. Many of us were left out in the cold, with other vehicles we didn't want being forced in our faces.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,712
From: Ontario
The most sobering statistic on the market potential for a coupe came from Denny Mooney himself when quizzed on the likely success of the new Commodore-based G8 versus the Monaro-based GTO. According to the Holden boss, a sedan in the US market has the potential to sell 20 times more than a coupe in the same segment. Do we need to highlight the odds that a new Monaro/GTO will face any clearer?
If Mooney is saying a potential next-gen GTO wouldn't sell in big enough numbers, perhaps that's true, but it's not because it's a coupe. Make the next gen Pontiac coupe a Firebird instead of a GTO (and make sure it has the soul of a Firebird) with a range of engine choices, and I think the numbers would come out much better.
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From: Chicagoland IL
I don't know if that's such a good idea. From what I've seen, Aussies are very hostile to having changes made to their cars - on several messageboards I've visited, they were livid that the Monaro/GTO got hood scoops due to American complaints of "blandness".
I look at it as being similar to our situation here at the end of 2002. Many of us were left out in the cold, with other vehicles we didn't want being forced in our faces.
I look at it as being similar to our situation here at the end of 2002. Many of us were left out in the cold, with other vehicles we didn't want being forced in our faces.
Who knows.
I think the point would be to offer a sporty, affordable, RWD coupe, which could attract new and younger buyers. It would be a different segment than Monaro.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
...
Successful in the USA or otherwise, a combination of factors have now ensured that a Monaro based on the VE will not happen -- here at least.
Oshawa.
That it is based on Holden's VE architecture makes it much easier and therefore much cheaper to prepare for the Australian market.
It's basically a chopped and shortened Commodore under the skin.
Badged as a Chevrolet, Camaro will likely be offered via the newly-establish GM Premium Channel dealerships.
Sort of like a selective, Scion-like dealership side gig that in that it's a sub-brand that in this case sells US badged cars on the side instead of Toyota afterthoughts.
That doesn't rule out a Monaro built overseas… Perhaps a car that again shares the GTO nameplate, but this time badge-engineered for Holden?
And shared with another US brand.
That said, if the Camaro brings a younger demographic into the GM fold, there may be an opportunity to revive the Monaro as a classier and more substantial 'step-up-to' coupe. Ironically, the Pontiac export program for the VE SS sedan may one day return the favour and generate the springboard needed to make this to happen.
The last Monaro was like the Cobra and GT500 (or even the Corvette) is here. It's an icon, highly desirable and a teenager's dream, but expensive enough that only 40somethings and younger people with gasoline in their veins & flushed with money bought them.
For the record, the VE-based Monaro replacement got as far as the final clay ready for tooling before it was shelved. Allegedly the 'car' is hidden in the bowels of Holden, and while it will never appear as a Monaro, CarPoint/Carsales has been told it may yet surface in another guise.
The car isn't quite exactly gathering dust in a forgotten part of a warehouse. There's a reason it's hidden in a very secure part of Holden. Word is we'll still see it pretty soon. Regardless as to what it will or won't be called
Oshawa.
That it is based on Holden's VE architecture makes it much easier and therefore much cheaper to prepare for the Australian market.
It's basically a chopped and shortened Commodore under the skin.
Badged as a Chevrolet, Camaro will likely be offered via the newly-establish GM Premium Channel dealerships.
Sort of like a selective, Scion-like dealership side gig that in that it's a sub-brand that in this case sells US badged cars on the side instead of Toyota afterthoughts.
That doesn't rule out a Monaro built overseas… Perhaps a car that again shares the GTO nameplate, but this time badge-engineered for Holden?
And shared with another US brand.
That said, if the Camaro brings a younger demographic into the GM fold, there may be an opportunity to revive the Monaro as a classier and more substantial 'step-up-to' coupe. Ironically, the Pontiac export program for the VE SS sedan may one day return the favour and generate the springboard needed to make this to happen.
The last Monaro was like the Cobra and GT500 (or even the Corvette) is here. It's an icon, highly desirable and a teenager's dream, but expensive enough that only 40somethings and younger people with gasoline in their veins & flushed with money bought them.
For the record, the VE-based Monaro replacement got as far as the final clay ready for tooling before it was shelved. Allegedly the 'car' is hidden in the bowels of Holden, and while it will never appear as a Monaro, CarPoint/Carsales has been told it may yet surface in another guise.
The car isn't quite exactly gathering dust in a forgotten part of a warehouse. There's a reason it's hidden in a very secure part of Holden. Word is we'll still see it pretty soon. Regardless as to what it will or won't be called
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I have to say the idea that there's a GTO (or a Firebird, for that matter) hiding somewhere gets a little harder to believe every day. The Oshawa sources say they don't know anything about it, and now the Australians say they don't, either. I really want to believe that GM/Pontiac will do a V8 coupe that's bigger than Camaro and has styling and content worthy of the GTO name, but the tea leaves are kinda looking bleak at this point. Guy, any chance you could drop us another hint or two, or a guess at timing, even?
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