..... and they said it wouldn't happen......

and its left-hand drive..... Convertible GTO anybody?

Have a look at these:
http://gm.wieck.com/forms/gm/*query?marilyn&source=all

 

damn... too slow!
It looks good IMO.

 

GoAuto has this piece on the Marilyn Monroe

copy/paste for the lazy.

First look: Monaro convertible revealed
Holden builds a drop-top Monaro, but it won’t make it to production

By BRUCE NEWTON 20 May 2004


YES, your eyes do not deceive you. That is a Holden Monaro convertible.

Holden rolled the drop-top Monaro out at a function to show off its family of concepts today, and ‘Project Marilyn’ was the surprise guest.

But before you rush off down to your local Holden dealer with the deposit money slow down, Marilyn is a one-off with no prospects for production.

Instead, a production Monaro convertible will have to wait until after the all-new VE generation Commodore is rolled out on its highly flexible Zeta architecture in the first half of 2006.

Not that Holden has signed off a convertible for production post-2006 as yet.

However, Pontiac – which takes the Monaro as a reborn GTO in the USA – is strongly pushing for such a car when the new generation arrives.

Marilyn was built in Europe in 2002 and 2003 by the now defunct TWR Engineering and Edscha, the German company responsible for the Astra convertible roof system.

It was commissioned by former Holden managing director Peter Hanenberger and engineering boss Tony Hyde to investigate whether a convertible program was possible.

It’s no coincidence this car is left-hand drive (and a V8 auto) as North America would have been the destination for most of the production run. However, the business case numbers did not stack up and the project was abandoned.

“For the time the V-car architecture has left the cost of doing the car just wasn’t worth it,” explained GM executive director Asia Pacific design Mike Simcoe. “If it had been at all possible and made economic sense General Motors would have taken it for sure.”

Holden allowed the media brief and slow drives of the car after its reveal today, but apart from the novelty of driving a Holden and having wind in your hair it felt much like any V8 auto Monaro.

Which is understandable considering the engineering brief was to remove the roof but try and retain as much of the existing Monaro character as possible.

All new panel design for Marilyn include new A-pillar assemblies, structural sill sections, rear quarter body inner panels, a double skin rear seat bulkhead and trunk lid outer.

Doors have been modified to take a frameless glass system.

There are reinforcements on the underbody and mountings for a bolt-on cruciform structure to help optimise structural requirements.

The concept of individual rear seats carried over to the new design. A rigid tonneau cover behind the rear seats had ‘pop off’ covers above two integrated rollover protection hoops.

The new rear seats had height-adjustable head restraints and centre-positioned seat belts and the use of Saab-style integral belts for front seats was being investigated. A-pillar, header, rear quarter and inner rocker trim panels is new.

The fully lined and insulated black canopy was designed as a six bow system to retain styling shape.

Operation is fully automatic, with what Holden calls “competitive cycle time”. The one-touch button operation began a sequenced system to drop side glass, unlatch the roof header locking system, lift the rear of the hood, open the tonneau cover lid, fold the roof system into the storage area behind the rear seats, close the cover and raise the side glass.

And its code name? That derives from the old-time Monaro owners’ habit of nicknaming their cars ‘Munros’. Marilyn Monroe … geddit.

 

Unquestionably... I like the looks of that car.

I don't want to incite a flame war over my opinion, but I have to say that I personally think the front of the Monaro looks much better than the GTO does. To me, the long, narrow grill blends into the headlamps and flows around the corners much smoother. It's just obvious that the entire car was designed as a unit, to work together. Look at the hood edge in this image... it "blends" so smoothly into fenders and lamps and body profile - very nice IMO.

The nostril grill on the GTO still looks nice, but the lines (or lack thereof) that carry around to the headlamps and fender fronts don't seem to flow as well for me.

This vert does have a great curb appeal, and I'm sure the fit/finish of the top and seals are top notch - as is most Holden uphostery.
Overall, VERY nice package!

 

Looks nice. Maybe for next gen GTO.

 

I agree with you 100%

Jeff

 

An old fashioned rag top, with mid-90s styling.

This car is a definite no-go for the US. Putting the issue of soft GTO demand aside, the storage of the top would conflict with the fuel tank location.

Does the world need a heavier, more expensive GTO/Monaro?

Should Holden be trusted to produce drop top?

 

Seriously, did you read that article I posted???

here is a quote to help you out.
breaking it down for you, IT WILL NEVER BE PRODUCED ON THE CURRENT PLATFORM!!!!!! got it?

Everything you typed above is complete trash.................... who would have thought?

 

Holden can most certainly be trusted to pick a supplier who can execute a world-class top.

And I mean world-class. The absolute benchmark.

 

Ditto!

 

Yeah, and I never though GM would produce a car with the gas tank in the trunk.

 

your opinions mean very little to me, redzed... .

just going of past experiences of what you have to say.

 

the windshield looks awkward. if you blur your eyes a little it looks like a sebring convertable. not saying its a bad car, just an opinion

 

Whats the problem Red??

Did one of us do something nasty to you in your past, for you to grow such a giant chip on your shoulder about anything Australian?

 

Some how I feel like "the pot calling the kettle black" is going on with the Sebring remarks...
I dont see an ounce of Sebring.... but in certain former RWD Chevy verts case, It sticks out like a sore thumb.