The end of the Monte Carlo

[XCESSIV]

Chevy annouced the end of production in June for the Monte Carlo, no replacement in the works.:nopity:

[dropit69]

yep thats why nascar is going to the impala..aughhhh

[bigvegan]

Wait, didn't the Monte Carlo already die in 1988?

I'm pretty sure the FWD Montes built from 1995 on don't really count.

I'm sure they'll turn one of the Holden imports into a Monte Carlo in a year or two if the demand is strong enough, a la the G8, the next-gen GTO, etc.

[THX 138]

Monte Carlo died after in '79 :D :P

[EFI69Cam]

Its replacement has already been announced, its called Camaro.

[Tony_SS]

There's no market for the Monte SS anymore.. It's all about the Vette's and the new Camaro.

[Damn True]

The car has been an absolute pile for years. When you have a hard time selling something to Avis.....hmm.

How do you establish differentiation when the Buick LaCrosse, Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Impala and Chevy Monte Carlo are all the EXACT SAME CAR beneath the tinwork?

[formula]

How do you establish differentiation when the Buick LaCrosse, Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Impala and Chevy Monte Carlo are all the EXACT SAME CAR beneath the tinwork?

Make the monte carlo look progressively weirder with each redesign, of course.

[THX 138]

There's no market for the Monte SS anymore.. It's all about the Vette's and the new Camaro.You should tell the Japanese that.
G35
Camery Solstice
Accord 2 door
Altima 2 door

[Damn True]

You should tell the Japanese that.
G35
Camery Solstice
Accord 2 door
Altima 2 door

Dear god tell me you aren't drawing a comparison between a G35 and a Monte Carlo?

[Samckitt]

I didn't like it when it first came back, but the next body style I thought was good. Put a V8 in it (has that now) & make it rear drive & it would probably sell better.

[EFI69Cam]

Dear god tell me you aren't drawing a comparison between a G35 and a Monte Carlo?


They are all soulless transportation appliances.

It's like argueing if a Frigidaire is better than a Whirlpool or not.

[Tony_SS]

I like the styling of my 06 Monte SS, but once again, GM came up short. The LS4 has respectable power, but give me a 6 speed/RWD option! Heck even the Cobalt comes supercharged. The 06-08 Monte was just a slow phase out plan. When GM stops d1cking around the concepts like the SSR and goes back to the building the basics, they might have a chance.

[Damn True]

They are all soulless transportation appliances.

It's like argueing if a Frigidaire is better than a Whirlpool or not.

G35 - 308hp, 6spd, brembo brakes, RWD, 4WIS, 3500lbs.

I'll take that "soulless" kinda thing any day over an underpowered, undersuspended, overweight, fwd dog any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[THX 138]

G35 - 308hp, 6spd, brembo brakes, RWD, 4WIS, 3500lbs.

I'll take that "soulless" kinda thing any day over an underpowered, undersuspended, overweight, fwd dog any day of the week and twice on Sunday.I threw that in for more of the old RWD Monte style of power and market segment that GM could have done. The rest were its direct fwd compeititors.

[SicMonte]

hmmm...im actually kinda glad that it is being phased out....for a number of reasons..

1) now it gonna be like..."oh you have a monte carlo...i remember when...."
2) since it will not be produced anymore...20 years you can get like "classic" or "hot rod" tage and that means no emissions!! A buddy of mine did this last year in his 442 olds...b/c they dont make it anymore.

[Tony_SS]

G35 - 308hp, 6spd, brembo brakes, RWD, 4WIS, 3500lbs.

I'll take that "soulless" kinda thing any day over an underpowered, undersuspended, overweight, fwd dog any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Monte SS - 303hp, 4 wheel disc, 3500lbs.

Wow, that's hardly "underpowered, undersuspended and overweight dog" compared to the G35.
:screwy:

[Damn True]

Monte SS - 303hp, 4 wheel disc, 3500lbs.

Wow, that's hardly "underpowered, undersuspended and overweight dog" compared to the G35.
:screwy:

Front wheel drive
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif:bsjerk:

With an auto:barf:

[formula]

Monte SS - 303hp, 4 wheel disc, 3500lbs.

Wow, that's hardly "underpowered, undersuspended and overweight dog" compared to the G35.
:screwy:

ahhh, but you miss out on the 6spd, brembo brakes, RWD, and 4WIS.

I would think on this site more than most, it would be known that an engine alone does not a sports car make.

[CHROMAHOLIC]

GM needs to find someone who has some styling thoughts in there head, every freakin car they make is on the same platform....I am and always will be a diehard Chevy guy but they could take lessons when it comes to styling. Out of the big three Chrysler has the best styling in vehicles hands down and aren't afraid to try somthing new. Look how many of those ugly PT Cruisers they sold and then years later GM comes out with there new HHR (dah!) I wonder what they copied. No wonder GM is sliding downhill

[Tony_SS]

Im refering to the:"underpowered, undersuspended and overweight dog" comments when comparing the two cars. But I guess in bizarro world 306hp vs 308 hp is underpowered when theyre both on 3500 lbs vehicles.
:bsjerk:
For what it is, the LS4 Monte SS is a lot of car for the $25,000 price tag. Could it be better? Yeah, but as-is, it makes are great driver with more than adequate handling and braking abilities. But if an expensive foreign box on wheels is your thing, then go knock yourself out, just get some facts straight when you make comparisons.

[trapin]

If the Monte didn't sell, we wouldn't have built it for as long as we did. Production is stopping because the platform is being discontinued, not because nobody wants them. And as far as GM spinning several vehicles off the same platform; NEWSFLASH...Toyota and Honda do the same thing. So lets temper our vemon towards The General on that topic. I see True's point about the front wheel drive...hey, I hated it to. But we have vehicles in the works that are going to challange vehicles like the G35. G8 is just the start. Monte Carlo won't be one of them. Let the poor thing die a peaceful death...it served it's purpose and served it well. We have no complaints, and neither did our customers who bought them.

I gotta tell ya...sometimes I think no matter what we do from here on in, it won't matter. People will still hate us and buy Japanese because that is the popular thing to do. Frankly I'm sick of defending my company. I'm at the point now where maybe I just need our future vehicles do the talking for us. Ahh but who am I kidding. If it has a Buick or a Chevy badge on it, I'm sure it'll get ripped a new ass and written off before it even has a chance.

[Damn True]

Well I gotta throw out a Mea Culpa on the power/weight of the Monte. I had no idea the little v-8 theyd put in there had that kind of output. But 300hp in a FWD car...zoiks, Q-steer perhaps? I will stick by the undersuspended and throw in underbraked and underinteresting for good measure.

My company car is from the same platform family (though with the 3800 v-6) and it rides and drives just fine and gets 28mpg to boot. But would I go out and BUY it? No way.


.....and Tony. I don't think you'll find anyone here that "hates" GM. I think you are mistaking frustration for dislike. Most of us, and those like us WANT a high quality, fast, good handling, stylish and affordable car and we'd LIKE it if we could get that from an American marque. But when I can get Bimmer beating performance, quality and style (excepting the M3) from a sub $30,000 G35 it's awfully hard to seriously look at a Pontiac Grand Prix.

Yes, the G8 looks good thus far, and the Camaro looks even better (here's hoping the bean counters and lawyers don't muck them up) and cars like the CTS-V and G6 are already good machines within their market segments. But you gotta admit that GM has dug itself a hole (Consumer Reports sure hasn't helped) with the buying public at large and has a long hard climb out. But I, and I think most buyers, hope that GM succeeds in that task. If for no other reason than to provide for more legit choices and to drive the industry as a whole to continue to innovate and improve their products.

[RobM]

if they came out with a quality diesel half ton pickup thats all i'd need to be happy.

ill stick to the old stuff for hot rods

[CHROMAHOLIC]

I work for a GM supplier and I'll tell you after manufacturing parts for GM it really makes you lose respect for them as a company...I still say they need to take away the primary pencils from the designers.
It's time for a major change the GMT900 model truck looks like hell and the new Camaro doesn't hold a candle to the new Mustang design and ecspecially the Challenger....

[Dan Sherwood]

Maybe it's just personal preference, but I much prefer the look of the new camaro over the mustung or challengur. I'll take the new gmc truck over the chevy, but either over the competition, including the toy!

[MonzaRacer]

Well as for asian cars as tech I can tell you that the dog gone things are getting so crappy thet in 4 or 5 yrs they will be scrambling to catch back up.
As soon as the asian markets came to our land thier quality took a nose dive(I believe its more in the design than the move).
And as for the differences most people forget that the US and its big manufacturers gave 50 yrs of money,technology and such after we nuked Japan.
The big thing that asian market cars had was they were small and economical when we started the "economy" binge.
They got a big influx of cash and started making bigger cars, getting more plush and refined and even upping the power ratings and adding technology.
The trouble is that now the market is getting saturated and the market is also peaking in quality, and brand loyalty (the asian cars are loosing ground from several areas ,so now they are building big trucks) and soon the chinese market will take over as they are cheaper (and will never meet enivironmental regualtions, as they have none, and polluting thier country in record time and levels.
As for the MC name plate leaving it was inevitable, especially after the Malibu came out.
The second Gen FWD MC had lots of design ques from the original, but it just didnt keep pace, regardless of the extra power.
Used to be the GM line was tiered, you started in a Chevy, A Nova then a Chevelle then a Caprice/Impalla, Then jump to the Pontiac, then the Olds line then the Buick, then the Caddillacs.
You could pick the proper size car in the line as your budget progresses. Then they got away from that tiering and started splitting the brands more and letting them market seperately. Heck now you have Caddy cars with Buick name oin them.
Progress just isnt always a good thing.
I would look for the companies to start thinning out models. Used to be you had small, mid and full sized cars and light,medium and heavy duty trucks. Now they just have too many nameplates.
I mean if they thinned it down to micro, small ,mid and full again then thier money would flow better. Give 3 or 4 trim models (one a perfomance/handling packgae, and heck even one with a green theme lke flex fuel or hybrid a mid line with a few options and a stripped base model) they need to go back to some simplier ideas and give the consumer options. Like I remember my dad going in to order a truck and getting just what he wanted, but right now everyone wants to go in an drive out with a new car in a few minutes or hours.
Oh well

[nbecker]

Im a gm fan Ive only owned one car thats not a gm.Is it just me or does it seem that gm is really slow with what the market wants.Ford builds the focus and years later gm builds the cobalt.The pt cruiser years later gm brings the hhr.The lightning and srt10 then out comes the under powered SS.Outstanding powertrains with not much to put them in.The only vehicles that gm makes that i like are corvettes and caddys,but i dont want to or cant pay sticker prices for them.
just my copper

[trapin]

That's all changing. Look at the Avalance and H3...along comes the Honda Ridgeline and the Toyota FJ Cruiser; both of them HUGE rip offs of our two vehicles. Our Lamba crossovers have descended on the market just as the crossover segment is starting to get off the ground. Outlook and Acadia are already available and Enclave will be widely available this Summer. Take a look at Saturn, Lutz has single-handily turned that company upside down and re-invented it. Take a look at it's lineup now (save for Ion which will be replaced soon) and you can't deny that they will be a force in the years to come. As far as our 900 trucks are concerned...we'll see what the sales numbers have to say about their design when '07 concludes. I'm not worried one bit, they are sensational vehicles. Ahh...you see...I was going to let the vehicles do the talking for me and here I go opening my mouth again.:rolleyes:

[EFI69Cam]

That's all changing. Look at the Avalance and H3...along comes the Honda Ridgeline and the Toyota FJ Cruiser; both of them HUGE rip offs of our two vehicles. Our Lamba crossovers have descended on the market just as the crossover segment is starting to get off the ground. Outlook and Acadia are already available and Enclave will be widely available this Summer. Take a look at Saturn, Lutz has single-handily turned that company upside down and re-invented it. Take a look at it's lineup now (save for Ion which will be replaced soon) and you can't deny that they will be a force in the years to come. As far as our 900 trucks are concerned...we'll see what the sales numbers have to say about their design when '07 concludes. I'm not worried one bit, they are sensational vehicles. Ahh...you see...I was going to let the vehicles do the talking for me and here I go opening my mouth again.:rolleyes:

I will be buying a G8, probably not the 08 (dealer markups etc) but I will have one.

The GMT900 trucks are incredible.

[Tony_SS]

I could never own anything but a GM. Part of me did settle when I bought the 06 Monte SS since it did have FWD. Had their been something in a similar class with RWD and a manual I would have went that option. Its frustrating watching GM come close but still missing the mark. I guess it also sucks to see the Monte go because if you ever wanted a 4 door you had to look somewhere else. Nowadays with automakers trying to please the masses, your hotrod is also your family sedan.

[THX 138]

I could never own anything but a GM. Part of me did settle when I bought the 06 Monte SS since it did have FWD. Had their been something in a similar class with RWD and a manual I would have went that option. Its frustrating watching GM come close but still missing the mark. I guess it also sucks to see the Monte go because if you ever wanted a 4 door you had to look somewhere else. Nowadays with automakers trying to please the masses, your hotrod is also your family sedan.GTO? I almost got one.

[Tony_SS]

Eh... no used GTO's with 0% financing. ;)