Mike Simcoe confirms all new Monaro is coming

[douglask]

AN ALL-NEW Monaro is coming. Mike Simcoe, the man who crafted Holden’s VE Commodore and the VT-based Monaro - and who is now in charge of exterior design for all GM North America cars - has uttered the words Australians have been longing for: "It will come."

However, it will not be seen until bread-and-butter model derivatives such as utilities are built, meaning a likely arrival date of late 2008.

The Camaro has been touted as a possible successor for the Monaro-based Pontiac GTO. But Mr Simcoe, who is responsible for the design of future Pontiac cars (as well as those from Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Saturn), was adamant that despite sharing a common platform, the two vehicles did not have a common destiny. "The Chev Camaro is not a Monaro," he said.

GM Holden chairman and managing director Denny Mooney also hosed down speculation about the next Monaro being derived from the Camaro: "I wouldn’t re-skin a Camaro – a Camaro is a Camaro."

What's coming from Holden:

VE Commodore sedan - August 2006

HSV E-Series sedan - Late August 2006

WM Statesman/Caprice sedan - September 2006

VE Commodore utility - October 2007

VE Commodore wagon - March 2008

VE Monaro coupe - Late 2008

Full article:

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf...A2571AE000F79BC

[Northstar]

Hmm, so maybe the next Monaro is a GTO (but this time the Monaro is simply a rebadged GTO instead of the GTO being a rebadged Monaro?). The timing seems right. Hmm...

[cavalier36]

the monaro, and the next generation GTO and Monte Carlo will be basically the same vehicle.. the monaro will probably be a rebadged monte carlo.. the camaro will ride on this platform too but it will be smaller and will likely have a shorter wheelbase.. sort of like how the epsilion platform has two diffrent wheelbases..

[FAPTurbo]

It'll be interesting to see how this turns out. I think many of us have heard that the new Monaro could be a GTO, a Chevelle, or in some cases, a Monte.

[ocnblu]

A new Monte Carlo on Zeta would get my money before the awesome new Camaro. There, I said it.

[HarleyEarl]

Camaro or GTO? GM Could Have Plans for New Holden Monaro

Date posted: 07-27-2006

MELBOURNE, Australia — It looks as if there will be another Holden Monaro, although not for some time, says General Motors designer Michael Simcoe. But when it comes, it could have a Pontiac GTO or a Chevrolet Camaro for a sibling.

Simcoe, in Australia for the VE Commodore launch, is quoted in Melbourne's Age newspaper saying: "There will be another Monaro eventually, but it won't be here in the next six months or year or so. It'll still be a little while."

A new Monaro wouldn't be produced by itself, he said. "Clearly, we'd never want to do that," Simcoe told Age. "We'd want to find a sister vehicle to give us some volumes so that you could do the job properly."

And that sister vehicle? Well, it could be another Pontiac GTO or, as the rumor mill has it, the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro, or maybe both, off GM's Zeta architecture.

Holden spokesman Jason Laird refused to be drawn too much into the issue, saying only that Simcoe's comments are "fairly consistent with our position." He went on to add: "We'd like to do another Monaro, but there is no current program."

What this means to you: Keep your eyes Down Under if you are interested in the future of GM's sportier offerings.

(INSIDELINE)

Edited July 28, 2006 by HarleyEarl

[ToniCipriani]

I really hope they will all have distinct bodywork than just a different nose. At least as differentiated as the W-bodies.