i completly agree...


but i GOTA say for a daily drive my V6 Z24 is a reallyyy good ride...its fast and practicle for everyday use, espec wen ur as broke as me


but id kill to have a 83-88 monte SS over it anyday hahaha

 

What about the C5 vettes, camaro/firebird/TA, GTP's, etc? I wouldn't say they were that bad compared to their competition in that year range. I'll definitely agree that they were pretty stagnant during the late 90's and early 00's with the rest of their passenger cars though. Not that I'm trying to knock the 3100s/3400s/3800s, but they really did little to significantly improve them (power or fuel economy) even though they had been out for years.

I think that's another major downfall of GM getting so big; they've got too much management (especially old management) and had become too slow to respond to changes- they simply had too much red tape.

My first point here being the cobalt SS- great idea; but way late to market; the SRT4's were better timed, and the sport compact scene was starting to fade a bit by the time the cobalt came out (not that its small now, just not as big as it was at its peak).

Second point being the camaro; they had been showing the thing at auto shows for years (starting in 06?) and couldn't manage to get a production version out until the 2010 model, even though they used an existing platform (whereas Ford built a new platform for their 05 Mustang)- so the Mustang had an extra 5 model years of sales before the Camaro even hit the sales floors. Even Chrysler managed to get the Challenger out quicker releasing in the 08 model year. Sure sales are pretty good- but it doesn't help releasing the car after the economic meltdown- they may have had a lot more sales when things were going so much better before the bubble burst.

 

hey bumpin96, did u ever get a look at the 2010 firebird? do u think that coulda help pontiac stay in business a lil bit longer if they came out with it?

 

Don't mean to be rude here, but did you read Bumpin's message at all? He stated that the reason GM moved to eliminate many of their lines of cars and stick with only a couple of performance RWD cars was that they could no longer continue producing identical cars from different brands, on the same platform, containing the same characteristics, they would be competing against themselves since Chevrolet and Pontiac are both a part of GM.

The Firebird is the same car exactly as the Camaro, if they released the Firebird that would hurt the Camaro's sales, and hurt Pontiac because the Firebird would not sell well enough when it competition with a sister car, the Camaro. That's why Pontiac was eliminated. Pontiac's line of cars were the exact same as the line of Chevrolet cars, they were competing against themselves. Besides, in the last 5 years of its existence the Mustang outsold the Camaro 4 to 1, and the Camaro outsold the Firebird 2 to 1. There was and still is too little demand for the Firebird.

 

oh im sorry didnt read that part.

 

It's cool, just restating his words for you.

 

you know the pontiac gto frame and how it was rwd. is a great plat form for the new monte carlo's to bring them back as a rwd ss and a fwd v6 or make a few to give there dealers and have the dealers take poles on what they like for options and perfered. what i like what ford is started a few years back and what mazda has done since 98. is when people come in and cant find the options on the car there looking for they have computers there so they can get what they want. if a car they were looking at lets say didnt have fog lights and sports package they can select it or un select things like power windows or power locks. it actually helps a sell of a car to be able to give options for a custimer to be able to get what they want. like if they wanted a rwd monte but it has a v6 with all its options as in power every thing and onstar. that there is a happy custimer or custimers because they will have that car for a long time. because they have a option for upgrades as in a better v6 or even later on a v8. what i am saying having the ability to take what people say there will be a demand as in 96 people want effecent rwd v6 and v8 from chevy are there but unabe to have custimer feed back, there is a down fall. dealers need a computer to help sell some things it also gives feed back as well.

 

As much as every Montecarloforum member would like to see the Monte Carlo resurrected, that will not be in the near future, and they especially won't bring the Monte Carlo back using the Camaro platform. In its last few years the Monte Carlo's sales were poor enough as was, that was with more power packaged and options to choose from than ever before, the 5.3 V8, the 3.9 V6, or the 3.5 V6 with tons of options to choose from for each package.

There will never be a Monte Carlo that will be sold as FWD and RWD for the sole purpose of cost, the cost would be too great to sell one car on two different platforms, and that's going with the likelihood that neither platform will sell very well since demand for 2 door coupes has drastically dropped in recent years. If the Monte Carlo were resurrected as a RWD car it would more than likely have to share the same platform as the Camaro, I don't see GM using the old GTO platform because Pontiac no longer exists. The Camaro itself was just re-released after an 8 year hiatus, if it went head to head with its own company and had virtually the same car with a different body the Camaro's sales would be hurt even more. For the time being, and probably from this day on, we live in an age where each automaker can produce only 1 or 2 performance RWD cars, everything else must be FWD for practicality and fuel efficiency. Ford has the Mustang and the GT, Chevrolet has the Camaro and Corvette, Dodge has the Charger, Challenger, and Viper, but you'll notice Dodge/Chrysler is in the worst trouble of any of the automakers right now.

Unfortunately it will be some time before we will know if the Monte will ever be brought back. GM must first climb out of this slump that they are in, secondly get the Camaro to sell in good numbers and compete with Ford and Chrysler, and thirdly there has to be enough demand for the resurrection of the Monte Carlo, the last of the dead two door luxury coupe in the GM line.

 

I totally agree; sure you'll get some new buyers who never would've bought a Camaro (ie they hated they styling, hated the name, etc) to buy a Firebird; but at how much of a cut to the Camaro's sales. Sure its great if they can move a handful more cars in the grand scheme, but thats just not cost effective when they would have to put so much more money into the new design and look.

I would honestly think the only viable option right now would be to take an existing platform that is 4 door only, and add a 2 door version named the monte (kinda like the lumina/monte of the late 90's)- but leaving the bulk of the parts and styling the same with only a few minor differences (mostly just the # of doors and the changes that requires)- that would be the most cost effective route, while still adding the potential to secure a slightly larger market. That would probably put it on the wbody- using the Impala as its sister, and then you'd end up with a car that isn't too much different from what it was before they canceled it.

I agree- that's a lot of extra design and a lot of extra money. Only way I see that being remotely feasible is for a car designed for AWD, and having the option to buy it in a FWD or RWD version also. Designing a FWD and a RWD car in 1 model would mean you'd have 1 name on 2 platforms; and would also drastically increase the cost.

I hate to say it, but for all those praying the RWD montes come back; I wouldn't hold your breath. The trend continues towards smaller engines, and FWD vehicles are becoming more and more common in the passenger car market. People don't want the cabin intrusion of a RWD engine and driveshaft- and people don't want to pay the extra money. Not to mention, if they released it with RWD and a 250-275 hp DI 4 cylinder or small displacement V6; then you'll still have the purists complaining that its "not a V8", and they still wouldn't buy it.

 

Oooo. This might hurt some of you cyclone (or however its spelled)fans as it gave me a sick feeling in my gut. I saw one about a week ago. Nothing but a POS! Whoever just let it go. FULL of rust, in some places all the way through, must have had a hole somwhere in the exhaust, no front bumper, license plate hanging by one screw, and dont get me started on the shreded interior. It was a SAD sight to see such a rare truck in such a crappy state. Really, it sadend me to see that. That thing could have been such a dream to somone but...
Yes, it was the turbo also, the guy was doing somthing under the hood, thats how I know... AGAIN