I initially thought that too, but I was thinking more along the line of a Cadillac/Lincoln fusion; the more recent designs of the MKZ always put me in mind for a new MC...or maybe I'm just dreaming too hard???

 

That's kind of my point with the Regal comment. If they did bring the Monte back, it wouldn't be a LT powered RWD platform, it would probably be a 2.0L FWD like the Regal / MKZ. It would still make the purists mad because it's not RWD (and likely wouldn't even be a V6 - both the MKZ and Regal are nearly $50k with a V6). I still think it would be very unlikely to be a 2 door either as that's pushing it into a niche.

At the end of the day, it's like Maniac was saying it's just name badge slapping at that point, there's no real lineage at all.

 

This photo is courtesy of Pinterest, but something like this would be perfect minus whats going on with the hood. Those flares make this car look great!

 

I think the piece you're missing is that new buyers aren't created. There are only X number of people in the market at one time. So if you create a new car and some or most of its sales come out of one of your other cars, then you're wasting money. Its hugely expensive between design, engineering, production, and parts to create a new model, so that new model needs to be able to bring in enough brand new customers to be able to at least break even on what you've spent to develop and build it.

This is the same issue GM ran into with having 4 or 5 models of the same car across its brands in the early 00s. It had to foot the bill for 5x the cost (minus whatever core structure they shared), but didn't get anywhere near 5x the sales of any single model as they were all eating each others lunch.

 

Not a fan personally. I really dislike mixing boxy elements (ie the 80s body shell) with curvy components. Just doesn't visually flow well to me.

But as with the above discussion, even if they made exactly that - would you still buy it if it was a 2.0L FWD? If not, would you be willing to pay $50k for it if it were V8 & RWD?

Connecting that lineage to keep enthusiast buyers engaged is a tough sell, especially given that theyve already had a few generations of something radically different. Like with the new Regal - I can't imagine theyve got more than a couple percent of 80s Regal owners that bought the new one because of the name.

 

Got some solid points there. The MC has always been pretty streamline in it's body styles (most curvy mc I've seen is a fully kit Z34). I think the flares give it a more aggressive look to me but it always seemed like the Camaro and Impala got WAY more love; even the Malibu isn't an ugly car anymore and the new Malibus have a Camaro front fascia made for them.

With the way the economy is now, it's going to be hard to hold nostalgic value while trying to garner the interest of new generations to appeal to while making it affordable. We're in such a tough spot being fans of this car although I feel like I might be expecting too much.

 

I mean yeah it's not the old one, but I love my new Regal though...

 

It's a great car, but I believe my impression of a new MC is like a trail mix of cars. I see a new MC with sweeping body lines like the new Impala that dont interrupt the trademark body lines that everyone associate with the MC namesake, redone tail lights that blend into the trunk like the charger or MKZ, and a very noticeable yet elegant front fascia like the new Cadillac's CT series. I might have to do a few sketches to see what you all think.

 

Didn't at all mean to imply they're bad cars, hopefully it didn't come across like that. My point was more that by slapping the Regal name on it, they're not pulling in all kinds of old school Regal enthusiasts. They could've named it just about anything and it would likely sell just about as well as it currently does.

 

Your context didn't come off bad to me, and your statement is also right. Enthusiasts aren't breaking their necks to get this vehicle and the fact that it's a "regal" didn't determine much. Probably just saw the commercial like most people and said to themselves "That's not bad....for a Regal."

I feel like they should do the same thing they did with the Camaro for the MC; draw inspiration from it's lineage and legacy, and create something that resonates with ALL generations. This way it has the ability for a larger fanbase because the appeal is so high. It has to be a 4 door RWD V8...give it more individuality and make it less Impala-esque.