i can see it. the verticle tail lights and the squared off back.

 

I would have no interest if it were RWD because it would be **** poor to drive in the winter. If you want a 2-door RWD, you buy a Camaro. It would make zero sense to have the Monte compete with the Camaro. The Monte as a FWD sporty hi-performance 2-door fills a need in Chevy's line-up.

 

Okay, I'll give you the one about the Lumina replacing the Celebrity. But as you are well aware, GM did not slap the Monte Carlo name on a front wheel drive IMMEDIATELY after the RWD version ended in 1987/1988. The Monte Carlo didn't return to GM's line up until 1995. And it was basically a two door version of the Lumina, with some cosmetic changes. As you know, from 1989 to 1994 there was no Monte at all.

BTW... I like the 5th gen Monte Carlo. So please don't think I'm insulting it. My all time favorite generation is the 4th gen. But I like them all.

As for body styling cues with the 2000-2007. Yes, they have the same fender lines that you see in earlier generations. But seeing the 3rd gen tail lights in the 6th gen tail lights might be kind of a stretch.

As much as I would like to see the Monte Carlo name come back, I don't think it'll happen. The same way Monte enthusiasts can't agree on what a new Monte should look like. I think GM can't agree either. But not just that.

Where would the Monte fit in Chevy's line-up?

You have the Corvette for the more up-scale sports car crowd.
Then there's the Camaro, the classic muscle car with lots of power.
Then you have the Cruze, Impala, Malibu, Sonic, and Volt. Where does the Monte fit in there? What do you do, make it a 2 door Impala?

GM will never satisfy all the enthusiasts. First, because different people want the Monte to look like a different generation. Plus some that don't want it to look like any previous generation.

Secondly, GM will never allow a new Monte to compete with the Camaro for performance. In today's market, there isn't enough support for Chevy to have 3 performance cars. GM would most likely slap Monte Carlo badges on a new 2 door version Impala. Knowing GM, it would get very little marketting, and get cut from the line up (again) due to lack-luster sales.

For a Monte Carlo to make a successful return, GM has to really make a commitment to it as a model of it's own. And really push it's Luxury Sport designation. A powerful car with roots in racing, but with the luxury we're used to seeing in all generations of Monte Carlo. That's the Monte I want to see as the next generation Monte Carlo. A car that will stand up on it's own. Not play second fiddle to some other Chevy model that GM cares about more.

I don't want a re-badged 2 door Impala. I want a real Monte Carlo. A Monte Carlo that looks like it's own model. I don't want to have to look at the number of doors to know if I'm looking at a Monte or not.

 

I don't like FWD at all. I want RWD in all weather conditions including ice and snow. Before you dismiss me as a Floridian talking out his ***, let me remind you I moved to Florida 12 years ago from Burlingto Vermont. In Burlington our winters can start as early as October and last into May. If you didn't learn to drive in the snow you were screwed. In FWD all your weight is in the front of the car which makes the rear loose on the road. The only benefit to the FWD design is when starting from a stop. If you lose traction on the front wheels you have lost all. You lose the ability to power out. You loose the ability to steer it out and you loose the ability to break. I prefer RWD in the snow. If the nose is sliding I can power up the rear to turn the nose. I can put a few sand bags in the back to aid in traction on the rear and it also gives the car more of a 50/50 balance.
During the winters in Vermont I put my ex wife in a 4x4 Subaru wagon. She didn't know how to drive and wouldn't listen. My winter cars were Plymouth Voulares, plymouth Valiants, Mercury Cplony park wagons, Nissan pickups. I also had Dodge Caravans, and Chevy Celebrity's only because the RWD cars dried up. It takes more skill to drive a RWD in the snow but the rewards are worth it. I will concede that FWD is probably better on a hill, but Vermont has lots of hills and I never had a huge problem.

 

this could be completely ridiculous but has anyone ever put any thought into a newer AWD Monte? with all the AWD cars that are out now (Mitsubishi's, BMW's, Audi's , Dodge Charger and even the Ford Fusion) I wouldn't be surprised if Chevy doesn't answer with something whether it's has the Monte name or not. The closest GM's come is the Cadillac CTS (or STS). I'm with Taz, the market isn't good enough to support the corvette, camaro, and another sports car, so I can't see a return to be very likely, however, as of right now, the only way you're getting AWD (as far as chevy goes) is in a SUV. Just my .02

 

LOL I'm going to go with Floridian talking out his *** haha. It's much easier to straighten out a FWD car, I'm not sure what your talking about there. All you have to do is apply gas till the front wheels grab and it pulls the rear wheels straight. If your in RWD it is just going to spin you side ways if the rears grab traction and fronts are just sledding. I've had a camaro and firebird as daily drivers and they don't drive worth a damn in the winter no matter how skilled a driver you are. I did the snow tires and bags of kitty litter in the trunk thing every winter and it was still terrible. After sliding sideways through red lights and I ended up rolling the firebird in the winter which is why I got the Monte Carlo. Maybe the ice here in Cleveland is thicker than Vermont, I don't know, but never again will I buy a RWD as a daily, as a summer car certainly, but I'm not going to risk my life or my childs over it. And like I said it would make no sense to have the Monte compete with the Camaro. My 2 cents anyway, I didn't mean to turn this thread into a FWD vs RWD in the winter argument.

 

I am pro fwd and pro rwd, there is good and bad in both...I have both and I drive both in all kindsa weather...even may drive the gto more then the monte even in the winter, but that point is mute.

While I would love AWD, I do not see in any way shape or form that the Monte Carlo Nameplate will ever be AWD...so that's probably out.

As far as having multiple rwd platforms in the same company I see no issue with it....The corvette is a smaller sports car with almost no rear seats to speak of so that is not competition.

The Camaro while a bit bigger then it's former counter parts, it does have many differences then what a rwd Monte carlo would be...

A Monte would be rather bigger in size with a true big back seat to actually get into and out of, and a bigger trunk with a bigger access lid, and the styling would be totally different.

I do not see why it would be so hard to see a car company have 2 rwd platforms that would look totally different from one another....after all gm has several fwd platforms malibu/impala, aveo/spark, and even more competition when you add in other brands such as the Buick regal/lacrosse/lucerne/verano

If that would be the case every company would just have 1 fwd, 1 rwd and 1 suv

Joe

 

Good point!

 

Yes, but the issue is diluting their market. Decades ago when import auto sales weren't an issue to the American market, GM had the ability to put out as many different models as they wanted to. The only real competition was Ford and Chrysler. That's not the case anymore.

The reality now, is that GM has to compete for sales (in America) with almost every car maker on the planet. GM can no longer dilute their lineup with over 50 different models, with 7 or 8 divisions. GM doesn't have as big a slice of the pie anymore.

As much as I would like them to, GM can't start bringing back every model they cut, just because they paid back their bailout. If they bring back the Monte, the Grand Prix enthusiasts will want the GP back too. And so on.

 

the caprice is back witha rwd set up. non civilian as of now but gm is making rwd sedans again. impala shud b first after they spread into surplus but i think it'd b unlikely if chevy doest redo a mc in the next few years. allow i do agree the poster probably isn't from anytime in this decade