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

Edmunds.com - July 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.