One guess where the next GTO will come from...

[SuperRoo]

As we all know, the GTO is basically a Holden Monaro, a 2 door coupe made for the Australian Market. The Monaro is basically a 2 door version of the 4 door Holden Commodore sedan.

Well, the latest version of the Commodore the VE has just been released in Australia. All Australian design.

And guess who is singing it's praises and wants it Stateside?

VE an American beauty

James Stanford

The VE Commodore could roll into the US after a $10 million conversion.

GM Holden is developing a plan to substitute Australian demand for the new Commodore range with a US export program.

General Motors executives drove the VE last week in Detroit and were impressed.

A Pontiac executive has already made it clear he wants the car.

The Commodore and Statesman are made in left-hand-drive for Middle East markets, but Holden estimates it would cost $10-$20 million to "federalise" the Commodore and make sure it complies with US safety rules.

These regulations require companies to provide extra protection for occupants assuming they are not wearing seatbelts.

This means all seats need sensors to determine the weight of occupants and control airbags accordingly. It is a feature the VE Commodore doesn't have.

Then there is the additional cost of crash-testing to US specifications.

"We've got to do a lot of crash testing. It's more an engineering development program," GM Holden chairman Denny Mooney says.

He says Holden must also make sure it can build enough Commodores at its Adelaide plant to meet demand, without putting on a costly third shift.

But he says Holden could benefit from a US export deal when Commodore sales ease during its model life.

"We think we have all the demand (we need) this year and into next year, but if you look out and volume decays over time, I could see potentially we would want to look at that (US exports)," he says.

GM will use the Commodore's rear-wheel-drive base for other US projects, but there are no immediate plans to make a Commodore in the US.

"I know the general manager of Pontiac (John Larson) and he wants this car right now," Mooney says.

GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz describes a VE he drove in Detroit last week as a "magic vehicle" and praised its neutral handling.

"It seems never to be caught off balance, no matter what the driver does in terms of messing up the entry to the corner," Lutz says.

Lutz says the interior surface quality and switchgear feel of the Commodore are superior to those of its American GM siblings.

"We've improved a lot in the US, but this is still way, way better," Lutz says.

Holden exported 40,808 Monaros badged as Pontiac GTOs to the US from 2003 to early this year, but the model was not the success the company had hoped for.

No one complained about the way the new GTO drove, but its subtle design and the fact it was compared with the original and legendary 1960s GTO muscle car limited its success.

Mooney says that if a Commodore US export deal was approved, it would take at least 18 months for the model to be prepared.

Herald-Sun

Follow the link for pics..

http://www.vecommodore.com.au/15/

[hotrod_chevyz]

Now THATS what you call "a step in the wrong direction"...

NO WAIT!! What i meant to say is " that is one ugly car"...

I guess GM dont care about preserving its reputation anymore.

Shame on you HOLDEN for making such an ugly boring car. "THOU SHALT FLOG THYSELF"

[SuperRoo]

I really don't think the next GTO will look like the Commodore. However, this is the new platform that the next Camaro will be based on. The engineering team at Holden are already working on it. You probably saw pictures of it a few months back. From what I understand it will be engineered in Oz, but built elsewhere, probably the states.

The new Monaro will probably surface in Oz late 07. The lessons learnt from the GTO experience is that American tastes are different, therefore the GTO will probably not be based on the Monaro, but like the Camaro, use the same platform. The new Camaro will have a retro look, and probably so will the GTO.



One thing is for sure, the engineering team at Holden has doubled if not tripled in size. The reason is that GM Holden and Ford in Oz has always made V8 rear wheel drive cars, now the American parent companies are utilizing their knowledge.

So, for those GTO owners who love the way the GTO goes, but are a little ho hum about the looks, don't blame Holden about the looks, theyr'e just designing cars for the Australian Market, the final look of the cars will be all American...

[hotrod_chevyz]

GM says they better sell 100,000 new Camaros OR ELSE, once they hit car lots. Shouldnt be too hard considering they look pretty good. If GM wants to sell that many of them they will have to make it affordable. As for the GTO< if it looks anything like the holdens, itll be another 30 years before GM is brave enough to try another one again, cause i can already tell you how they will sell in the states.

[poormillionaire2]

I thought GM is going retro with the GTO.
And GM needs to let go of Australia design. Sure its cheaper to produce over there, but the design team needs to stay here.

[hotrod_chevyz]

Originally Posted by poormillionaire2

I thought GM is going retro with the GTO.
And GM needs to let go of Australia design. Sure its cheaper to produce over there, but the design team needs to stay here.

I agree.

[Emery144]

I highly doubt the next GTO will have retro styling.

Take a look at the Solstice and the turbocharged Solstice GXP.

The new Camaro will be built in Ontario in late 2008 as a 2009 model.

[6t5frlane]

Ford is selling 165,000 Mustangs right now. Car looks great. That new Camaro will be lucky to sell 40,000 the way it looks like now. The New Challenger will outsell it by a large margin...

[rzkz8k]

The Mustang sales are sliding, Ford thinks those who wanted one got one.

The looks of the new Camaro are subjective, I guess you don't like it. What is the criteria you used to project sales of less than 40,000 units?

Is the Challenger going to be built? the last I heard is that no commitment has been made yet. If it is built, how do you know that it will out sell the Camaro?