Spot any similarities? Holden surprised and delighted when it rolled out the Coupe 60 at the Melbourne Auto Show this past week. Motor Trend put two and two together and dug up some three-year-old photos that show off essentially the same car wearing a Pontiac suit, instead. The nose on the original concept shows what GM was planning for the next-gen GTO at the time. We're glad the prototype styling was deemed too expensive for production; the world wasn't ready for a modern interpretation of the 1982 J2000.
The Coupe 60 started life as Pontiac's replacement for the sales-proof GTO, but Motor Trend reports that development stopped when GM went full bore at getting its next-gen full-size GMT900 trucks to market early. The reappropriation of this past work to create the stunning new Holden show car could signal a return of the Monaro, which could trickle down to North America as another page in the G8 brochure, or a new GTO, but don't start holding your breath yet.
[Source: Motor Trend, Photo: Motor Trend]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Aetius @ Mar 1st 2008 11:07AM
As a car guy I want it! As a business student I can't figure out where this will fit in the GM lineup. And what would be it's competitors? The M5? I think GM should also look at a cheaper but well-built Coupe to go against the Accord/Altima Coupes. I still think GM is making too many fantastic upper-end cars and not paying enough attention to the mass-market vehicles. They need more hits in the Cobalt segment. Mazda is 1/20th the size of GM yet we see 10 times more Mazda3s than Cobalts here in Toronto.
500 @ Mar 1st 2008 11:57AM
I agree with you about "wanting in," but $30,000 or so is a fantastic, upper-end car? Not in the real world. And btw I have an MBA, and why does this have to "fit in" to the current GM lineup? The current GM car lineup has been a miserable failure!
With the decline of the SUV fad, and especially as the "Fast and the Furious" generation comes of age, coupes have a huge upside potential, particularly RWD performance coupes!
psarhjinian @ Mar 1st 2008 1:42PM
I dunno about the F&F crowd thing. Most F&F'ers are happy having four doors, cargo space and a real back seat: hence the success of the Neon SRT4, MazdaSpeed, GLI, Evo and WRX.
Every coupe I see is either a sled for a fifty/sixty-year-old executive, or a "chick car".
Aetius @ Mar 1st 2008 2:51PM
You have an MBA and you think the current lineup is a miserable failure? GM has a large number of cars currently which are selling extremely well in their respective segments. And US$ 30,000 is not as low-range as you'd think for the majority of people, especially those who have to be convinced to shop GM vehicles instead of their usual import-fare. That's why it's crucial why GM should have a Mazda3-like hit to also match their Malibu/Silverado/Cadillac home-runs.
NightmareMX6 @ Mar 12th 2008 3:12AM
psarhjinian you sir have no idea what you are talking about. I am of the "F&F" group and I hate four doors. As do most of this group. The reason the WRX, Evo, and the SRT4 are popular is because that is all that is out there for sporty cars. Most F&F guys drive mid 90's coupes, civic, prelude, 240sx, eclipse and others. Car makers are telling the consumer what they want and not asking.
As for the Coupe 60, I would love to see that hear as a new GTO, but make it so that Canadians can buy them too. I wanted the GTO but I can not have one because it doesn't meet Canadian standards.
Avinash machado @ Mar 1st 2008 11:09AM
Maybe they could sell it as the new Chevy Impala Coupe.
Kris @ Mar 1st 2008 11:18AM
The car on the left looks like a failed attempt at bringing the Sunfire back. Ponitiac already has the G6 coupe as a competitor for the Accord/Altima/Solara coupes. Since they are trying to bring sexy back to their lineup the Holden coupe (or next GTO) would be the perfect flagship model. 3 years old are not the concept on the right is hot. Although Cadillac is coming out with the CTS coupe, this car could go head to head with the 3series/G35.
gmcbob @ Mar 1st 2008 11:50AM
They need to bring over the Opel Coupe concept from last year and badge it as a Saturn Aura Coupe or maybe even give it Malibu styling cues and badge it as a Malibu Coupe.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/06/live-from-geneva-its-the-opel-gtc-concept/
Then bring over this Holden Coupe as the Pontiac GTO. Voila. Okay GM, hire me and all your product plans will be solved - I only want $200,000 / yr and a new Cadillac or Corvette every other month. :)
TriShield @ Mar 1st 2008 11:50AM
It's true, this concept was actually GM's next generation GTO and it didn't take long for the GM community to put it together real fast.
It's also true work on this project stopped because of GM's fullsize trucks and because of the upcoming Camaro. This car got as far as an operating chassis before development ceased and this new Holden show car is likely as far as it will ever go for now.
Had this car been finished it would have been the new Holden Monaro for Australia and the new Pontiac GTO for us. It's competition would have been the Mustang, Challenger and Camaro once it's released.
Click these to see the photoshops that sprang up. They all remind me of the GTO Ram Air 6 concept GM trotted out for the Dream Cruise.
http://homepage.mac.com/atomicshark/2010-GTO-Monaro-orange.jpg
http://images.leftlanenews.com/content/february2008/g8-2.jpg
http://images.leftlanenews.com/content/february2008/g8-1.jpg
Pontiac doesn't honestly compete with European brands, it doesn't have that kind of cachet nor should it. In Australia nobody cross-shops Holdens with BMWs, they aren't comparable cars. That'd be like us saying Chevrolet sedans are compete with BMW sedans here. It's silly.
Holden is the Chevrolet of Australia and makes numerous nice, contemporary, mainstream muscle car like our Dodge Charger, Dodge Magnum or Chrysler 300C HEMI.
GM reportedly has three world premiere Pontiac show cars in store for the New York autoshow. One of them is the Holden Ute, one of them is the Solstice coupe and you never know, the other might be this Holden concept in Pontiac guise.
Wait and see.
Ben K. @ Mar 1st 2008 12:07PM
If GM fails to bring the Coupe 60 to the U.S. market as a GTO, Pontiac is toast. Pontiac needs a performance image, but has very little to offer. Enhancing the image is essential, but product is needed now! The G8, Ute model, wagon and coupe are the answer. The products are developed, use them. Combined they should account for about 100,000 units. The failed 04-06, GTO (Monaro) was worth a try. Performance was great, the styling suffered. An american version of the Coupe 60 is worth a try, CAFE shouldn't be an obstacle for this car. The Pontiac G6, G5 and Vibe haven't much to excitement to offer. I thought Bob Lutz was going to overhaul Pontiac, now Buick seems to have taken that route just because the low volume Enclave has done so well. GM's indecision is killing Pontiac's chances of a revival.
Daz @ Mar 18th 2008 9:02PM
If you would like to see other current holden V8's have a look at hsv.com.au & holden.com.au. There is also a 427 corvette engined four door coupe being released this year called the Holden "W427". Also a holden V8 pick up is being shipped to the US shortly as a Pontiac Ute see http://www.countrycars.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleId=50199. You may also want to check out "Ford Australia" regards Daz - Melbourne Australia
Stéphane Dumas @ Mar 1st 2008 12:57PM
MonaroSS, a poster on GMInsidenews photoshopped the pic to turn it into a modern interpretation of the Buick Grand Sport/GS
http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1333030
Aaron @ Mar 1st 2008 6:02PM
KITT!!
dwain white @ Mar 1st 2008 6:44PM
Forget about it guys. The big three keep telling us here in the states that we are too stupid and unsophisticated to appreciate the vehicles they build for the other countries. If they do bring one or two of them over, they rip off everything that makes the vehicle unique and slap on the same features that are failing their current line up. We may yet see this car but it will have three hundred pounds of fiberglass ground effects and body cladding glued to it and that stupid looking pontiac grill that they are scared to death to change.
Dun @ Mar 1st 2008 7:24PM
As I said before, One in Platinum and one in a stealth Black!
Cire @ Mar 1st 2008 8:56PM
GM should build this car. It could be sold as a Holden Monaro coupe in Australia, a Chevrolet Lumina coupe in the Middle East, and a Pontiac G7 coupe in the U.S. To me, this Zeta based coupe is the kind of brand appropriate product that Pontiac needs to redefine the division and revitalize its fortunes in the market.
Pontiac doesn't need a large lineup to regain momentum and relevance in the market. All the division needs is the following products:
1. Solstice roadster.
2. Alpha based compact coupe (G5).
3. Alpha based compact sedan and maybe sporty 5-door (G6).
4. Zeta based midsize coupe (G7).
5. Zeta based midsize sedan and maybe wagon (G8).
As an affordable, performance "CAR" niche division, that's all Pontiac needs. I don't see why GM is dragging their feet on giving Pontiac a cohesive lineup or rebadging brand inappropriate products such as the Holden Ute to drop in Pontiac's lineup (the Holden Ute should be sold in the U.S. as a Chevy El Camino only). I know I posted these suggestions before, but maybe I can will this lineup into reality if I wish hard enough.
NRI @ Mar 1st 2008 9:55PM
At the risk of offending the Holden fans (and most Aussies love the Holden), Holden never has anything spectacular to offer.
Same boring engines modified from the GM parts bin, same boring gearboxes - no Diesel, no safety features on par with European/Japanese marques - even the station wagon has copied the Tailgate from the Opel and it is being touted as a breakrhrough design by Holden Australia.
Just building huge engines is not enough - the cars need to be dust proof, safe, economical and technologically advanced for Holden to claim breakthroughs.
Even the "latest" 3.6 engine introduced last year has archaic 4-speed autos. Even the luxury versions have the same crappy gearbox. An additional $13,000 RRP gains you an extra cog but not until you have forked out an extra $18,000 do you get a 6-speed.
Holden and Ford succeed due the the indulgence of the fleet trade and the parochial nature of the ill-informed Aussie public who don't realise that Holden and Ford and not Australian companies but American owned and controlled.
Mates, Bob Lutz and his GM crew and Bill Ford pull the strings not the local head honcho (who by the way in both companies are American). Even Geoff Polites can't save Ford from annihilation when the Orion fails - which also has old technology in a newish skin.
Will @ Mar 2nd 2008 7:35AM
Though it pains me to say it, I agree with NRI. The designers at Holden are using the same generic parts that they can find from GM and bunging them into every new car they make. Rebadging poor GM cars is another worry of mine.
I love the Coupe 60 (it just looks awesome) but I think it could have been better. They've taken the usual 6.0L V8 and, I believe, hardly done a thing to it.
I think that GM is really influencing Holden into creating more American cars. It would be great to see Holden produce more European-like cars, that are nimble, technologically-advanced and have smaller engines with more horsepower. They can make great muscle cars, but I can't see any variety or uniqueness in the cars they create.
BJ @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:30AM
... and yet look at the difference.
Same parts, sure.
Same car? No freaking way.
And on a budget.
And under the radar.
And essentially for a market of 20 million people.
So my question to you is exactly your point. Why, with the same parts, bigger budget, and larger potential audience, are GM US's designs and productions so gawdorrful. Look what can be done with the same bits, when you do it right.
luisito1273 @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:34AM
I don't care what you name this car when it reaches the states Holden, just bring it. It will sell no matter what the name will be. I do think that the name should stay the G8 with whatever other name you might want to add to that. I saw someone say that a good name would be the G8 GTO, I guess they figured that it was supposed to replace the GTO, but now the G8 is getting such good reviews that it should stay a G8.
In my opinion, I think the car should be called the Pontiac G8 GTP. (1997 Grand Prix GTP) which is the 2 door turbo variant to the Grand Prix GT. Sincerely, I could care less about names, I care more about beauty and braun and this car has both. It will definitely sell, it's an amazing car in a market of its own. The looks of a smaller after market racer with the size of a... I don't even know what to compare it too, according to the size and power. Can someone help? I'm too old to hang with this car and don't have enough money to add it to one of my cars after the Pontiac G8 GT, but I would be proud in our American made cars if it came to the states, just like I am proud about the Corvette ZR1, what a beautiful monster.