Impala to replace Monte Carlo in NASCAR Nextel Cup

[MNdudeswitz]

Report: Impala to replace Monte Carlo in Cup races


The most successful car in Nextel Cup racing history is reportedly about to be history.

The Impala SS will run in 16 races next season and will only be used in Cup competition, according to the Observer, because it will serve as Chevrolet's version of NASCAR's "car of tomorrow."

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/s...d=2&id=2636917

NASCAR 1959 CHEVY IMPALA - REX WHITE Top, JIM REED Below - (Die Cast)

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http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;...yhoo&type=lgns

[kool_zx3]

Monte carlo sales will be in the toilet now...

[Black04GTO]

Originally Posted by MNdudeswitz

Report: Impala to replace Monte Carlo in Cup races The most successful car in Nextel Cup racing history is reportedly about to be history.

That's OK...as time goes by the Impala will be known as the most successsful car in Nextel Cup racing history. With the demise of the Monte Carlo, it makes perfect sense as Ford and Toyota will be racing "4-door sedans", too. GO CHEVY!

[CountryME]

here's a little more info from Jayski.com

Dodge and Chevy to change models in 2007: Beginning in 2007, Dodge and Chevrolet will campaign new models in Nextel Cup competition, Yahoo! Sports has learned. Dodge will run the Avenger, while Chevrolet will run the Impala SS, according to sources with some of NASCAR's manufacturers. The change also was indicated in a technical bulletin distributed to all teams last week. Both Dodge and Chevy soon will announce that they have been given approval by NASCAR to change to the new models, with Chevy's announcement possibly coming as soon as this week. According to the sources, the stock car version has been approved for use by Dodge teams for both the current Nextel Cup car as well as the Car of Tomorrow version, starting next season. The switch from Monte Carlo to Impala could signal the end of the Monte Carlo name from the Chevrolet lineup, as its rear-drive design is used on its model alone and at the present time, no replacement is on the drawing boards at GM. However, unlike its Dodge counterpart, the Impala SS will only be used by Chevrolet teams for their Car of Tomorrow, according to sources. Manufacturers and NASCAR also are continuing to move forward with plans to change all of the models used in the Busch Series, perhaps as soon as the 2010 season. That change would put smaller, sportier models into competition, like the retro-designed Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger – as well as the Toyota Solara.(Yahoo Sports)(10-24-2006)


Anyone know what's smaller and sportier about a Camry with the words Solara slapped on it?

[Mikkoo]

Originally Posted by kool_zx3

Monte carlo sales will be in the toilet now...

I'm amazed that they weren't in the toilet several years ago.
This car is just been riding out it's time. It has been
neglected severely in the styling update department.

[macphisto]

This likely means that there will be no new Monte Carlo. So either the large coupe will be gone from Chevy or they'll go with the Chevelle design they've worked on.

[JohnPetrosky2k]

Originally Posted by macphisto

This likely means that there will be no new Monte Carlo. So either the large coupe will be gone from Chevy or they'll go with the Chevelle design they've worked on.

Didn't GM allready say they were cancelling the Monte.......??? I though that I read that somewhere

[ByTheLake]

Originally Posted by kool_zx3

Monte carlo sales will be in the toilet now...

GM only sold 3170 Monte Carlos in September 2006. Sales are already disappointing.

I'm one of those guys that just doesn't "get it" when it comes to NASCAR.

NASCAR has given General Motors permission to phase out the Monte Carlo SS ... and replace it with the Impala SS.

Translation:
NASCAR has given GM permission to remove the Monte Carlo headlight and grille stickers and apply Impala headlight and grille stickers

The article ends with:

In races not using the "car of tomorrow," teams will still run Monte Carlos.

But there are NO Monte Carlos on NASCAR tracks ... only plastic shells with stickers on them. Is this really a loss?

[importedtuna]

Translation:
NASCAR has given GM permission to remove the Monte Carlo headlight and grille stickers and apply Impala headlight and grille stickers

Why change the headlight and grille stickers when all you need are NEW LETTERS...?

The bumper is some generic NASCAR crud anyway.

[bjl84]

I think they are switching to the impala because toyota and the camry. isnt the impala direct competition for the camry. and it will look good for the impala beating the camry on the track

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by macphisto

This likely means that there will be no new Monte Carlo. So either the large coupe will be gone from Chevy or they'll go with the Chevelle design they've worked on.

Agreed. The rumor was that the Monte Carlo was supposed to get the axe and that there might be a large mid-sized coupe ala Chevelle to make a come back and compliment the Camaro.

But who knows --- perhaps Chevy has something else up their sleeve. I can remember Lutz and others saying that GM should eliminate overlap between divisions and a new Chevelle to replace the Monte Carlo might be considered a kind of overlap with the expected GTO for Pontiac.

GM has been kind of vague about all of this anyway, so we'll have to see....

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by Mikkoo

I'm amazed that they weren't in the toilet several years ago.
This car is just been riding out it's time. It has been
neglected severely in the styling update department.

I agree, it's been neglected. I think that the newer model with the updated interior and exterior are the nicer looking ones and are arguably improved from the version we've had for some time.

But I don't know if that's enough to save it. The Monte Carlo was always supposed to be an honest, blue-collar luxury coupe and that's fine. But it also doesn't have the best brand awareness outside of the NASCAR crowd. Perhaps it's time for a change...

[04bonnie]

This seems weird, since the Monte Carlo just recently got the V8, now they are going to get rid of it? What are they thinking? Just like the Bonneville GXP (still a sore spot with me), they finally have it right and they cancel the model, just don't get this kind of thinking. As far as NASCAR is concerned, YES, it's just a shell with stickers, so either it looks like a 2 door, or 4 door painted on the body, who really cares? They (chevy) should keep the Monte, it's not going to be as good a seller as the Impala, but they still need it, since Pontiac doesn't have a budget mid-sized 2-door since the Grand Prix went only 4-door. (2-door G6 is there, but certainly won't compete with the Monte Carlo sales)

[motorman]

no one else in NASCAR racing builds a 2 door coupe,they just use the 4 door version made into a 2 door. GM was spending extra money building the MC for no reason other than NASCAR. since NASCAR only uses the front and read shapes the impala will do that.