Holden Coupe 60: The Last Pontiac GTO

[blaksabb]

Coupe 60 does look very cool but I think the production version would have been a flop like the last GTO. Look at all of that mass between the door and the rear wheel well. That is a really weak proportion that does not convey "sport" or "muscle" in the least. This car is painfully obvious as a two-door sedan based off of a large 4-door.

I know the Camaro is also on Zeta but the proportions have been radically altered and the B-pillar is far less prominent. In fact, the only things really attractive on the Coupe 60 are the Show-Car kibble like the carbon fiber splitter and huge fender flares. Most companies don't have the balls to put that stuff into production; especially not GM. If it was ever produced, this Commodore Coupe would be severely watered down.

[srd275]

I disagree with comments saying this would be a flop. Holden made money on the GTO and no doubt GM did.

I would have bought one. But with no Pontiac, I know I won't be buying a Chevy. NOT INTERESTED!

[schmallz]

I'm in the same boat you are, RWD is the best configuration for performance.

GM could easily build 4 RWD cars, sell them as Pontiacs, Holdens and possibly Opels/Vauxhalls, too.

Sub-Compact (Aveo, Yaris, Fiesta, Sentra)
SWB Alpha (I4s)
Lemans/Barina

Compact (Cruze, Corrola, Focus, Altima)
LWB Alpha (V6s)
Grand Am/Torana

Mid Size (Malibu, Camry, Fusion, Maxima)
SWB Zeta(V8s)
Grand Prix/Commodore

Full Size
LWB Zeta (Bigger V8s)
Bonneville/Statesman

Throw in the Coupe 60, UTE, all the HSV Vehicles.

You guys have it good in Oz, except for the the Pick Up thing.

[hotrod747]

This is a great car by all means, but it would have been the wrong car for Pontiac. Waaaay too close to the Camaro formula especially in size and just not radical or polarizing enough. This is simply too predictable and safe. Great looking car, though.

[Canuck]

Originally Posted by hotrod747

This is a great car by all means, but it would have been the wrong car for Pontiac. Waaaay too close to the Camaro formula especially in size and just not radical or polarizing enough. This is simply too predictable and safe. Great looking car, though.

I disagree about the Coupe 60 being too close to the Camaro. The Coupe 60 is too the upcoming CTS coupe. It is a shame the coupe market is so small a car like this one will never be sold.

[mikmak]

Originally Posted by skylark68

There was a actually a case to rebadge Holdens as Oldsmobiles in the '90s. There was an article in Hemmings Musclecar News a few years back that interviewed one of the higher ups of Olds at the time. He pushed to move Olds to RWD by the late '90s and early '00s, but GM beancounters refused. Can you imagine if there had been a renewed 442?

That is an interesting concept Skylark. I never really thought that the Commodore fit into GM's flotilla of badges (previous to this most recent cull). Oldsmobile would probably have probably been a closer fit, aside from the rightful traditionalist backlash that would have resulted.

[mang01]

This article is an obvious rehash (rebadge!?) of the one done for Wheels - look down the Holden forum a bit further.
Other than the factual errors already noted, the line

Prior to that, Holden's usual modus operandi was to pirate another GM rear-drive platform (usually from Opel)

conveniently ignores the fact that all prior Holdens were similar to but actually unique ("in all the world") up until the first VB Commodore, except for the HB Torana and then the TX Gemini (and you could thus say "all prior fullsize Holdens up until.."). That's thirty years of unique fullsize Holden designs and LH-UC Toranas too, with LC-LJ being "somewhat unique" too.
This is a case of Stahly making money out of a rehashed article and flippantly being frivolous with the facts for supposed international audience. I understand the realities of publishing articles in different forms but I expect more of him as far as the facts go.
And no-one has mentioned it is really a Monaro first and foremost not a GTO (and most definitely is very different from the 5th Gen Camaro; it's a grown-up's coupe, not a boy-racer's). This is presumably because the rehash slanted it that way - the Wheels article written for Oz/NZ readers understandably slanted it as the 3rd Gen Monaro replacement it was intended to be, with GTO sales as a necessary component to achieve volume.
Well, that's my grouch..
Interesting to hear Olds had a bid in (for what exactly, the coupe or some of or even the whole range?). I suspect each middle-market division put in a bid for it (a version of the Commodore) given Buick even showed its idea of the VT as a concept and reputedly helped fund the LHD version of same. That'd be a lot like they all did a bid for the prototype coupe that became the '63 Riviera (Cadillac and Chev were uninterested then and probably this time too).

[mang01]

Actually another thing - and I think I pointed out something similar in the other forum for the Wheels article

Thanks to Bob Lutz's global strategy, the all-new rear-wheel-drive Zeta architecture was developed instead..

Really, according to Peter Robinson's book, the go it alone new platform VE was Holden's decision and was made essentially before Lutz really had his hands properly on the wheels anyway...

[mang01]

Sorry, this article just so riles me!

but now the Commodore VE's four-link rear suspension, front-steer rack-and-pinion and nearly 50/50 weight distribution have made everyone forget about the Monaro. You just buy the Commodore SS and get on with things.

I, and many people I know, will so not ever forget about Monaro and just go buy a Commodore, SS or otherwise.. I would NOT OWN a 21st century car if it were not for the V2 Monaro i.e. and I would NOT buy a Commodore - too common and "family" for my taste!
I suspect many GTO owners might feel the same to some degree?

[T'Cal]

Originally Posted by mikmak

Welcome to GMI pellz. I'm sure there are plenty that agree with you when it comes to full size coupes. I for one spent a recent lunch break, staring at a s class Mercedes Coupe. It was unbelievably beautiful (wish I had my camera at the time!) and I think there is opportunity now to get more coupes back on the road, making them the next big thing (again). I would love a nice big touring coupe.

Welcome, Pellz! I too long for a big coupe from GM and Ford. I would thoroughly enjoy a RWD, five passenger, midsized Chevelle with direct competition from Ford in the form of a T-bird, Cougar, or Torino. I'm a sucker for future/retro styling like that of the Camaro, Challenger, and Mustang so a Chevelle would need some cues from the classic models of the early 70s.