Holden Monaro lives on in Coupe 60 concept
The legend of the Holden Monaro has again been revived with the radical Coupe 60 concept car revealed at the 2008 Melbourne motor show.
The Holden Monaro has been born again – at least as a concept in the form of the radical Coupe 60 unveiled at the 2008 Melbourne motor show.
In an elaborate reveal in the year Holden is celebrating its 60th anniversary of local production – hence the Coupe 60 name – Holden pulled the covers of one of its most eagerly anticipated concept cars.
Holden stopped short of calling the Coupe 60 concept a Monaro but admits it is a hint that the legendary two-door Holden could make yet another comeback.
“It is production capable,” says GM Holden design boss Tony Stolfo of the Coupe 60. “But this is pure concept. Right now there’s no intention to go into production with this car.”
Holden says the Coupe 60 is a “60th anniversary gift to the fans worldwide”.
“[Coupe 60] celebrates Holden’s history,” says Stolfo. “And there’s no better way to celebrate.”
The Coupe 60 shares its wheelbase and underpinnings with the VE Commodore sedan.
But the Coupe 60 is 60mm shorter than a Commodore thanks to the unique – and radical – design, particularly the stubby tail with a race-car-like diffuser.
Under the bonnet is Holden’s familiar Chevrolet-sourced 6.0-litre V8 but it’s capable of running on up to 85 per cent ethanol and can even run on only four cylinders during light throttle applications or cruising due to the Active Fuel Management (AFM) system.
Holden isn’t releasing details of the V8 engine’s output but expect something in the region of 300kW.
Massive 21-inch alloy wheels fill out the bulging wheel arches of the Coupe 60 while the twin side-exit exhausts in behind each door adds another muscular element.
As for the name, Holden says it considered lots of things – including Monaro – but decided on Coupe 60 as a celebration of the Holden production milestone.
“People will brand it Monaro, we’re calling it Coupe 60,” says Stolfo.
In an effort to streamline the design and give the Coupe 60 a more muscular stance the B pillars have been omitted.
While Holden is adamant the Coupe 60 is not yet set for showrooms – in much the same way as the Commodore Coupe concept of 1998 that later went on to become the Monaro – it says there are elements of the design that give a peek into the future.
“It highlights Holden’s heritage of rear wheel drive performance whilst looking ahead to the potential offered by new technologies and materials,” says newly appointed GM Holden chairman and managing director Mark Reuss. “This is a vehicle I know our designers would dearly love to see go into production, but for the moment it has to remain a concept only.”
In a media conference after the Coupe 60 reveal Reuss wouldn’t rule out production and revival of the Monaro, suggesting a decision depends on the market and response from General Motors executives.
“We’re taking the car to America for a leadership conference in Australia,” says Reuss. “Bob Lutz has seen it and thinks it’s drop-dead gorgeous. I think it’s one of the finest concept cars I’ve ever seen.”
The chief designer of the project, Peter Hughes – the man also responsible for the previous Monaro – says the Coupe 60 project has been in the pipeline for some time (2002).
“We were looking to mark the diamond anniversary with a car that captured the Holden DNA and took the current VE range to an exciting next step,” says Hughes. “Even in the early stages of VE development, we knew there was a sensational coupe waiting to get out and the 60th anniversary has given us the chance to explore that.
“With Coupe 60 we think we have designed a car that has the potential to write another chapter in the book of Holden icons.”