Has GM / Vauxhall lost the plot with coupes?
The Monza GSi seems to have been the last decent GM coupe. The Calibra V6 might have been a decent replacement if the handling had been much sharper. The Astra Coupe is nice enough for a small car but is going to be replaced by a Corsa based coupe, ala Tigra. Is this really what we want?
An Omega Coupe with Holden providing the V8 power and Lotus sorting out the suspension would surely have sold well but this won't ever happen now.
I suppose we can't expect any more from a company that "replaced" the Cavalier with the Vectra. As someone else said, change is inevitable - progress is optional.
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Vauxhall seem to have been looking over the fence at Renault and have built the Omega replacement, the Signum(?), in the style of the Vel Satis.
Following on logically, there's an Vauxhall Avantime waiting around there somewhere too. But then the roads aren't exactly choked with the Renault MPV-Coupe-u-like, so perhaps Vauxhall don't see a market for a new Coupe.
Lee.
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If you want great looking coupes, take a look at the next generation Leon which is based on the Salas concept car (on line torygraph motoring).
The body shell WILL be the shape of the new Leon and imho, it looks absolutely great! If GM don't build a decent coupe, look elsewhere is my advice.
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Seat makes the Leon. Who makes the imho ?
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Hi, RogerL,
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Sorry, my shortest post to date!
Meant to quote you!
>> The Monza GSi seems to have been the last decent GM coupe. >>The Calibra V6 might have been a decent replacement if the handling had been much sharper.
Maybe the Calibra wasn't the sharpest out of the box, but it didn't have too much of a challenge in that departmnt from following the Opel Monza; although the latter was hellish fun through the bends, you weren't going as fast as you thought you were, but soon realised that that briskly driven 1.4 Fiesta ahead was going to reach town still in front.
btw, I'm referring to the 3.0E and GSE Monzas, there wasn't such a thing as a Monza GSi on the British market. You didn't mean the coupe version of the Carlton did you? Both family limos in sporty disguise. Both gorgeous to look at in a muscle car sort of way.
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Yes, I meant the Monza GSE, same thing really. The UK market never had a Carlton Coupe. The Opel & Vauxhall Senator Coupes were the Opel Monza although the original Vauxhall Royale (Opel Senator) did have a Vauxhall coupe version.
My point was that Vauxhall coupes are shrinking in size - Monza, Calibra, Astra and forthcoming Corsa/Tigra. Each replacement has been built on the next smaller floorpan.
One other point. The Signum will be built on the Vectra floorpan so isn't really a replacement for the Omega.
Holden use V8 power in their ordinary versions of the Omega, why doesn't GM/Vauxhall just import them, they're already right-hand drive.
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Hi, straight six fan !
You're right, oops the Carlton 3000 GSi isn't a coupe, but it kind of looks like one because of the OTT bodykit? And yes, E (einspritz) is German for i, ja ?
fwiw I think the Monza is the business. They are spectacularly cheap at the moment for a car which should probably qualify as a non-exotic classic. Don't be tempted though folks, because rust is going to be a big problem however gorgeous the paintwork looks. Where the steering's attached has become loose on some cars, and the tough sixes are unleaded after March '85, but they all have an appetite fore high octane petrol. Did the previous owners realise this? Expect a bit of tapping from the cam area, this isn't serious unless excessive. Whoops, I'm getting a bit carried away.
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E - einspritzung : german, usually used for single-point (ein) injection
i - inezzione : italian, usually used for multi-point injection
Compare and contrast: Rover 820e, 820i
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The Holden Commodore isnt really an Oz version of the Omega, it is much bigger! Standard engine is the V6 3.8l, then there is the V8 5.6l. Both are available with supercharger!
All very large cars especially in wagon (estate) form.
The most recent addition is a 2 door coupe...this started off as a special for the Sydney motorshow built in spare time, it was so popular that the public forced Holden to put it into production.
Called the Camaro I think
Ian L (currently in Oz)
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Oops, sorry, the V8 is a 5.7l litre block sourced from the GM plant in the US.
I.
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The coupe that should be imported in the UK is the Holden Monaro. It is the 2 door version of the Holden Commodore, and is a available with a supercharged 3.8litre V6 (171kW) for about 14,500 pounds [1] or with a 5.7 V8 (225kW) for 17,530 pounds.
In my opinion it is gorgeous and the press out here love the styling. Haven't had a chance to drive it yet (might do in next couple of weeks) but the motoring press admire it as a drivers car. You can see the car at www.holden.com.au There are also some version breathed upon by HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) which are upto to 10k dearer but more powerful and seeing as the HSV Commodore has been imported into the UK, we may get them - but at vastly increased prices though. I also seem to remember that the HSV version was designed by an Englishman and that TWR had something to do with it.
[1] sorry no sterling sign on keyboard
Paul C
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