Holden Monaro to be revived in spirit with V8 ‘sports car’ in 2017

GET ready for the Holden Camaro – a rebadged version of the Chevrolet Camaro that will effectively be a V8-powered replacement for the Monaro, one of Australia’s most iconic nameplates.

Holden has confirmed it will sell a V8-powered sports car in Australia as Commodore production winds down in 2017.

Speaking at the 2015 Detroit motor show, the vice-president of General Motors’ Asian-based Consolidated International Operations, Stefan Jacoby, confirmed a high-performance model would step in once the V8-powered Commodores were discontinued in 2017.

“We will bring a Holden sports car in the … near future,” said Jacoby. “It will be something which truly fulfils the requirements of a true Holden sports car.”

When asked if the car would be powered by a V8, Jacoby said: “Most likely, yes”.

Given the high price and low volumes of the Corvette – a car that has a tightly packaged engine that is extremely difficult to switch to right-hand drive – the Camaro muscle car is the most likely option.

The next-generation Camaro is due in 2016 internationally and likely to be produced for a global market with the steering wheel on the right-hand side.

The 2017 Holden Monaro – sorry, Camaro – would sell alongside its long-running rival, the Ford Mustang, which will be offered in Australia from late 2015 with four-cylinder turbo and V8 engines.

The big question is whether Holden will badge the Camaro as a Monaro.

When asked about the future Holden sports car, Jacoby initially said it could revive the Monaro nameplate.

But, cryptically, he later said it would not signal the return of the Monaro.

Either way, there’s little doubt some buyers will see it as the spiritual successor to the legendary two-door Commodore that has not been available for almost a decade.

Jacoby even suggested the new Holden sports car would likely receive Australian design and/or engineering input.

“I think it was a wise decision to maintain our Lang Lang proving ground,” he said.

As for timing, Jacoby said it will most likely arrive after Commodore production ends, which is slated for 2017.