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Chevrolet Monte Carlo coupe emerges in a powerful new format
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- On the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, two classic American automobile races -- the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NASCAR's Coka-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway -- unfolded hundreds of miles apart and at different hours of the day yet with a point in common because competitors in both races were led around their oval tracks by the same type of new Chevrolet coupe employed as the official pace car.
Boldly styled in an aggressive yet fluid design and painted a brickyard red with checkered race decals flowing down side panels, these new coupes used as pace cars marked the debut of a new generational edition for Chevrolet's two-door coupe. Less flashy renditions, currently flowing from Chevrolet's Canadian assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, sport the name of Chevy's 1970 muscle car, Monte Carlo.
With these new cars, the fabled stock coupe of Chevrolet lives again.
What began late in 1969 as a 360 hp sports coupe whose front hood stretched for six feet, Monte Carlo by the 1980s as a NASCAR racer had scored 95 victories in 183 Winston Cup events before the consumer edition was deleted in 1988.
It returned in 1994 with futuristic lines in a mid-size format built on the same chassis that supported the popular Chevrolet Lumina sedan. A sleek shell, looking like it could ride the wind, concealed a taut structural system, comfortable interior components and two powertrain choices.
A Winston Cup racer bearing the Monte Carlo name continued in similar style and became the most successful nameplate on the NSACAR circuit, accounting for 21 wins of the past 27 manufacturer's championships and in the decade of the 1990s for eight of nine driver's championships.
The new Monte Carlo for model-year 2000 uses the platform of a new Impala, which succeeded Lumina recently as Chevy's family sedan staple. It contains many of the components of the Impala, including both V6 engine selections and multiple safety features, yet follows its own track for exterior styling and interior features.
This edition of Monte Carlo conforms to international proportions at less than 200 inches for length but it provides generous interior dimensions for cabin and cargo volume. Under the hood, an efficient six-cylinder engine directs all torque to turn the front wheels.
The volume model -- Monte Carlo LS -- totes a 3.4-liter plant from General Motors, which produces 180 hp and earns fuel economy figures as high as 32 miles per gallon.
The performance edition -- Monte Carlo SS -- traces by name to a V8-powered 1983 edition. This new SS, containing a 3.8-liter V6 with sequential port fuel injection system and multi-valve technology, features aluminum cylinder heads and pent-roof firing chambers. It runs up to 200 hp.
An electronically-controlled four-speed automatic transmission, GM's smooth Hydra-matic shifter, links to each V6, with no option for a manual shifter.
Unique exterior styling for Monte Carlo begins with an overall form consisting of the signature extended prow and abbreviated rear deck, with shapely C pillars in curvy form enhancing an arched profile.
The nose tapers to a low point, a front grille squeezes narrowly into a horizontal plane that conforms with the shape of twin headlamp clusters, as the hoodline rolls upward from the front in a smooth bow which bulges to meet a contoured windshield. Side panels seem rather flat but there are muscular shoulders rippling over the large wheel wells, which house big 16-inch wheels and tires.
A distinct tail treatment for the curt tapered panel reveals twin round tail lamps set in vertical clusters reminiscent of the rear end of the earliest Monte Carlos.
Trail a Monte Carlo in traffic and that stubby but bold tail design draws the eye and provokes a racy image: It looks strong and powerful.
Drive it, like we did during a series of road tests on highways and city streets stretched across the Carolinas and into the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the strength, poise and finesse of Chevrolet's new coupe quickly become apparent.
Rigid structural components set up the Monte Carlo's lively personality, beginning with a safety cage whose underbody has extra longitudinal and cross-car bracing to exert more torsional stiffness when the vehicle moves down the road. The unibody structure encases a passenger compartment with steel beams which can absorb and deflect forces of an impact in a crash.
Side body stampings from the A pillars rearward to the tail amount to a single piece of convoluted metal, with a horizontal cast slab of magnesium bracing the width from one A pillar to the other behind the dash.
An aluminum engine cradle functions as foundation for Monte Carlo's engine, front suspension components, steering system and front sheetmetal. The lightweight but strong structure not only isolates engine vibrations but permits tighter tuning of suspension elements to enrich the handling characteristics.
A four-wheel independent suspension allows the car to react with solid sensations when lipping over pavement bumps, and it moves precisely when asked to steer clear of lane obstacles like slower traffic. The suspension puts a MacPherson strut at each corner and progressive-rate springs to dampen road chatter and prevent excessive body roll.
Actually, the LS and upgraded SS editions differ in ride quality due to variances in suspension tuning. Softer settings go to the LS, while the SS exhibits firmer characteristics because of a sport suspension package with larger stabilizer bars, front and rear, plus different tuning for shock absorbers and stiffer springs.
Rack and pinion steering feels assertive and taut to handle at higher speeds yet easy to manipulate when parking.
A disc brake at every wheel tied to four-wheel anti-lock controls rank as standard components, but the SS adds a traction controller.
Passengers ride within the steel safety cage which has energy-absorbing foam inside A pillars, high-strength blanks in B pillars with a thicker gauge of steel below the beltline, plus sturdy door beams and energy-absorbing foam in the two side doors. Dual frontal air bags are in place, and for personal security the car offers a remote keyless entry system, theft-deterrent device, plus an optional trap-resistant trunk system with internal release lever and a lockout strap for the rear folding seatbacks.
The spacious cabin contains a driver-oriented cockpit with front bucket seats divided by a console, followed by the rear bench divided in 40:60 ratio. A number of appealing standard features show up in the LS base version, like air conditioning, a stereo sound package, tilting steering wheel, variable wipers, power door locks, analog instruments with tachometer, door map pockets and delayed entry/exit lights with theater dimming feature.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2000 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size coupe
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| Model Options: |
Mid-size coupe
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| Wheelbase: |
110.5 inches
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| Overall Length: |
197.9 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 3.4-L V6
OHV 3.8-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + opt. 1 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
3.4-L: 20/32 mpg
3.8-L: 20/29 mpg
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| Price: |
$ 20,000 to $ 25,000 |
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