Oppo Confession I love the Monte Carlo SS

"JR1" (type35bugatti) 11/07/2015 at 10:08 • Filed to: Monte Carlo SS

2

40

This is one of the last big American personal luxury cars. Almost 200in. 305hp from a small block V8. And I have always loved the look of these. I would also take the four door Impala SS as well. Who wouldn’t want a car that can top out at 154mph for about 8k on the used market?

My citroen won't start > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:12

0

I wound’t, especially if the interior was made out of spit and kleenex.

jkm7680 > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:13

1

FWD, horrible handling and ugly as hell.

PS9 > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:15

0

Someone who doesn’t enjoy repeatedly replacing transmissions.

V8 + 90s-00s GM FWD transaxle tech = No bueno. Just get a first gen CTS-V.

JR1 > PS9 11/07/2015 at 10:17

0

Or the rwd Cadillac STS

JR1 > jkm7680 11/07/2015 at 10:17

0

It is classic muscle. Fast in a straight line and looks great (imho)

JR1 > My citroen won't start 11/07/2015 at 10:18

0

The interior leaves something to be desired

jkm7680 > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:18

0

Mmmm, it’s FWD.

JR1 > jkm7680 11/07/2015 at 10:19

0

Still a muscle car. Just a less fun FWD muscle car.

Opposite Locksmith > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:19

0

>classic muscle

>fwd

JR1 > jkm7680 11/07/2015 at 10:19

1

BTW by the 911

PS9 > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:20

0

Nah. A Northstar can’t compete with an LS. You could always do a swap but...nah.

PS9 > My citroen won't start 11/07/2015 at 10:28

0

Spit and kleenex are what you get if you go for the LTZ trim. Pocket lint and dried bird doo are what they use for the base model. No air standard, of course.

JR1 > Opposite Locksmith 11/07/2015 at 10:29

0

FWD is the only downside here but it is the same basic formula. Big car and straight line speed that is it

JR1 > PS9 11/07/2015 at 10:31

0

The N* isn’t bad in the STS.

Opposite Locksmith > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:37

0

Then a neon srt 4 is a muscle car

JR1 > Opposite Locksmith 11/07/2015 at 10:41

0

Not a V8

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:41

0

“luxury”

JR1 > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 11/07/2015 at 10:43

0

Coming from what I drive this is luxury

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:45

0

Right but (and I’m sorry if I sound like an ass here) that doesn’t make it a personal luxury car. Maybe it was once, but certainly not by the time the last few generations rolled around.

Your boy, BJR > PS9 11/07/2015 at 10:46

0

Bro do you even 4T80?

Besides, except for the ‘06 and ‘07, the first gen CTS-v had major diff trouble

JR1 > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 11/07/2015 at 10:49

1

I guess it might be reaching a bit to call it a personal luxury coupe but that is certainly the idea behind the car. Big personal car. Just like the predecessors but it certainly lost some of the glamour

PS9 > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:50

0

It’s also not that good. It’s a V8 that makes V6 levels of power. The LS is superior in every measurable way. The first gen CTS-V is still quick by today’s standards and is way easier to make faster if you find it doesn’t have enough for you.

JR1 > PS9 11/07/2015 at 10:56

1

No. In the era the N* was a V8 that made V8 levels of power. Look at Mustangs, Mercedes S-Classes, BMW 7 Series, etc. I won’t argue that the LS isn’t superior but you can’t discount the V8 in the STS. It was an attempt to distinguish the marque from Chevys. Which isn’t a bad thing.

Opposite Locksmith > JR1 11/07/2015 at 10:59

1

Plenty of people consider classic mustangs and the other offerings with I6’s and RWD to be muscle. Calling the Monte Carlo classic muscle (let alone multiple times) is ridiculous. It’s a fine car though, great value if you shop for a tranny beforehand so it’s cheap, more expensive to get in a rush. Can’t get a modern 300 horse v8 car that comfy for cheaper

boxrocket > JR1 11/07/2015 at 11:10

0

...have you driven one?

Sweet Trav > JR1 11/07/2015 at 11:12

1

All the northstars are turrible

Sweet Trav > JR1 11/07/2015 at 11:14

1

Except they already had a DOHC V8 that was actually good. The LT5. The Northstar is easily outdone by the LN2 3.8l V6 Turbo from the Grand National. GM made decision to abandon turbo engines in favor of Hi-tech DOHC engines for their premium cars. It clearly was a mistake

JR1 > boxrocket 11/07/2015 at 11:15

0

Nope but it seems to be an attractive option for something fun to drive in a straight line

touring the brook - now with ZHP! > JR1 11/07/2015 at 11:15

0

I like them in a weird way. Like I hate them and would never be seen in one, but I like them. I guess its the FWD LS4.

Sweet Trav > JR1 11/07/2015 at 11:16

1

I think you have this car misaken with the one on the right. The W-body Monte should have never existed.

JR1 > Sweet Trav 11/07/2015 at 11:17

0

The final version in the STS/XLR wasn’t bad

JR1 > Sweet Trav 11/07/2015 at 11:18

0

But that is missing the point. The LT5 was in the Corvette. I think with the N* was introduced the thinking was create a motor that distinguishes itself from the other GM brands.

TheHondaBro > JR1 11/07/2015 at 11:18

0

Just compromise and get a VQ Infiniti.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > JR1 11/07/2015 at 11:19

0

But wrong wheel drive

JR1 > TheHondaBro 11/07/2015 at 11:21

0

They are nice cars but not a V8 only a V6

JR1 > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 11/07/2015 at 11:21

0

Yeah that is the worst part

boxrocket > JR1 11/07/2015 at 11:22

0

Ah.

I’d like the design better without the creases above the wheels.

That’s about as positive as I can be here.

Opposite Locksmith > JR1 11/07/2015 at 11:24

1

Just put massive cams in

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > JR1 11/07/2015 at 12:23

0

Yaaaaaaaaaas. Finally, I’m not the only one!

PS9 > JR1 11/07/2015 at 15:35

0

The Northstar ‘in it’s era’ was still a V8 making V6 levels of power. We know that because the V6 GM put under the STSs hood in 2008...made about the same power as the Northstar. GMs own V6s were making it look obsolete.

Every single one of those cars had a 300HP six cylinder option. Let’s not even get into how the northstar compares to the V8s they were putting under the hoods of the S-Class and 7 Series at the time. That’s not a comparison at all. As big a fan of american performance as I am, it borders on delusion to say the Northstar was even a little bit competitive with offerings from germany, especially given that six cylinder engines both in and out of the luxury segment were hitting that power mark.

It’s not bad. It’s just not very good. Middle of the road. C+ at best. It may be different from what you get at Chevy, but that’s meaningless; being ‘different’ isn’t as important as being good.