The Holden Monaro is officially a ''gas guzzler''.
Accelerated plans to export the V8 Monaro to the US as the Pontiac GTO mean that the coupe will be the first car sold by General Motors since 1994 to be subjected to the so-called ''gas guzzler'' tax.
This federal tax penalises any passenger car - but not a pick-up truck or ''sport-utility vehicle'' - which achieves an average fuel consumption lower than 22.5mpg (12.5 litres/100km) by adding thousands of dollars to its list price. The V10 Dodge Viper, for instance, cops a $US3000 ($A5360) ''gas-guzzler'' tax.
Fuel consumption tests conducted to Australian standards show the V8 automatic Monaro with its 225kW engine returns an average 13.0 litres per 100km (21.7mpg) during city driving, and 8.0 litres/100km (35.3mpg) during country driving.
However, it's not the 225kW engine that the US market wants.
''For a car to be credible, accepted as a rebirth of the rear-drive American muscle car, it has got to have that rocket-sled acceleration off the line,'' Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman for product development, said at a media event in Munich, Germany.
This suggests Lutz wants the Pontiac GTO to produce the higher rate of power provided by the Holden Special Vehicles version of the Monaro: 255kW.
Holden can't make that happen because to achieve the desired economies of scale it has to build the US cars ''on line'' at its South Australian plant.
If Lutz is adamant about his Pontiac's power numbers, Holden may be forced to ship the cars to the US with their ''standard'' engines, then have power-lifting modifications performed there.
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You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen. It said, 'Parking Fine.'So that was nice.
Any one that buys a V8 with 350 plus horsepower and then worries about fuel economy is a bit silly. Lutz also said 350 hp or 262 kw will be the minimum for the GTO, it could also get the LS6 402 hp.
Originally posted by ls1vx Any one that buys a V8 with 350 plus horsepower and then worries about fuel economy is a bit silly. Lutz also said 350 hp or 262 kw will be the minimum for the GTO, it could also get the LS6 402 hp.
I agree, it really annoys me when people sulk about the fuel economy of their V8, if you are that worried by a toymotor Prius.
The Corvette doesn't get the gas guzzler tax as it has a 1st to 4th skip shift for the 6 speed when you aren't giving it the onions to save gas - solenoid forces a shift from 1st to 4th.
That's how the got around it. Also the reason why cylinder deactivation is being looked at seriously.
I think it would make sense if ultra-low-volume cars were excluded from the gas guzzler tax. Ironically even the Honda Insight would fit into this category...
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Jack Travis, E-Series Acting President
1989 Ford Fairmont Ghia turbo/GL replica (underway)
1994 Eunos 800M
1990 Ford Laser S
Originally posted by Falchoon From the Canberra Times
If Lutz is adamant about his Pontiac's power numbers, Holden may be forced to ship the cars to the US with their ''standard'' engines, then have power-lifting modifications performed there.
Hang on, what's the point of importing the engines here only to send them back again???? Why don't they just send the car with no engine and have it fitted over there with whatever they want.
Hang on, what's the point of importing the engines here only to send them back again???? Why don't they just send the car with no engine and have it fitted over there with whatever they want.
Ohh, der, how do you get it on the boat, you tool?
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