http://www.holden.com.au//images/ute..._ModelHero.jpg


I guess this is built on the same line as the Monaro/GTO.

With the price at Z28/SS levels and an LS1 I would buy one TOMORROW for a commuter.

Kinda sad that GM went to all the trouble to build the SSR while this was available. Somebody please explain to me really slowly how it is more difficult to make this into a left hand drive car than it is to make an SSR from the ground up.

 

I know everyone has their own opinion......

but, is their anyone who doesn't agree that this is much cooler than SSr

 

I'm not an SSR fan, but that really doesn't do anything for me either...

I'm just not into the whole El Camino, El Ranchero, etc etc theme...

 

IMO ...

... being a "Roadster" is what makes the SSR special.
... it's not "ground up", it's on a Trailblazer platform.
... few will buy one as a daily driver.

That having been said I agree that GM/Chevy should have a complete, affordable RWD line-up, 2 door coupe and convertible, 4 door sedan (or better yet, hardtop), wagon and El Camino.

 

Same here...I think GM might have dropped the ball on this car...I don't see it selling to well.

 

Same here. Go with just one, a truck or a car.

 

SS UTE

I love it.

 

The UTE would be theperfect car for me. It has the utility of a truck, but at the same time has the handling of a car. The thing that turns me off of pickups is that I actually want something Fast that gets car-like fuel economy, has excellent handling (and I don't mean for a truck ) looks cool, and is sporty.

I know it's not for everybody, some of you actually like big bulky trucks, but I feel I shouldn't have to sacrfice car like performance and ride, and tolarate the increased problems of a high canter of gravity, and just plain old having to buy more than you need just to get a vehicle to move the occasional piece of furniture, take a cooler or a keg to the beach or park, or pick up the occasional supplies. I surely don't need a 4500 pound vehicle or something able to carry a ton of whatever just to have a vehicle to do that.

The UTE (or El Camino) isn't for everyone just like a 2 seat sports car isn't. But as a high powered RWD capable of light hauling and the ability to run up winding Highway 1 without the risk of tipping over if I have to quickly dodge a clumsy motorist on I-5, it's as close to a dream car to me as anything produced right now.

 

The original El Camino concept dates to an era when compact trucks didn't exist. Moreover, full-sized trucks of the time had short cabs with uncomfortably upright seating - not to mention the stiff rides, and wayward handling.

Modern pickups have actually become pretty civilized. If you ask me, a full-sized "Half-Ton" is really just a "passenger car" in drag, with few everyday penalties in terms of relative fuel economy, comfort, and, within reasonable limits, even handling. Most people use their half-tons just like their cars, something you couldn't say back when trucks were more likely to have a live calf in the bed rather than groceries under a hard tonneau.

I guess I don't see the market for a 4000lb Ute when I could potential buy a 3500lb compact, or 4500lb full-sized truck. The El Camino and Ranchero died for a good reason, something that GM should consider before exhuming the concept in the United States.

 

Sorry, but even though I love the 1st El Caminos, the Ute, while a cool concept, loses me on its styling short comings.

I'd rather have an SSR and personally, I do think the SSR is cooler. But, that's the great part... we don't have to agree.

 

Modern trucks are more civilized than they once were, but cars haven't stood still either. And unless someone finds a way to break the laws of physics, the center of gravity for trucks are still far higher than cars....even tall cars.

A 5.3 Silverado gets 15/18mpg (16/21 with the V6) while the old Impala SS got 18/26mpg was a whole hella lot faster, handled whole hella lot better, was far more comfortable to drive, and this was the biggest heaviest car you could get from GM shy of a Roadmaster or DeVille. A UTE/ElCamino weighing in at 3600 lbs or less (El Caminos actually weighed less than the cars they were based on) would certainly, with an LS1 & performance suspension, be far better than a truck. (I use the Silverado for an example because I refuse to believe you are suggesting I settle for a 6 cylinder Ranger or S10 instead).

El Camino & Ranchero were dying out before the S10 & Ranger came on the scene. Ranchero died in 79, and though GM took a leap of faith bringing out the downsized El Camino in 78, it sales were still decreasing. Saying there must have been a reason they died out could also be applied to the convertible and the t-top. Though once popular, the sales of both dwindled & died out, the convertible in the 70s, and the t-top today. You simply can't use that to judge future markets.

A UTE/El Camino SS is just what I'd need. A half-ton truck isn't. A compact truck isn't even on the radar screen. It may be for other people (and there's nothing wrong with that), but it's just not for me. That's all.

 

i think those are pretty sweet
i saw one in superchevy in one of there little show pistures it had something like 1200 horse but stock ones are pretty sweet to
they had that car in GMHTP a while back

 

I have enough faith in Bob Lutz to think it's well within the realm of possibility that we could end up seeing a new El Camino very similar to that Ute hitting our shores in the future. Maybe they're going to see what the reaction is to the GTO before they make any firm plans. If the GTO sells like hotcakes, it would be much easier to convince the necessary people that this truck should be here too. A GMC version could be just the shot in the arm some dealers will be looking for if they've just lost their Oldsmobile line.