Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Something comes over us when we're in a Chevy Monte Carlo.It's hard not to fantasize we're rocketing down the front straight at Talladega with 42 stock cars glued to the rear bumper.Or maybe we're going through the inner loop at Watkins Glen, bounding off the curbs as we go through the big chicane.The Monte Carlo has that bad boy look and feel.

No matter what you think of the styling, you'll quickly form a bond with the Monte Carlo.It's just so easy to get along with this car.It's roomy and comfortable and easy to operate.It's fast and fun to drive.It's stable at high speeds for long runs down the interstate and it's great fun on back roads, the same kind of roads that form the roots of stock car racing.

The Monte Carlo also offers a lot of value, with strong performance for the dollar.You see, the Monte's mission is two-fold.Since its debut in 1970, it's been a high-value personal luxury coupe, a car that delivers a lot of visual importance for relatively small monthly payments.But for most of those years, the Monte Carlo has also been Chevrolet's standard-bearer in stock car racing.Keeping ahead of the competition has required constant aerodynamic refinement.So there's a reason the Monte Carlo looks like it does: the Winston Cup rule book.The rules of Winston Cup racing demand the cars we see flying around the high banks are similar to those sitting in the showrooms.The result is an attention-grabbing shape like no other on the road, a shape born in the wind tunnels.

It's a surprisingly practical shape as well.Despite its race-track breeding, the Monte Carlo offers more interior volume that any other car in its class (with the exception of other GM vehicles).Its front-drive chassis is tuned for a comfortable ride and competent handling.An SS model, the only Monte Carlo to buy, provides a potent 3.8-liter V6 to complement its racy good looks.Of course, the Monte Carlo at the local dealership does not have the tube-frame chassis or rear-wheel drive of a NASCAR machine.But the SS does deliver spirited performance, along with a chance to feel connected to a winning tradition.

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