2001-into-2021 Chevy Monte Carlo Is a Strange Modernized Coupe

We're quite partial to a 1987 Monte Carlo SS in black with a small suspension drop and nice wheels. The 1970s car also looks decent. However, the Monte Carlo from the 2000s is an entirely different thing, so ugly that most people want to forget it ever existed.

However, YouTube artist TheSketchMonkey thought the 2001 Monte Carlo looked interesting enough to be resurrected as a modern machine. And so he set about working on the imperfection from two decades ago to bring us a modern, 2021 model year version.

The Monte Carlo of that era was a two-door based on the Impala. It's not like the Camaro from that era, the "Catfish", was that well-received either. However, the Monty just resembled a blob of melted cheese with not enough performance credentials to back itself up.

We think that most of these blobs from the early 2000s have been forgotten, and they all shared the unfortunate cab-forward look. Do you want a Toyota Solara? Or how about Accord Coupe of the same model year? Probably not.

In our opinion, the artist failed in making the Monte Carlo into a car that feels contemporary, which is pretty unusual. The rendering just looks like somebody modified that particular Chevy, adding bigger wheels and a better bumper. But no amount of finessing can turn melted cheese into a gourmet meal. The only upside is a nice frame around the rear, with the taillights pushed out to the sides. It looks like a modern take on the Kammback shape.

Want specs for the cheese blob? Of course. This is a sixth-generation car that came with a 3.4-liter V6 making 180 hp as standard. The one in the photos (being rendered) is an SS model that made a whopping 200 hp from a 3.8-liter V6.

They did have a supercharged version too with 240 hp, but the most impressive model was a 300 hp 5.3-liter V8. Yeah, that's a transverse V8 in a front-wheel-drive car.