Unbelievably for those of us old enough to remember it, it’s been over 21 years since the last Holden Monaro rolled off the production line and more than 54 years since the last of the HG shape. Holden’s performance coupe sadly wasn’t part of the line-up when Holden shut in 2020, but remains one of its most iconic models to this day. That got us thinking – such as when we imagined a modern-day Holden line-up in November 2025 – what if Holden still made the Monaro today? What could AI create?

There’s no question that coupes and performance cars sell nowhere near as strongly as they once did, especially with the latest emissions standards plus the fuel crisis we’re currently experiencing. But we’d like to think that somehow in an alternative universe, Holden would have found a way to produce the Monaro in 2026, albeit maybe based on a potential Chevrolet Camaro.

The brief to AI: “A proper Aussie grand tourer: long bonnet, rear-drive stance, muscular but clean. Think heritage of the Holden Monaro blended with modern performance coupe vibes like a Ford Mustang and BMW M4, but unmistakably Australian.”

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What AI produced was – we think, at least – a pretty good design for a modern-day Monaro. We’d say that the model rendered would be the equivalent of the CV8, and its aggression is noticeable thanks to sharp LED headlights, bonnet vents and the low and wide stance with the big rear haunches.

The side profile is elegant with the long bonnet and short rear deck, frameless doors and strong shoulder line running into the rear hips. At the rear is a full-width LED light bar, quad exhausts (which AI described as “real ones, not fake nonsense”) and a subtle ducktail spoiler.

Inside the 2026 Monaro, AI rendered a driver-focused cockpit angled slightly towards the driver. A digital instrument cluster and large infotainment system feature, but many physical knobs for key controls (“because sanity matters”, says AI). Materials like leather and suede, as well as brushed aluminium and carbon trim, feature inside for an “expensive and upmarket feel”.

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As for drivetrains, AI predicts that the 2026 Monaro would offer three: a 500kW 6.2-litre supercharged V8 in the model shown, a 400kW twin-turbo V6 hybrid with optional all-wheel drive and – in a sign of the times – a 600kW dual-motor electric variant with torque vectoring and a “simulated V8 character mode”. Higher-performance versions from HSV wouldn’t be out of the question either.

Regardless of the drivetrain, chassis features would include adaptive dampers, a mechanical limited-slip differential, “proper steering feel – none of that numb nonsense” and maybe even an optional track pack with carbon ceramic brakes, semi-slick tyres and stiffer suspension.

Obviously, this all is just a pipe dream and will never happen, but it’s great to be able to use a tool like AI to reimagine the dead cars of our dreams. AI said that if a 2026 Monaro were to launch, it would be more emotional than a Camaro, less clinical than an M4 and more premium than a Mustang. Basically, it would be the Aussie muscle GT that never got its proper modern send-off.