Car Lust--Buick GNX
Sorry, all, for the slow posting this week--I'll make it up to you with a two-pack today, with one Car Lust this morning and one this afternoon.
---
I'm a fan of turbochargers. It's easy to be seduced by the thrust of horsepower they provide, of course, but I'm even fond of aspects of turbocharging that other people don't care for.
Turbo lag, for instance--it's not great at a race track when you're trying to time your power application coming out of a corner, but for me that split-second delay before the wall of power hits is a delicious bit of suspense. The car feels as if it's gathering itself for a sprint; and the short delay only makes the strong pull that follows even more entertaining. The characteristic whistle of a turbocharger spinning up also annoys some, but for me it's the auditory signal that something special is going on under the hood. That whistle activates a Pavlovian response in me; but fortunately rather than a craving for dog food, it triggers a craving for horsepower.
Turbos have also made possible some great cars that would not otherwise have been so stellar--a fact that is more true of the turbocharged Buick 3.8-liter V-6 than any other stock turbocharged engine. The 3.8 turbo and, later, the supercharged 3.8, transformed a surprising variety of sow's ears into silk purses for more than a decade.
One such beneficiary was the Buick Regal--one of the first mass-production cars to ever benefit from turbocharging. It might sound surprising to modern ears, but in the dark ages of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Buick stood alongside Porsche and Saab aas one of the leading acolytes of turbocharging and helped lead the industry's wide acceptance of the technology in the 1980s. The idea of a turbocharged Buick Regal might lead to some cognitive dissonance, but at the time it was a truly innovative car.
Like a heroin addict, Buick quickly got hooked on boost and soon needed larger and larger doses to keep the thrill. The mild Buick Regal Turbo of the late 1970s turned into the hot Buick Regal T-Type, which begat the hero-car Grand National, which eventually spawned the grandaddy of them all, the most exotic Buick Regal Turbo ever, the 1987 GNX.
The Regal wasn't a great car--it was a thoroughly pleasant but average soft two-door luxury coupe with ultra-formal lines. The GNX, however, was the Regal's evil twin with a demonic cackle and plans for world domination.
The Regal's chrome grille received blackout treatment, the car itself was painted deep black, the suspension and tire package were beefed up, and the stock powerplant was replaced by a turbocharged and intercooled V-6. That powerplant was very conservatively rated at 276 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque, and made the Regal the fastest car in the General Motors lineup. At 0-60 in less than 5 seconds, it was significantly faster than the contemporary Corvette, and in the same class as a late-1990s Corvette, or even the heroic early 1990s Corvette ZR-1.
Some conspiracy theorists have whispered that the GNX was canceled after only one year because GM didn't want the supremacy of its Corvette flagship threatened. While that's possible, the nearly-as-potent Grand National had been around for years; my opinion is the GNX was canceled because the rear-wheel-drive Regals were replaced in 1988 with the new GM10 front-wheel-drive Regal chassis. That car was not a good home for the 3.8 turbo, so that howitzer of an engine went on to star in a variety of other unexpected GM cars, most of which will eventually wind up featured in this space.
Beautiful, ominous, and ridiculously fast, the GNX was an instant oddball classic, and a car I'd love to have. Unfortunately, there were only around 500 made, so they are more collector car than muscle car now. I'd be thrilled with a Grand National, but even so it's difficult to find high-quality survivors that haven't been flogged into oblivion.
The top photo is a press photo I've seen all over the web; the second is a gorgeous photo of a GNX die-cast model by Flickr user Muscle Car Freak. Yeah, I know it's cheesy to run a photo of a model, but hey--good photos of the GNX are surprisingly hard to find. The third photo is of a Grand National lighting up its tires. I'm including it here not just because it's a good photo, but also because I'm hugely intrigued by the white station wagon in the other lane. It's the same car as my 1983 Malibu Wagon, but from what little I can see of the front, it might be the Pontiac version. I love the idea of my Malibu Wagon in a horribly one-sized drag race against a Grand National.
--Chris H.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on May 09, 2008 at 10:55 AM
"The characteristic whistle of a turbocharger spinning up also annoys some, but for me it's the auditory signal that something special is going on under the hood."
I second that. My GTI makes pleasant German-engineered noises when you mash the throttle; as the tachometer needle gets near 4k, the turbo sings high harmony to the engine's song. Makes me want to turn down the radio every time.
Caleb on May 09, 2008 at 11:34 AM
The old-school Regals and MonteCarlos are very popular in my town. This one actually looks like someone's "pimped out" car I know of here in SE TX.
Rob the SVX guy on May 09, 2008 at 07:03 PM
A friend of mine owns a Grand National with about 50,000 pampered miles. It's a fun car to drive. I know of another guy, who has a GNX with only 7,500 miles. I've sat in it, but that's about it.
Brian on May 10, 2008 at 01:11 AM
This car is definitely worthy of lust. The normally aspirated version of this engine is really fantastic, GM put it in Oldsmobiles also. And much easier to live with than, say, a Corvette. A nice example could certainly be a modern classic.
Anthony Cagle on May 10, 2008 at 08:22 AM
Good one. This thing came out in the late '80s when I was bogged down in grad school and didn't pay too much attention to anything other than obscure archaeological theory. I've always liked the Monte Carlos and what-not from the late '70s onwards and this was, I think, the last gen to really look like something. I first heard about it on the "American Muscle Car" show on Speed.
Though I prefer my booming V8, I could live with a Turbo.
steve b on May 17, 2008 at 10:51 AM
my dad has a buick grandnational and i love the way it sounds and drives he takes very good care of it and id the origial owner it's one of very few it is the first year they were ever made and he loves it
john on May 23, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Hi, I liked reading your blog. My first "official" car was a 79' Regal SportCoupe with the 3.8 liter turbo. The folks had bought it new in late 78'. I began driving in 1984.. what fond memories! That blow-through 4 barrel carb setup produced some nasty lag especially when flooring it but once it kicked in, it was fun to hear all that racket under the hood! It made you think you were going real fast! it seemed quicker with progressing the throttle down. Anyway, that car met it's fate in 1987 when a main bearing went bad.. then my neigbor gets an 87' T-type turbo and he lets my dad & me go for a quick drive.. I'll never forget sitting at the light as I told my dad to floor it.... (not power brake it).. he does and it rolls slowly of the line & about 15 - 20 ft later a shreek of sound lets loose under the hood, we start to hear the tires shreek & the whole rear of the car starts moving sideways!!! Fun Fun Fun, but i think my dad soiled his pants... LOL... Anyway, my dad vowed that he would not get another turbo car so we had bought a Monte SS..
In regards to the GNX, i did have an opportunity to drive one. Back in 1998, a friend in Orlando FL unbelievably handed me the keys.. it was fun & unforgettable! I havn't spoke to him in a long time , think he lives in Arizona now.. don't know if he still has it but i can find out.
antonio curiel on December 05, 2008 at 12:10 PM
hi, i lives in tijuana mexico, and i have a buick GNX and i want to sell it, tell me if you now some one who wants to buy a gnx. thanks alot
alfredo on February 15, 2009 at 05:19 PM
antonio dame tu cel, soy de tijuana y me interesa tu carro o marcame 664 1 88 35 10
Deez Nuttz on March 01, 2009 at 07:53 PM
I have an 87 T type with the intercooled 3.8 liter V6. When I purchased it, it was only running 14 lbs of boost. While not bad, it didn't feel as powerful as my 396 big block Chevelle. So after installing an alcohol injection kit, a bigger down pipe, a bigger free flowing exhaust, an adjustable chip and an adjustable fuel pressure regulator, I was able to turn the boost up to 23 lbs. Now the car runs like an animal. Even better if I stay out of the boost I can pull down around 25 mpg highway and around 19 city. That's the nice thing about these cars, they give you the best of all worlds: luxury, economy and speed in one package.