The 1980s were a pretty bleak decade for American performance cars, which all suffered from emissions regulations that reduced once-mighty engines to power-strangled shells of their former selves. But one exception was Buick’s one-year-only GNX, short for “Grand National Experimental." Its inspiration was the Grand National Regal, a sporty staple of the Buick model lineup. GNX production was limited to a mere 547 units made in collaboration with ASC (American Specialty Cars) and McLaren Performance Technologies. Instead of a predictable V8, it was powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine that featured an intercooled turbocharger—novel for the time—and made a much underrated 276 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque (more like 300 hp and 420 lb-ft, respectively). At nearly $30,000, the GNX wasn’t cheap, and remains a top-notch collectible today.
From the article by Robert Ross, Bryan Hood, Erik Shilling
