Not intended to sound rude, but I don't care what some magazine said about blah blah blah. From being a lifelong Buick enthusiast, and deeply involved in the Buick community, attending the Nationals, and being around these cars since they were new in the dealer showrooms, that was under-rated rear wheel HP and I've seen stock X's run 12.90s and stock T-Types/GNs run mid 13s stock straight from the dealer. Heck a friend with a new '89 Anniversary TA (with the turbo Buick motor from factory) ran 12.90 on a hot July Saturday in peek humidity and 95 degree heat bone stock. I've seen high mileage stock turbo Buicks run mid-to-higher 13s and beat the mag times/test. I beat the mags with 2 of my own stock GNs. There was always a bias toward Buick in the media when it come to Buick competing against muscle or pony cars.
***** My friend who bought his GN brand new, at 20 thousand miles---we put drag radials on it, turned the boost up to 20 lbs and put 117 Octane race gas in it. Made 2 passes with it 1st the tranny started slipping, had to feather throttle on 1-2 gear change ran 12.85 @ 105 mph, 2nd ran 12.86 @ 106 and 3rd gear had to be feathered as well. 3rd pass the tranny fried had to abort, car left the track on a hook. Stock car, stock exhaust, cat, etc. I'd say the only thing your friend did was an adjustable wast-gate to turn up the boost as we had to put one on my friends car, and you had to get em at the dealer parts counter. They didn't come with adjustable waste gates off the assembly line. A chip, air induction, would get you lower 12s along with sticky tires, race gas and 20lbs boost.
***** Freezing cold my butt, solid mid-high 13s in spring and summer not hot lapping, and that is FACT, from original owner in the south who did it along with many others!
I know this comment is late, but I feel like a 2nd generation Fiero with a good engine would have been amazing. Even with all the cost cutting I live the 1st generation. A friend of mine had one in high school back in the mid 90’s. They have always been unloved
@@RobertSmith-le8wp - Fiero beating Corvette would have been as embarrassing as when the mid engine Porsche Carrera out performed the flagship big bucks rear engine Porsche 911...
I've always refered to this vehicle as the Bruce Lee of cars. Looks can be very deceiving, this thing was fast, cool looking, and the sound it made was mesmerizing. This is and always will be my dream car. 1987 grandnational G.N.X.
Alexander Rahl They're too concerned with China, that's were the majority of Buick vehicles get sold, it's really quite amazing how many Buicks GM sells over there. They don't like European styled/driving dynamics cars, they like plush and big.
Those cars were faster than the Corvette that year. The brass at Chevrolet did not see the humor in their flagship car being bested by a FULL-SIZE Buick sedan...with A/C...and powered by a V-6. No...they were not amused. Buick made those Stage-1 455's in the early '70's and they were beast's. When those folks at Buick want to go fast they go really fast!!
yeah thats true but can it take a corner? all that money went into the motor lol and i'm not bashing the car but just because stock vs stock you got a better 0-60 doesn't mean you'd keep up on a back road. and technically a brand new honda accord v6 would be faster than both or about the same speed. doesn't mean i want to drive a family car lol. id own a gran national and garage and baby that thing. id beat on a vette because they are mass produced
Chris Nizer what's funny is the grand national and the GMC typhoon/syclone were faster than the corvette and the Camaro of the day and they were both 6 cylinder turbos
God damn, this is one of the very few retro reviews which has specs which are still impressive today! 300 hp, 380 lb-ft of torque, 5-second range 0-60. On a 1987 large car! This car should be even more legendary than it is. Let's hope if Buick ever revives the nameplate that it's a worthy successor. And Buick could do with a halo car these days.
But we all know the foolish amd disturbing trend currently going on. It'll be a new small Crossover featuring FWD, hybrid 4cyl with an option for turbo 4 or electric + it'll be a self driving POS for $50k or some shit like that. I'd love to see it on a Camaro platform and ATS-V power but knowing the American motoring public that'll never happen unfortunately.
Yes the hp a torque figures were astronomical back in the horse power starved era of the 80s the buick GN and Turbo T regal are my definite dream cars to own there a GNX that sold at Mecum or Barrett Jackson it was the last GNX # 547 with only 50 miles on the odometer it probably sold for 200 k
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest. Big V8 power is part of the American car culture! It's part of the appeal of an American sports car! If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
I got blown away by a 86 GN in my built 81 Z/28. Next day went to a local Buick dealership, and they had a new 87 on the showroom floor. They wanted $18,900 for it. To rich for my blood.
Working for Copart in Long Island after hurricane Sandy I saw one that was in mint shape (obviously before the flood) in the sub lot I was working. Picking it up with my forks just made me damn near cry.
A GNX ? Someone still should have saved it. Could have been restored, irregardless. Only 547 ever made, so dumping it to be scrapped was completely stupid, on someone's part. SMDH.
There's was a story that I heard similar to the one now many years ago someone traded a GNX with 100 thousand miles to the Cash for clunkers program back in 2008 and there's rumors that this car was put in the crusher to be scrapped my heart sank just imagine the idiot that took an iconic car to be traded and scrapped shake my head
To me, this is still the best car ever made, and it's coming from someone who usually praises V8, Manuals and N/A, this car just proves me wrong so well!
It's a cool car, no doubt! The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest. It's just not appealing... Big V8 power is part of the American car culture! It's part of the appeal of an American sports car! If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍 The same goes for the Mustang SVO from the mid-80s. It had a 4 cylinder turbo engine and good performance but... a 4 cylinder in a Mustang? No thanks! No wonder it didn't last long in the market just like the GNX... Emission Regulations and Fuel crisis at that time were part of the reason why those models even got created to begin with... American car manufacturers like Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford also didn't use 4 and 6 cylinder engines for their most powerful models in the following years and even decades! They used *V8 engines* as they should! 4 and 6 cylinder versions exist nowadays for a reason but no one really cares about them! 👉 Go overseas and ask people what comes to their mind when they hear "American muscle car" or even "American sports car": *Big V8 Power* it is!
I remember me in the burrowed Corvette don't remember the year maybe a 92 and bragging nothing can touch me, then one of these came next to me i laughed hard, until the light changed to green i hit the gas i saw myself beating him for like a second then it was all rear brake lights for me, and never saw it again. It was like a nightmare slash dream, crazy but very fun night. These cars should be called Wraith.
It is really amazing that the 1990 Nissan 300ZXTT had all kinds of technology that the GNX didn't have, but the GNX was still quicker than the 1990 Nissan 300ZXTT.
Only quicker from a standing start. Top speed on the Buick GNX was only 125. The Z could hit 155. The "all kinds of technology" that the Z had was focused more on the overall performance of the vehicle, not just the ubiquitous 0-60 time.
@HalfShell Exactly! The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest. Big V8 power is part of the American car culture! It's part of the appeal of an American sports car! If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
They weren't even comparable from a price standpoint. Even when new, the GNX was hard to find and rare. Back in those days it was super hard to track them down. Meaning, you'd have to pay major dealer markup to score one. Meanwhile, the 300ZX Turbo was found on every Nissan lot with the usual pricing discounts.
I had one of those Nissan Z's. It was amazing with the HICAS steering. However, it would sometimes die when immediately put in neutral from a stop. Always started right up, tho. I figured it was Nissan's first attempt at turbocharging.
The good old 87 GNX! This car was a boss! 300 hp back in 1987 was huge! Another "unicorn" Buick is probably going to fold in the next few years along with Lincoln if they don't get their acts together. I would LOVE to see a modern day version of the GNX!
Black Sunshine Why? I'd rather have a FWD Buick sedan that smokes everything else on the road than not have anything at all. This is why we never get anything fun, because the RWD purists refuses to buy them. Yet Pontiac comes out with the GTO and G8 and the SS all RWD and it STILL doesn't sell because it's "overpriced" or because it's Aussie based or this and that. Now you have NOTHING to buy except the Corvette and you STILL whine. Just because GM doesn't offer another RWD platform doesn't mean you can't get excited about something different. After all, if Buick had not thought outside the box we would not have had the GNX at all.
Not for me. FWD is a deal breaker. Thinking outside the box is one thing, but FWD is not the way to go if you want the best performance. FWD = limited power, less durability, torque steer, no burnouts etc. As for the GTO and G8, they were never intended to be high volume sellers. The 2004-2006 GTO was based on the Holden Monero, which was on its way out. Neither were very marketed, and their styling looked like something from the 1990s at a time when people were getting more into the retro styling.
+Kurt Tappe Remember that this car was even faster than the contemporary Porsche 911, which was WAY more expensive! I wouldn't complain about having the fastest new production car ever for that price, and also not having to deal with the ridiculous maintenance of those exotics either
I saw that comment back in 87', on the front page of Motor Trend. Just though I'd add, what cost $29,200.00 in 1987 would cost $62,542.52 in 2017. If the car cost $40,000.00 in 1987 as some dealers were asking, it would cost $85,674.69 in 2017.
The t type, grand national, and GNX was the middle finger to all the restrictions American muscle cars had to endure during the 70's and 80's. V8 engines making 180hp and below was horrible when they made almost double the power years ago. A v8 that can spin thru 1st gear, get the back end a little loose and chirp 2nd DENIED. A v6 with a bolt on APPROVED. Oh by the way the bolt on is just a little turbo charger. Say hello to my little friend hahaha. I'd love to see a review on the 1978 regal t type and the 78 lesabre that came turbo charged
The '78 cars were first gen turbo cars and were underpowered 150 hp for 2 barrel and 165 hp for 4 barrel, although they had to start somewhere I suppose. If you'd like more info on the GNs and T-Type Buicks, visit this site and look around. Here is the page regarding production figures -- www.gnttype.org/general/product.html
Actually the early buick turbo cars were never called T type the regal was know as the buick regal sport coupe turbo and the lesabre just had the same badges and buick also produced a buck century turbo it had the same body as the cutlass 1978 442
I bought a black 5.0 LX Coupe in 88 new for $9800 (barebones trim) . Immediately swapped the cam, intake manifold, heads, throttle body, put MSD ignition, headers, off road hpipe and 3:73 gears in it. All in all with the subframe connectors, short throw shifter and 255 rear tires, the upgrades cost about $2000. So for just under $12,000 (about a third of the price of the GNX) I was eating most cars on the street at the time. I was fond of the GN but was always turned off by the price.
Good choice on the fox body! Not just the price. The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest. Big V8 power is part of the American car culture! It's part of the appeal of an American sports car! If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
I bought my 87 Lx 5.0 5 spd new. $9,500. Still have it. I never got beat by TansAms, Camaros or even Vettes, but never got to race a GN. They were too expensive for us younger kids. Mines highly modified today, but still would have liked to owned a GN. You must have swapped to a Mass Air meter? Ours were both speed density.
I took my 77 Trans Am to 75&80 Drag -a-way in 87. I had dropped in a 69 400 HO and 3.73 rear with an ATI 3500 stall. I was still not as fast as an older grey haired gentleman who was running a GNX with some mods including a bit more boost. I remember him saying he just ran a bit slower @ 12.99 with the ac on. He had previously been running in the high 12.70's when his car was still relatively cooler. It was a cool car then and still is.
This car is impressive even by today's standards, but back in the 80's thins thing was amazing. These cars had incredible acceleration, good handling, but rode like a Cadillac. An impressive car all around. Every now and then, GM did get it right and this thing is a prime example of GM at their best.
There's lots of these cars hidden away in storage since new with only a few miles on the odometer but the trick is to find an owner that will sell. I've seen a few sold at auction for $150,000. Expensive but hide them away for another 28 years and watch that price double or more. Impressive car by all standards in today's market.
Very true!! Most that bought them valued them in the eyes of a collector and are on jack stands in a climate controlled environment with the plastic still on the interior. I seen one that had 9 miles on the odometer just drove home from the dealer and hasn't seen day light since. If you were lucky enough to own one take care of it.
Always loved the myths of these cars--- I campaigned a 10-second '87 GN I built for 17 years and during that time had my hands on a couple of GNXs...the heads were the standard PN# 8445 cast iron heads from the NA Regal V6; nothing fancy, no port/polish. The blocks for all Turbo Regals were also from the NA Regals with the addition of a 1/2" OD hole drilled in the front of the block for the turbo oil drain line.
American cars in the early to mid-80s weren't the best, true... The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest. Big V8 power is part of the American car culture! It's part of the appeal of an American sports car! If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
I love it when people compare the Grand National to the GNX... They just don't seem to get it. They were pricey in their day, little did the buyer know that one day that car would rake in twice its value.
I will tell you these engines during experimental testing back in 85 were making over 400 hp+ net not gross. My Ex-father in law was one of these lucky fellows who got to do dyno testing at the V6 engine plant that was here in Flint, Mi. He talked about certain spark plugs would blast the cap and electrode into the rafters like a 22 going off during testing.
Contrary to what a lot of people believe (and what the host said here) the GNX was NOT done by “ASC/McLaren” it was an independent company called ASC (American Sunroof Corporation)
@@canuckereh5646 The Camaro is cooler and at least had a V8! The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest. Big V8 power is part of the American car culture! It's part of the appeal of an American sports car! If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
In the late 1990s through the early 2000s, there was a guy renting an indoor shop in Sacramento to store his collection of Grand National and GNXs. The shop had at least 25-30 of them in perfect shape.
mcgrath274 They did have an 88 Buick Somerset Grand National that some dealership was throwing badges on back then and it was as disgraceful as it sounds.
Had one in 1992. Stock Iroc would stay with me....Tuned I Smoked EVERYTHING!! Including Vetts and 944 turbos. The Transmission held the car back. Wasn’t horrible but, a solid 5 speed manual would have Reslly set the car apart. I was told by a friend my torque converter was spent caus “these cars are suppose to be so fast”. I traded it in on a new 3000gt VR4. Wish I wouldn’t have done that :)
95mph trap speed for 88 SS with HO L69 305 must have been with a high tail wind. Never seen one go above 90mph. The 84's had 3.42 gearing with THD350. 3 spd auto. & 3.73 with the 2004R option. 85 -88 only came with the 2004R. My 85 SS ran typical 15.8 at 87 Before I threw a mild stroker 383 in it.
Man, that's my favorite combination. 200 4R and a 350 V8. Replace the 305 just because you can. Edelbrock intake and carb, get a nice 3 chambered Flowmaster and you can beat almost any car. Except a Corvette and a Viper.
@@fordxbgtfalcon Sorry but no GNX produced 380 HP stock from the factory.The cars were not underated HP wise because they just couldn't rev high enough to make truly big power. Now for their torque rating,That was already high and I believe that may have been underated.The torque is why they performed so well.If they truly had 380 or more HP, they would have a higher trap speed through the quarter mile than they do.
Daniel Watne Well our shop dyno’d one about 8 years ago it was completely stock, no mods of any kind it put 342hp to the wheels, that’s about 380hp at the crank, so yes they certainly can make 380hp.........
I recall Popular Mechanics doing a shootout between a stock GNX and a Calloway twin turbo Corvette. Despite pretty much everything being in the Vette's favor, weight, gearing, horsepower; as they put it during a run down the drag strip, the GNX led until aerodynamics became a factor. That's just badass!
That's not what they sold for when you account for inflation. At 30k it would be a $66k car today, and with the dealer markup mentioned, they would be the equivalent of $88k.
Dealer markup made them about $40k, or about 85k in today's money. Vehicle interest rates were also very high back then so only the affluent with real cash could afford it.
Especially when a Vette was about 24K. I remember the Buick dealer down the street from me had a X on the show room floor for 55K, don't remember the # now. Even 29K was crazy.
***** A Monte Carlo with the stock 5.0 engine had less than 200hp and Mustang with the stock engine had well over 200hp. Fat or no the Monte Carlo was no match. It is beautiful but basically a commuter car.
When they launched it smoothly, it put the power down just fine. When they launched at the end, the rear axle jacked a bit. That additional torque arm at work...
@@RampantFury925 Yes, true! They're not desirable though. The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest. It's just not appealing... Big V8 power is part of the American car culture! It's part of the appeal of an American sports car! If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍 The same goes for the Mustang SVO from the mid-80s. It had a 4 cylinder turbo engine and good performance but... a 4 cylinder in a Mustang? No thanks! It also didn't last long in the market just like the GNX... Emission regulations and oil crisis at that time were part all of the reason why those models got created to begin with... American car manufacturers like Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford also didn't use 4 and 6 cylinder engines for their *most powerful* models, even in the following years and even decades! They always used *V8 engines* as they should! 4 and 6 cylinder versions exist, especially nowadays for a reason but no one really cares about them! 👉 Go overseas and ask people what comes to their mind when they hear "American muscle car" or even "American sports car": *Big V8 Power* is one of the thoughts!
I bought a brand new 86 Monte Carlo ss dark burgundy back in the day for 15,000.00 dollars. My friend bought a new 87 Buick g.n. for about 18,000.00 . I didn't buy the G.N. because being 3,000.0 more, but let me tell you, I wish I DID !!! when we lined them both up at a lite, and lite turned green that black Buick pulled that Monte s.s. like a missile, like 7 -8 car lengths right out of the box. At that very moment I realized 1 thing that, s.s. didn't mean super sport it meant SUPER SLOW. lol. Still LOVED my Monte. It had 190,000 miles on it when I sold it , beat the he - - out of it. FUN TIMES.
Eric Cymbura ...there's 10 it can beat and another 10 that can beat it. This is coming from a 47 year old who owned one in the mid 1990's. Back then I watched an Eagle Talon smoke a Viper at a street race. Right then and there I began to respect imports and what could be done with l less!
Flyte Line. I believe it had actually been saved if I read correctly.. Someone stepped in and knew someone up top... A number of T types or clones were sent to the crushers unfortunate as that disgusting program was...
got a chance to see some great battles in the GN vs. Mustang Shootouts in Kentucky when i was stationed @Ft.Knox in the late '80s early 90s. GeneDeputy, KenDutweiler were the kings. turbo vs. turbo.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
By far one of the BADDEST cars to ever leave Detroit.
Top 15 but not the baddest..definitely the baddest in the 1980's
My brother had a GN and that thing would bark second gear not even trying. Later on he bought a Syclone. I wish i could have bought that from him.
Not intended to sound rude, but I don't care what some magazine said about blah blah blah. From being a lifelong Buick enthusiast, and deeply involved in the Buick community, attending the Nationals, and being around these cars since they were new in the dealer showrooms, that was under-rated rear wheel HP and I've seen stock X's run 12.90s and stock T-Types/GNs run mid 13s stock straight from the dealer. Heck a friend with a new '89 Anniversary TA (with the turbo Buick motor from factory) ran 12.90 on a hot July Saturday in peek humidity and 95 degree heat bone stock. I've seen high mileage stock turbo Buicks run mid-to-higher 13s and beat the mag times/test. I beat the mags with 2 of my own stock GNs. There was always a bias toward Buick in the media when it come to Buick competing against muscle or pony cars.
***** My friend who bought his GN brand new, at 20 thousand miles---we put drag radials on it, turned the boost up to 20 lbs and put 117 Octane race gas in it. Made 2 passes with it 1st the tranny started slipping, had to feather throttle on 1-2 gear change ran 12.85 @ 105 mph, 2nd ran 12.86 @ 106 and 3rd gear had to be feathered as well. 3rd pass the tranny fried had to abort, car left the track on a hook. Stock car, stock exhaust, cat, etc. I'd say the only thing your friend did was an adjustable wast-gate to turn up the boost as we had to put one on my friends car, and you had to get em at the dealer parts counter. They didn't come with adjustable waste gates off the assembly line. A chip, air induction, would get you lower 12s along with sticky tires, race gas and 20lbs boost.
***** Freezing cold my butt, solid mid-high 13s in spring and summer not hot lapping, and that is FACT, from original owner in the south who did it along with many others!
This car would still be pretty fast today, for 1987 it was just insane. Sorta like the Hellcat stuff is looked at today.
+BoberMcBoberson True!
Many magazines of the day had 4.9 times
The demon was around before the gnx!
I don't think todays kids can understand how amazing it was for it's time.
@@sirloin4372 what are u drunk the demon came in 2018
0-60 in 5s,still pretty respectable today,and gorgeous looks !
peter455sd OF COURSE!!!
peter455sd "5 sec renge"
Acca Larentia car and driver reported 4.6 0-60 fyi
Faster than a 'Vette .... it created quite a dust-up at GM ..
I'd buy that for a dollar!
GM board room meeting: "Sir, we could make the corvette faster." "No, just make them put a 4 cylinder in the Fiero and kill the Grand National".
I know this comment is late, but I feel like a 2nd generation Fiero with a good engine would have been amazing. Even with all the cost cutting I live the 1st generation. A friend of mine had one in high school back in the mid 90’s. They have always been unloved
@@RobertSmith-le8wp - Fiero beating Corvette would have been as embarrassing as when the mid engine Porsche Carrera out performed the flagship big bucks rear engine Porsche 911...
Well this body style was created in the 70s and japanese cars were destroying American manufacturers at this time
@@catinthehat5140 - This body style was created in 1981 and Japanese cars were still considered toys then... and GM has 50% of the market...
This is such a stupid myth.
Man, what a great car. King of the g-bodies, and g-bodies were already pretty damn sweet.
I've always refered to this vehicle as the Bruce Lee of cars. Looks can be very deceiving, this thing was fast, cool looking, and the sound it made was mesmerizing. This is and always will be my dream car. 1987 grandnational G.N.X.
Oh how I wanted one of these in high school. One of the purest, most beautiful cars made. Simple, but wildly effective....
Buick, please bring this car back, it would do your boring public image some good.
+tom11zz884 With the original G-Body look. Not that Opel crap.
+eldo59 I think GM has firmly locked Buick into its Boring opel crap niche. And I think that's how they're going to keep it unfortunately.
+Alexander Rahl Imagine the ATS-V but a Buick body with styling cues that go back to this car, it would be something special.
***** I can see it, But I think Buick needs a serious wake-up call.
Alexander Rahl They're too concerned with China, that's were the majority of Buick vehicles get sold, it's really quite amazing how many Buicks GM sells over there. They don't like European styled/driving dynamics cars, they like plush and big.
I was lucky to drive one since my Dad bought a GNX in 1987. One of the badass cars he ever owned!!!
Those cars were faster than the Corvette that year. The brass at Chevrolet did not see the humor in their flagship car being bested by a FULL-SIZE Buick sedan...with A/C...and powered by a V-6. No...they were not amused. Buick made those Stage-1 455's in the early '70's and they were beast's. When those folks at Buick want to go fast they go really fast!!
yeah thats true but can it take a corner? all that money went into the motor lol and i'm not bashing the car but just because stock vs stock you got a better 0-60 doesn't mean you'd keep up on a back road. and technically a brand new honda accord v6 would be faster than both or about the same speed. doesn't mean i want to drive a family car lol. id own a gran national and garage and baby that thing. id beat on a vette because they are mass produced
Chris Nizer Top Fuel cars can't corner either and no one care.
Chris Nizer what's funny is the grand national and the GMC typhoon/syclone were faster than the corvette and the Camaro of the day and they were both 6 cylinder turbos
GrimReaper1675 and I'm pretty sure the 380 lbs of torque makes it faster than an accord
The GN and the Typhoon is the reason I bought a F165. aka 2015 F150 with 2.7 ecoboost.
"300 hp 380 ft lb" for insurance purposes in GM fashion..beautiful car.
Heard they way faster than 0 to 60.
God damn, this is one of the very few retro reviews which has specs which are still impressive today! 300 hp, 380 lb-ft of torque, 5-second range 0-60. On a 1987 large car! This car should be even more legendary than it is. Let's hope if Buick ever revives the nameplate that it's a worthy successor. And Buick could do with a halo car these days.
But we all know the foolish amd disturbing trend currently going on. It'll be a new small Crossover featuring FWD, hybrid 4cyl with an option for turbo 4 or electric + it'll be a self driving POS for $50k or some shit like that.
I'd love to see it on a Camaro platform and ATS-V power but knowing the American motoring public that'll never happen unfortunately.
Yes the hp a torque figures were astronomical back in the horse power starved era of the 80s the buick GN and Turbo T regal are my definite dream cars to own there a GNX that sold at Mecum or Barrett Jackson it was the last GNX # 547 with only 50 miles on the odometer it probably sold for 200 k
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
It's part of the appeal of an American sports car!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
my mom owned an 85 Grand National, its still her favorite car shes ever owned
Got blown away by one of these in my 68 GTX 440
No shame in that.
Is that a car or a video card? xD
GTX 440? can that run crysis?
I got blown away by a 86 GN in my built 81 Z/28. Next day went to a local Buick dealership, and they had a new 87 on the showroom floor. They wanted $18,900 for it. To rich for my blood.
I saw a Grand National yesterday at the mn state fair. Been a long time since I've seen one. license plate said NT4SALE. Always liked these cars.
Working for Copart in Long Island after hurricane Sandy I saw one that was in mint shape (obviously before the flood) in the sub lot I was working. Picking it up with my forks just made me damn near cry.
A GNX ? Someone still should have saved it. Could have been restored, irregardless. Only 547 ever made, so dumping it to be scrapped was completely stupid, on someone's part. SMDH.
I'm really hoping that was a t type or GN at worst but still that's sad.
There's was a story that I heard similar to the one now many years ago someone traded a GNX with 100 thousand miles to the Cash for clunkers program back in 2008 and there's rumors that this car was put in the crusher to be scrapped my heart sank just imagine the idiot that took an iconic car to be traded and scrapped shake my head
Copart, SMH legalized scam.
To me, this is still the best car ever made, and it's coming from someone who usually praises V8, Manuals and N/A, this car just proves me wrong so well!
It's a cool car, no doubt!
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
It's just not appealing...
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
It's part of the appeal of an American sports car!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
The same goes for the Mustang SVO from the mid-80s.
It had a 4 cylinder turbo engine and good performance but...
a 4 cylinder in a Mustang?
No thanks!
No wonder it didn't last long in the market just like the GNX...
Emission Regulations and Fuel crisis at that time were part of the reason why those models even got created to begin with...
American car manufacturers like Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford also didn't use 4 and 6 cylinder engines for their most powerful models in the following years and even decades!
They used *V8 engines* as they should!
4 and 6 cylinder versions exist nowadays for a reason but no one really cares about them!
👉 Go overseas and ask people what comes to their mind when they hear "American muscle car" or even "American sports car":
*Big V8 Power* it is!
I remember me in the burrowed Corvette don't remember the year maybe a 92 and bragging nothing can touch me, then one of these came next to me i laughed hard, until the light changed to green i hit the gas i saw myself beating him for like a second then it was all rear brake lights for me, and never saw it again. It was like a nightmare slash dream, crazy but very fun night. These cars should be called Wraith.
It is really amazing that the 1990 Nissan 300ZXTT had all kinds of technology that the GNX didn't have, but the GNX was still quicker than the 1990 Nissan 300ZXTT.
Only quicker from a standing start. Top speed on the Buick GNX was only 125. The Z could hit 155. The "all kinds of technology" that the Z had was focused more on the overall performance of the vehicle, not just the ubiquitous 0-60 time.
@HalfShell Exactly!
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
It's part of the appeal of an American sports car!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
They weren't even comparable from a price standpoint. Even when new, the GNX was hard to find and rare. Back in those days it was super hard to track them down. Meaning, you'd have to pay major dealer markup to score one. Meanwhile, the 300ZX Turbo was found on every Nissan lot with the usual pricing discounts.
I had one of those Nissan Z's. It was amazing with the HICAS steering. However, it would sometimes die when immediately put in neutral from a stop. Always started right up, tho. I figured it was Nissan's first attempt at turbocharging.
Yup, still love that car. Going on 30 years now.
The good old 87 GNX! This car was a boss! 300 hp back in 1987 was huge! Another "unicorn" Buick is probably going to fold in the next few years along with Lincoln if they don't get their acts together. I would LOVE to see a modern day version of the GNX!
Well, take a look at Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Mercury. They are no longer with us.
Buick will never die as long as the market for them in China.
300 hp is still pretty respectable today. I agree though. A new Grand National GNX today would be awesome...as long as it's not a FWD sedan.
Black Sunshine Why? I'd rather have a FWD Buick sedan that smokes everything else on the road than not have anything at all. This is why we never get anything fun, because the RWD purists refuses to buy them. Yet Pontiac comes out with the GTO and G8 and the SS all RWD and it STILL doesn't sell because it's "overpriced" or because it's Aussie based or this and that. Now you have NOTHING to buy except the Corvette and you STILL whine. Just because GM doesn't offer another RWD platform doesn't mean you can't get excited about something different. After all, if Buick had not thought outside the box we would not have had the GNX at all.
Not for me. FWD is a deal breaker. Thinking outside the box is one thing, but FWD is not the way to go if you want the best performance. FWD = limited power, less durability, torque steer, no burnouts etc.
As for the GTO and G8, they were never intended to be high volume sellers. The 2004-2006 GTO was based on the Holden Monero, which was on its way out. Neither were very marketed, and their styling looked like something from the 1990s at a time when people were getting more into the retro styling.
$40k wow that's a whole lot of money back then
Exactly what I was thinking
geoff According to the inflation calculator, that's $84K today. For a Buick. Whew!
+Kurt Tappe Remember that this car was even faster than the contemporary Porsche 911, which was WAY more expensive! I wouldn't complain about having the fastest new production car ever for that price, and also not having to deal with the ridiculous maintenance of those exotics either
+Kurt Tappe he'll yeah back then a $30k was a big deal. actually miss those days no one cares nowadays about a 50-60k car
+geoff It was ~$29,000
"Darth Vadar, your car is ready..."
I saw that comment back in 87', on the front page of Motor Trend. Just though I'd add, what cost $29,200.00 in 1987 would cost $62,542.52 in 2017. If the car cost $40,000.00 in 1987 as some dealers were asking, it would cost $85,674.69 in 2017.
I'm not the only one who remembers that! Awesome.
That seems insanely expensive. I'd be down to pay it if Buick actually brought back a variant of the Grand National though.
231mac I saw something very close to that effect in a Playboy magazine article on the Grand National.
Vader drives my CTS-V
These retro reviews are amazing! Thank you Motor Week!
The t type, grand national, and GNX was the middle finger to all the restrictions American muscle cars had to endure during the 70's and 80's. V8 engines making 180hp and below was horrible when they made almost double the power years ago. A v8 that can spin thru 1st gear, get the back end a little loose and chirp 2nd DENIED. A v6 with a bolt on APPROVED. Oh by the way the bolt on is just a little turbo charger. Say hello to my little friend hahaha. I'd love to see a review on the 1978 regal t type and the 78 lesabre that came turbo charged
The '78 cars were first gen turbo cars and were underpowered 150 hp for 2 barrel and 165 hp for 4 barrel, although they had to start somewhere I suppose. If you'd like more info on the GNs and T-Type Buicks, visit this site and look around. Here is the page regarding production figures -- www.gnttype.org/general/product.html
Actually the early buick turbo cars were never called T type the regal was know as the buick regal sport coupe turbo and the lesabre just had the same badges and buick also produced a buck century turbo it had the same body as the cutlass 1978 442
180hp? The Olds 5.0 in this era made a whopping 140hp.
No matter if you like or dislike GM products the turbo Buick is an awesome car. One of the few cars that does not lose any value.
lower altitude with a cold morning car was capable of 0-60 n 4.7 seconds thats just crazy
John Davis and that Buick are both legends!
I bought a black 5.0 LX Coupe in 88 new for $9800 (barebones trim) . Immediately swapped the cam, intake manifold, heads, throttle body, put MSD ignition, headers, off road hpipe and 3:73 gears in it. All in all with the subframe connectors, short throw shifter and 255 rear tires, the upgrades cost about $2000. So for just under $12,000 (about a third of the price of the GNX) I was eating most cars on the street at the time. I was fond of the GN but was always turned off by the price.
Ya but your in a ford,thats like being proud of herpes...
Good choice on the fox body!
Not just the price.
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
It's part of the appeal of an American sports car!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
I bought my 87 Lx 5.0 5 spd new. $9,500. Still have it. I never got beat by TansAms, Camaros or even Vettes, but never got to race a GN. They were too expensive for us younger kids. Mines highly modified today, but still would have liked to owned a GN. You must have swapped to a Mass Air meter? Ours were both speed density.
An absolute Icon of a car!
I love how at the end of the video when they stomp on the gas and the rear and lifts up!
That was from the GNX-only F-body-type rear suspension...
I Love this Gorgeous Buick Hot Rod!! 300 horsepower😲💪🏼💪🏼
love my GN. runs 11's.
Dayum
I took my 77 Trans Am to 75&80 Drag -a-way in 87. I had dropped in a 69 400 HO and 3.73 rear with an ATI 3500 stall. I was still not as fast as an older grey haired gentleman who was running a GNX with some mods including a bit more boost. I remember him saying he just ran a bit slower @ 12.99 with the ac on. He had previously been running in the high 12.70's when his car was still relatively cooler. It was a cool car then and still is.
I've seen one stock GNX put out 270 hp to the crank years ago and they definitely were underrated!
This car is impressive even by today's standards, but back in the 80's thins thing was amazing.
These cars had incredible acceleration, good handling, but rode like a Cadillac. An
impressive car all around. Every now and then, GM did get it right and this thing is a
prime example of GM at their best.
I really do wish there was more cars styled like this nowadays.
I always think high school prom when I see cars like this.
Grand daddy,s Buick say hello toThe Buick hellcat.❤❤❤😊😊
There's lots of these cars hidden away in storage since new with only a few miles on the odometer but the trick is to find an owner that will sell. I've seen a few sold at auction for $150,000. Expensive but hide them away for another 28 years and watch that price double or more. Impressive car by all standards in today's market.
+Anthony Macneil they only made 500 or so there are not that many survivors
Very true!! Most that bought them valued them in the eyes of a collector and are on jack stands in a climate controlled environment with the plastic still on the interior. I seen one that had 9 miles on the odometer just drove home from the dealer and hasn't seen day light since. If you were lucky enough to own one take care of it.
To add one dealer has one GNX asking price $500,000 WOW!!
I saw one like new sell for $150,000 super low miles @ Barrett Jackson's
Doubling one's money in 28 years is a 2.5% annual return. No thanks :-)
Still to this day one of the best looking cars ever made
I remember those GNX doing 13.97 from factory at track in those days.
A little bit of tweaking (not that you should touch a GNX) makes this a real monster! Still one of my favorite cars of all time!!!
As a kid when these came out, it baffled me how this car could be faster than the vette.
The fastest American car of the '80s.
VaughnJogVlog ha, no
Evin Herzberg out of curiosity, what was the fastest car of the 80s?
Yin Yin probably the F40, but don't take my word I'm just guessing
Quick and fast are two different things, but I guess 125 Mph could be considered fast for this boat.
Of course not .?corvette is GM's flag ship and was always faster
*These made WAY more than 300 bhp in stock form*
True buick actually advertised the horse power at 276 but in reality it was definitely in the neighborhood of 300 hp or more
I love this car! Wish the review wasnt cut off at the end! Thanks for posting
Gone but not forgotten
Always loved the myths of these cars--- I campaigned a 10-second '87 GN I built for 17 years and during that time had my hands on a couple of GNXs...the heads were the standard PN# 8445 cast iron heads from the NA Regal V6; nothing fancy, no port/polish. The blocks for all Turbo Regals were also from the NA Regals with the addition of a 1/2" OD hole drilled in the front of the block for the turbo oil drain line.
Wow I did know that I have to guess that the only things different on the gnx were the bigger turbo inter cooler and low restriction exhaust system ??
@@DavidR-ub2dp - Totally different rear suspension... engine built by McLaren...
sickest car ever made had mine for 20 yrs still gives me a rush when i get on it
Wow you have the most sought after buick in your hands now its definitely my dream car
Nothing "sick" about it. It is as amazing now as it was then.
I've driven the GN before and it was hot. That's why I bought a 2016 F165. There's no better joy than a boosted V6, Boy.
In my opinions 80's cars was not the best period for sport car. But the Monte Carlos Ss and the Gran National are classic from this era.
American cars in the early to mid-80s weren't the best, true...
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
It's part of the appeal of an American sports car!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
I love it when people compare the Grand National to the GNX... They just don't seem to get it. They were pricey in their day, little did the buyer know that one day that car would rake in twice its value.
Car & Driver magazine called the GNX "a great engine in search of a great car".
Mitchell Pak The irony is that the design is actually beautiful, badass, and has held up and aged well.
I will tell you these engines during experimental testing back in 85 were making over 400 hp+ net not gross. My Ex-father in law was one of these lucky fellows who got to do dyno testing at the V6 engine plant that was here in Flint, Mi. He talked about certain spark plugs would blast the cap and electrode into the rafters like a 22 going off during testing.
It found a better one in the 89 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am. Same exact engine Pontiac lied and rated it at 250 hp lol it hit 60 in 4.6 secs!!
Pretty much. G bodies were mediocre at best. Then they put the same terrible front suspension on the S10.
A/G bodies were great cars that rode as smooth as a Cadillac... didn't feel cheap and flimsy like unibody Ford and Chrysler products...
Contrary to what a lot of people believe (and what the host said here) the GNX was NOT done by “ASC/McLaren” it was an independent company called ASC (American Sunroof Corporation)
Kdot sent us here
All I ever wanted was a black Grand National
Highly collectable car. They were fun to drive back then.
Oh How Id Love to have a Gnx , if nothing else, just to show these youngsters what a real Sleeper is.
Beautiful black color! Amazing performance and very rare only 500 made.
300 hp back then was mind blowing. Camaros had maybe 200hp and this car could blow off a Corvette.
Camaro Iroc-Z 5.7L had 225 HP and 330 lb/ft torque, had one.....but I agree, the GNX was a beast. One of my favourite cars without a doubt.
@@canuckereh5646 The Camaro is cooler and at least had a V8!
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
It's part of the appeal of an American sports car!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
In the late 1990s through the early 2000s, there was a guy renting an indoor shop in Sacramento to store his collection of Grand National and GNXs. The shop had at least 25-30 of them in perfect shape.
Wow turbo buick heaven
Dan smith. Lol you had an 88 grand national? Interesting zero were made. 1987 was the last year of the g n. Glad you loved your 1988 though
Lmao
Ericc Terrance 87 yes
mcgrath274 They did have an 88 Buick Somerset Grand National that some dealership was throwing badges on back then and it was as disgraceful as it sounds.
Yes but not and nothing like the regal g n
He possibly had an all black buick lesabre t type. Mostly an appearance package but still a 3800 engine and fwd.
I saw Sooooo many trashed back then at the drag strip, amazing to see any in nice condition..
"Welcome to the jungle" should be the anthem song for this beast.
I think Black Sabbath’s song “Black Sabbath” from the first album would work better, but I like how you think.
Turbo Lover by Judas Priest for me
Love these. One of the few times GM slipped out a monster
all those cars needed was a converter with a 3000 stall and that GNX would be nasty off the line even by today's standards.
The tires couldn't hold the stock converter off the line...
@@BuzzLOLOL correct. Forgot about the tires haha
Had one in 1992. Stock Iroc would stay with me....Tuned I Smoked EVERYTHING!! Including Vetts and 944 turbos. The Transmission held the car back. Wasn’t horrible but, a solid 5 speed manual would have Reslly set the car apart. I was told by a friend my torque converter was spent caus “these cars are suppose to be so fast”. I traded it in on a new 3000gt VR4. Wish I wouldn’t have done that :)
95mph trap speed for 88 SS with HO L69 305 must have been with a high tail wind. Never seen one go above 90mph. The 84's had 3.42 gearing with THD350. 3 spd auto. & 3.73 with the 2004R option. 85 -88 only came with the 2004R. My 85 SS ran typical 15.8 at 87 Before I threw a mild stroker 383 in it.
Man, that's my favorite combination. 200 4R and a 350 V8. Replace the 305 just because you can. Edelbrock intake and carb, get a nice 3 chambered Flowmaster and you can beat almost any car. Except a Corvette and a Viper.
One of my dream cars. And with exactly 547 built, it’s also one of the rarest.
they should bring the GNX back
The new rule of Buick "Will it sell in China?" GM has turned Buick into their Chinese division.
There were a few times Buick built some of the fastest cars money could but. 36-40 Buick Century, 70-71 GSX, and then there was the GNX
300 HP back then was impressive.
SS In reality they were closer to 380hp but GM underrated them for insurance purposes.
@@fordxbgtfalcon Sorry but no GNX produced 380 HP stock from the factory.The cars were not underated HP wise because they just couldn't rev high enough to make truly big power. Now for their torque rating,That was already high and I believe that may have been underated.The torque is why they performed so well.If they truly had 380 or more HP, they would have a higher trap speed through the quarter mile than they do.
Daniel Watne Well our shop dyno’d one about 8 years ago it was completely stock, no mods of any kind it put 342hp to the wheels, that’s about 380hp at the crank, so yes they certainly can make 380hp.........
I recall Popular Mechanics doing a shootout between a stock GNX and a Calloway twin turbo Corvette. Despite pretty much everything being in the Vette's favor, weight, gearing, horsepower; as they put it during a run down the drag strip, the GNX led until aerodynamics became a factor. That's just badass!
There's actually 547 made..I need just one
Thank you so much. I would love to build a clone of a GNX. SO BADASS!!!! Thanks for sharing!!! You made my night!!!
so about $65k in 2017 money at the time of it's release? crazy
much more because of dealer markup, nobody was getting these at retail prices. dealer's salivated at pure profits ranging from 10-30k on markup alone.
What a car! I lusted for this car and had posters of it on the bedroom wall.
Wow, I'd pay 30gs for one of those any day now...
That's not what they sold for when you account for inflation. At 30k it would be a $66k car today, and with the dealer markup mentioned, they would be the equivalent of $88k.
At classic car auctions like Barrett-Jackson a prime example GNX can easily bring in $150,000 - $175,000
Hey Steven, a gallon of gas in 87 was 72 cents. Would you buy 72 cents per gallon now as well? Thanks captain obvious.
Will always be my dream car
Buick under rated the power of the engine just like Ford did for the 2003/2004 Cobra.
I worked at a Buick dealership then. I remember having. " I brake for Corvettes" bumper stickers for the GN buyers as a souvenir lol
Hell yeah!
Still looks great today! Could you post a video of the 96 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera?
30 grand was a lot of money for a car in '87. Probably about 70K, more or less, in 2016 dollars. But it was still a bargain.
Frank Burns IF they gave me a hellcat or a mint grand national I would not even think about it Buick all the way
Dealer markup made them about $40k, or about 85k in today's money. Vehicle interest rates were also very high back then so only the affluent with real cash could afford it.
Especially when a Vette was about 24K. I remember the Buick dealer down the street from me had a X on the show room floor for 55K, don't remember the # now. Even 29K was crazy.
@@regalgn1 a Vette in '87 had a base of $28k. I ended up ordering a loaded 5.7 IROC Camaro and I was just $7.00 short of $20k with it.
That was a quick bastard back in the day!
Nice ! Now can you download the 84 monte SS test?
Working on it
SS was a painfully slow car, i owned one.
***** A Monte Carlo with the stock 5.0 engine had less than 200hp and Mustang with the stock engine had well over 200hp. Fat or no the Monte Carlo was no match. It is beautiful but basically a commuter car.
***** you have lived around the slowest Mustangs in the world
***** it doesn't matter... You had a 305 Chevrolet engine which had way less than 200hp. They all were very slow.
When they launched it smoothly, it put the power down just fine. When they launched at the end, the rear axle jacked a bit. That additional torque arm at work...
You could say it was the first "modern" muscle car.
No.
Definitely not with a V6...
@@Kev27RS The Mustang, Challenger, Camaro, and Charger are all available with a V6. So, why not?
@@RampantFury925 Yes, true!
They're not desirable though.
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
It's just not appealing...
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
It's part of the appeal of an American sports car!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
The same goes for the Mustang SVO from the mid-80s.
It had a 4 cylinder turbo engine and good performance but...
a 4 cylinder in a Mustang?
No thanks!
It also didn't last long in the market just like the GNX...
Emission regulations and oil crisis at that time were part all of the reason why those models got created to begin with...
American car manufacturers like Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford also didn't use 4 and 6 cylinder engines for their *most powerful* models, even in the following years and even decades!
They always used *V8 engines* as they should!
4 and 6 cylinder versions exist, especially nowadays for a reason but no one really cares about them!
👉 Go overseas and ask people what comes to their mind when they hear "American muscle car" or even "American sports car":
*Big V8 Power* is one of the thoughts!
I Am Crazy Over This Black Car! Rock On Buick!!!
Love the Lincoln Mark VII at the beginning.
I had forgotten these existed. A friend of mine sold his Grand National a few years back. I wish he kept it.
Why can't I "like" this more than once???? lol
I bought a brand new 86 Monte Carlo ss dark burgundy back in the day for 15,000.00 dollars. My friend bought a new 87 Buick g.n. for about 18,000.00 . I didn't buy the G.N. because being 3,000.0 more, but let me tell you, I wish I DID !!! when we lined them both up at a lite, and lite turned green that black Buick pulled that Monte s.s. like a missile, like 7 -8 car lengths right out of the box. At that very moment I realized 1 thing that, s.s. didn't mean super sport it meant SUPER SLOW. lol. Still LOVED my Monte. It had 190,000 miles on it when I sold it , beat the he - - out of it. FUN TIMES.
I've seen this car destroy many imports nothing is sweeter than seeing a turbo buick destroy cars that claim to be fast
Eric Cymbura ...there's 10 it can beat and another 10 that can beat it. This is coming from a 47 year old who owned one in the mid 1990's. Back then I watched an Eagle Talon smoke a Viper at a street race. Right then and there I began to respect imports and what could be done with l less!
Klasse Act that Talon was obviously not stock
Stock STi would probably beat a stock Buick.
The first production GNX is on display at GM headquarters in downtown Detroit. It’s a beautiful sight to behold.
Nice I definitely would love to see it
that Lincoln lsc is awesome looking
One of the most beautiful cars
I was crushed when I read several years back that one of these went to the crusher via the Cash for Clunkers campaign. It wasn't even a clunker.
Flyte Line. I believe it had actually been saved if I read correctly.. Someone stepped in and knew someone up top... A number of T types or clones were sent to the crushers unfortunate as that disgusting program was...
THANKS OBAMA
What's the car John's sitting on in the beginning of the episode? Looks like some kind of a Lincoln?
Probably a Lincoln Mark VII
Buick did it right
got a chance to see some great battles in the GN vs. Mustang Shootouts in Kentucky when i was stationed @Ft.Knox in the late '80s early 90s. GeneDeputy, KenDutweiler were the kings. turbo vs. turbo.