All-black and launched right as Star Wars mania peaked, the Grand National/GNX earned itself a nickname that stuck: "Darth Vader’s Car."
Median 97 hp across 397 similar cars
Lead trim: Grand National 4.1 V6 (1982, 125 hp) · up to 276 hp
Buick Regal Sport Coupe / T-Type / Grand National / GNXG-body · 1978–1987
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FactAll-black and launched right as Star Wars mania peaked, the Grand National/GNX earned itself a nickname that stuck: "Darth Vader’s Car."
The turbocharged rear-wheel-drive Regals of the G-body era: the 1978 Regal Sport Coupe (the first turbo Regal), the February 1982 Grand National (named for the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National series; 215 built in 1982, at least 35 with the 3.8 turbo), the 1983 T-Type (3,732 built), and the all-black 1984 Grand National with sequential fuel injection and distributorless ignition (5,204 turbo Regals, about 2,000 of them GNs; quarter-mile 15.9 s against 17.0 for the Camaro V6 and 15.2 for the Corvette). 1986 added air-to-air intercooling (5,512 GNs and 2,384 T-Types), and 1987, the last year of the RWD G-body Regal (turbo production ran to December, "1987½" GNs; 27,590 turbo Regals in all), saw the lightweight WE4 (1,547), the 1,035 Turbo Regal Limiteds and the GNX: 547 GNs converted by McLaren Performance Technologies / ASC for US$29,900, underrated at 276 hp although actual output was about 300 bhp. Buick's standard Regal generation is catalogued separately.
Collectors Spotted in the Buick Regal Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Buick Regal yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
8 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GNX (1987, rated 276 hp) | 1987–1987 | 3.8 L V6 | 276 hp | 360 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Grand National / WE4 intercooled 3.8 turbo (1987, 245 hp) | 1987–1987 | 3.8 L V6 | 245 hp | 355 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Grand National 3.8 sequential-injection turbo (1984–85, 200 hp) | 1984–1985 | 3.8 L V6 | 200 hp | 300 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Grand National 4.1 V6 (1982, 125 hp) | 1982–1982 | 4.1 L V6 | 125 hp | 205 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Grand National intercooled 3.8 turbo (1986, 235 hp) | 1986–1986 | 3.8 L V6 | 235 hp | 330 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Sport Coupe 3.8 turbo (170 hp, 1979–81) | 1979–1981 | 3.8 L V6 | 170 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Sport Coupe 3.8 turbo (175 hp, 1982) | 1982–1982 | 3.8 L V6 | 175 hp | 275 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| T-Type 3.8 turbo (1983, 180 hp) | 1983–1983 | 3.8 L V6 | 180 hp | 280 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
In the Community
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Photographs
The Regal TourX wasn't just a new wagon for Buick — it was the brand's first wagon in 22 years, the first since the Century and Roadmaster Estates died off after 1996.
The Regal GS revival used a turbocharged Ecotec engine shared with the Opel Insignia OPC, reflecting the model's roots as a rebadged Opel developed in Germany.
GM called more than four in ten U.S. Regal buyers conquests, people trading out of other brands entirely.
This Regal generation's supercharged GS was the fastest Buick built since the legendary 1987 GNX — switching from turbo to supercharged power for 240 hp.
The 1988 Regal broke with Buick tradition in one stroke: the first front-wheel-drive Regal ever built, and the first with no serious performance option or edition at all.
This Regal's aero-nosed facelift was so effective on the NASCAR circuit that Richard Petty drove one to victory in the 1981 Daytona 500, and it won the manufacturers' title two years running.
All-black and launched right as Star Wars mania peaked, the Grand National/GNX earned itself a nickname that stuck: "Darth Vader’s Car."
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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