Automotive News, Media & Press - SLP GN and GNX

So they ruined the Firehawk name using the G8, why not ruin the GN and GNX names while they are at it......

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/02/slp-says-it-is-developing-new-gnx-and-grand-national-buicks/

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/buick-gnx-sketch-opt.jpg

I'd like to see the final product.

So they ruined the Firehawk name using the G8, why not ruin the GN and GNX names while they are at it......

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/02/slp-says-it-is-developing-new-gnx-and-grand-national-buicks/

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/buick-gnx-sketch-opt.jpg

:eyes:

^^The G8 was an awesome car - I'll probably buy one someday - but I'm one of the many who beleive there should not have been a Firehawk G8. I remember the heated debates in countless threads back 3 years ago, on LS1tech alone it was fairly unanimous that people did not want SLP using the Hawk name on the G8. I remember the arguments Tony had with Ed Hamburger of SLP.

I'm a huge Buick fan, I'm one of the few that thought the SLP wbody GSX was an awesome looking and performing car. I do not however want them ruining the GN and GNX name with a fwd turbo 4 - the GS is only available in fwd not the awd like the regular Regals . Why not build another GSX? Why build a 300+ hp fwd Regal and call it a GN or GNX?

I think it's awesome, just needs a little more HP bump.

it should have been a type R

or hell, why not an Si at this point

They are all over with the naming. Gnx and Firehawk should not be used again, no matter how great the cars are, unless they are at least similar in styling...which they never are. That's the problem. As far as the G8 Firehawk, it's a beast and I'd love to have one...but it's not really anything like a Firehawk in any way shape or form. Whoring out a namesake for a car doesn't make it so imo. I think they went far enough with the ls1 hawks, not even counting the G8 Firehawk! Lol, I mean gimme a break...a G8 doesn't exactly remind you of a bird lol. True Firehawk has an lt based powerplant and is available in only a Formula model. I love mine don't get me wrong, but that's as far as I'd push that name without some damn reasoning.

^^The G8 was an awesome car - I'll probably buy one someday - but I'm one of the many who beleive there should not have been a Firehawk G8. I remember the heated debates in countless threads back 3 years ago, on LS1tech alone it was fairly unanimous that people did not want SLP using the Hawk name on the G8. I remember the arguments Tony had with Ed Hamburger of SLP.

I'm a huge Buick fan, I'm one of the few that thought the SLP wbody GSX was an awesome looking and performing car. I do not however want them ruining the GN and GNX name with a fwd turbo 4 - the GS is only available in fwd not the awd like the regular Regals . Why not build another GSX? Why build a 300+ hp fwd Regal and call it a GN or GNX?

Do you have any idea how poorly the GN and GSX were in factory form? Tons of modern FWD and AWD cars will walk all over them.

Do you have any idea how poorly the GN and GSX were in factory form? Tons of modern FWD and AWD cars will walk all over them.

No shit, you are talking about a car that's 30 years old. I can't believe you even made a comment that dumb, they were one of the fastest cars in the 80s.

What a farce!!! Looks just like an Opel Insignia OPC down to the wheels

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/buick-gnx-sketch-opt.jpg
http://media.autoweek.nl/m/m1dyvwpbq7ni_600.jpg
http://www.anwb.nl/binaries/images/nieuws/auto/automerken/opel/opel-insignia-opc-side/opel-insignia-opc-side-original.jpg

Looks like they simply took the OPC Insignia design drawing and modified it a little bit here and there...

I hope they call this a Firehawk too.

Do you have any idea how poorly the GN and GSX were in factory form? Tons of modern FWD and AWD cars will walk all over them.

WTF are you talking about?
26-27 model years later people are still talking about these cars. They are still desired, and revered. 30 years from now there will still be a cult following.
Doubt the same can be said for today's FWD and AWD.

A Hyundai Genesis would kill a Dusenberg SJ in every performance category but in 100 years from now the Dusenberg will still be in museums while the other will be a part of a toaster or in a landfill.

If they're going to do anything that irrational, maybe they'll also switch over to the OPEL V6 engine with it's 325ish hp!! :lol: figure the odds... At that point, at least the car would have the acceleration many expected from the thing we're seeing so far... :corn:

I dont know, but I kinda like it. Seems like a good DD to me.

I dont know, but I kinda like it. Seems like a good DD to me.I ain't exactly a spring chicken anymore(as I'm often reminded on here) :) but... I'm passin' on these so far. They're just NOT what they should be. If they add that semi-potent TT V6, we'll reconsider... On the other hand, the price is too high as well. I've got a Brewik right out in the back garage... It's not getting replaced by this new "thing" anytime soon. There are too many other cars with nice interiors and ride quality, decent looks and MORE engine for the same price or within a very close range.

http://media.autoweek.nl/m/m1dyvwpbq7ni_600.jpg
http://www.anwb.nl/binaries/images/nieuws/auto/automerken/opel/opel-insignia-opc-side/opel-insignia-opc-side-original.jpgThat's a good looking car. :nod:





A Hyundai Genesis would kill a Dusenberg SJ in every performance category but in 100 years from now the Dusenberg will still be in museums while the other will be a part of a toaster or in a landfill.:lol: :D True. :nod:

Do you have any idea how poorly the GN and GSX were in factory form? Tons of modern FWD and AWD cars will walk all over them.

HAHAHAHA Heres a piece of knowledge for you. You realize the main reason they stopped production of the GN/GNX was because they were beating Corvettes from the factory.

So in todays age think how you would feel if you were driving a C6 and got beat by a Buick park avenue.

saw this the other day. i think they should NOT call it a GNX/GN. however i think it would be a cool car if they call it something different

hahahaha heres a piece of knowledge for you. You realize the main reason they stopped production of the gn/gnx was because they were beating corvettes from the factory.

So in todays age think how you would feel if you were driving a c6 and got beat by a buick park avenue.

this!

HAHAHAHA Heres a piece of knowledge for you. You realize the main reason they stopped production of the GN/GNX was because they were beating Corvettes from the factory.

So in todays age think how you would feel if you were driving a C6 and got beat by a Buick park avenue.

They should have made the Corvettes faster back then, think of all the fun cars we could have had if the horsepower ceiling hadn't been set so low by the Corvette. There was the GN/GNX, the Turbo Trans Am, the Syclone/Typhoon...all of those could have easily got a big horsepower boost if the Corvette wasn't so damn slow back then! It's the same problem with the ZL1, I'm still shocked they gave that more horsepower than the Z06 has.

This should NOT be in SLP's hands. This should be coming from the FACTORY in AWD 325-350hp form and called GSX. End of discussion. And yes the Opel Insignia OPC is a fucking great looking hot daily driver.

This should NOT be in SLP's hands. This should be coming from the FACTORY in AWD 325-350hp form and called GSX. End of discussion.I agree.
A factory GM/Buick built Regal Grand National AWD turbo with some balls, all black and well under $40k, could be a winner. :nod:

I agree.
A factory GM/Buick built Regal Grand National AWD turbo with some balls, all black and well under $40k, could be a winner. :nod:Me too, and I said almost the same thing some time back, but that it wouldn't happen as we'd like... it didn't, obviously.

Look at current pricing to be "reminded" that GM isn't ABOUT to sell the car you guys just described at the price you want.

HAHAHAHA Heres a piece of knowledge for you. You realize the main reason they stopped production of the GN/GNX was because they were beating Corvettes from the factory.

So in todays age think how you would feel if you were driving a C6 and got beat by a Buick park avenue.WRONG!! The reason production stopped was because GM's G-body cars were all ready set for a redesign to front-wheel drive. In fact, because of their popularity, the Grand National's production was actually extended. But, eventually all the G-body's were converted to front-wheel drive POS. That includes the Grand Prix, Regal, Monte Carlo (which became the Lumina augh!) and Cutlass. Also, the standard Grand National and Corvette were about equal from the factory. It was a drivers race. The GNX was a completely didn't case, though. But, you do realize that the only reason there was a GNX was because it's production cycle was ending????

Oh damn, I hoped that if I close my eyes long enough this horrible idea would be gone, but no, it spilled over to LS1 tech :(

I hate the idea of slapping a classic, well respected badge on a FWD car.
Nothing wrong with the Insignia OPC version, good or even great car - but not as an GNX. Call it Regal, Riviera, Gran Sport, BUT NOT GNX. It's Buick's Holy Grail that deserves a LOT more than GM can afford/are willing to do(!) now.

Me too, and I said almost the same thing some time back, but that it wouldn't happen as we'd like... it didn't, obviously.

Look at current pricing to be "reminded" that GM isn't ABOUT to sell the car you guys just described at the price you want.That's basically the thing. Like I said earlier, if it lived up to it's name great. But that doesn't seem to happen, and is not likely to.

Oh damn, I hoped that if I close my eyes long enough this horrible idea would be gone, but no, it spilled over to LS1 tech :(

I hate the idea of slapping a classic, well respected badge on a FWD car.
Nothing wrong with the Insignia OPC version, good or even great car - but not as an GNX. Call it Regal, Riviera, Gran Sport, BUT NOT GNX. It's Buick's Holy Grail that deserves a LOT more than GM can afford/are willing to do(!) now.
I have to agree with this.

Another old school here...Having owned both an 84 Type {ex wife did'nt like black} and 87 GN, These cars, in the day, were the cars to own..These cars dominated all cars in this era...Unless SLP can raise the bar to this level, I pass...

Now remember the era, Miami Vice was the best show on TV..Mike Tyson boxed once a month on HBO..

Another old school here...Having owned both an 84 Type {ex wife did'nt like black} and 87 GN, These cars, in the day, were the cars to own..These cars dominated all cars in this era...Unless SLP can raise the bar to this level, I pass...

Now remember the era, Miami Vice was the best show on TV..Mike Tyson boxed once a month on HBO..

I can't agree that the GN dominated... It was quick, but a well driven Corvette or Mustang was certainly in that race every time and either would hand the Buick its ass in any category aside from straight line acceleration. I loved life when I drove that 86 GN, but it handled just like grandmas 86 Cutlass Supreme. Losing a close race against a 1985 Mustang GT was it for me. Since I knew I simply couldn't honestly afford the GN(mom and dad pulled all support), I waved at it and got a Mustang. Wasn't as comfy and couldn't haul that 5th person, but it had its advantages, like being much less expensive.

WTF are you talking about?
26-27 model years later people are still talking about these cars. They are still desired, and revered. 30 years from now there will still be a cult following.
Doubt the same can be said for today's FWD and AWD.

A Hyundai Genesis would kill a Dusenberg SJ in every performance category but in 100 years from now the Dusenberg will still be in museums while the other will be a part of a toaster or in a landfill.

Irrational comparison. A Genesis is a poor person's car. The Dusenberg is high end and rare. The Dusenberg was the best at what it did. The Genesis isn't close to being the best at anything.



No shit, you are talking about a car that's 30 years old. I can't believe you even made a comment that dumb, they were one of the fastest cars in the 80s.

If you are admitting that cars in the 80's sucked then why do you care about protecting such an awful legacy?

Another old school here...Having owned both an 84 Type {ex wife did'nt like black} and 87 GN, These cars, in the day, were the cars to own..These cars dominated all cars in this era...Unless SLP can raise the bar to this level, I pass...

Now remember the era, Miami Vice was the best show on TV..Mike Tyson boxed once a month on HBO..Ahhhh.....the good ole days!!!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Regal Grand National name was used for several years, not just on the all black turbo 3.8 cars (The GNX's), not all the grand nationals were mind blowing at the time.

I think that a GN with AWD with 300+hp and no options/lightweight car would be a good idea.

GNX is where it starts to kind of bother me, because that is the really legendary nameplate. 2 door, no options, lightweight, no excuses ALL black, AWD 300+hp, sub 13 second 1/4 miles, cheap, and easy to mod...that wouldn't be anything to complain about IMO. RWD would be preferable but obviously that won't happen given the current chassis design. Perhaps the cadillac ATS platform would have been a better starting point.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Regal Grand National name was used for several years, not just on the all black turbo 3.8 cars (The GNX's), not all the grand nationals were mind blowing at the time.Partially true. :nod:
I believe the first Grand National was a 1982 Regal (in grey or maybe two tone, not all black) and I don't even think all of them were actually turbocharged, though the turbocharged Regal itself was around since 1977/1978 (my ex sister-in-law's dad bought one brand new in 1978 :)). The '84 and '85 (non intercooled) Grand Nationals and T-types though potent enough at the time, really weren't all that fast.
The T-type name was plastered on a few different Buick models I believe as was name Gran Sport (not Grand Sport like the Corvettes :D).
There were GSX's of the old Skylark GS era as well but the 'GNX' name itself was ONLY used on those special edition 1987 GNs.

And then there was this little gem, the LeSabre Grand National. :D

http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2886/3103/32214051243_large.jpg

I think that a GN with AWD with 300+hp and no options/lightweight car would be a good idea.

True, however the GN/GNX idea is being based off of a Regal GS, the GS is only available in fwd.

http://www.anwb.nl/binaries/images/nieuws/auto/automerken/opel/opel-insignia-opc-side/opel-insignia-opc-side-original.jpg

I LIKE IT!

I believe at current exchange rates the OPC would be a $50,000+ car. That is one of the real big hangups.

And then there was this little gem, the LeSabre Grand National. :D

http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2886/3103/32214051243_large.jpg

Call me nuts, but I love late 80's/early 90's buicks. I used to have a 1990 Lesabre and it was about the most comfortable car I've ever driven lol. I would love a GN lesabre.

Call me nuts, but I love late 80's/early 90's buicks. I used to have a 1990 Lesabre and it was about the most comfortable car I've ever driven lol. I would love a GN lesabre.Oh I agree, I rode in an early '90s Park Avenue a few times and it rivaled my living room couch as far as comfort goes. :nod:
I also thought the '80s Riviera T-type turbos (or even the later era/sportier supercharged ones) were pretty cool, they rode a lot like Cadillac Eldorados too.

http://assets.hemmings.com/story_image/60075-500-0.jpg?rev=2

True, however the GN/GNX idea is being based off of a Regal GS, the GS is only available in fwd.

And the Regal is based off of the Opel Insignia, which is available with AWD and a 2.8L turbo V6.

They should have made the Corvettes faster back then, think of all the fun cars we could have had if the horsepower ceiling hadn't been set so low by the Corvette. There was the GN/GNX, the Turbo Trans Am, the Syclone/Typhoon...all of those could have easily got a big horsepower boost if the Corvette wasn't so damn slow back then! It's the same problem with the ZL1, I'm still shocked they gave that more horsepower than the Z06 has.

It wasn't a problem with horsepower, so to say. The 80s was when they went from carb- different forms of fuel injection, trying to find what worked. also had to meet new emission regulations so they had to sacrifice power for fuel economy.

And the Regal is based off of the Opel Insignia, which is available with AWD and a 2.8L turbo V6.

Correct, the turbo V6 is not available in the US version and the awd system is not available with the 2.0 turbo either in the US. This was what pissed off all the people who were excited about the GS, they killed the turbo 6 and killed the awd in GS trim.

Correct, the turbo V6 is not available in the US version and the awd system is not available with the 2.0 turbo either in the US. This was what pissed off all the people who were excited about the GS, they killed the turbo 6 and killed the awd in GS trim.

Yes, but it would be easy to incorporate. The Haldex system wouldn't be too hard to get ahold of. Just that much would be much better. The LNF motor has been proven to make pretty good power, so the V6 isn't all that necessary in this situation.

Tt awd and i am sold