HOW GMS SUPERCAR KILLER FROM THE 80S WOULD STACK UP TODAY

In the early 1980s, Buick tried to recapture some of the performance glory they enjoyed with the '60s and '70s Skylark Gran Sport, as well as attract younger buyers. Unfortunately, they came up with the Grand National in 1982, which was a Regal with a 125-horsepower engine, that was neither fast nor cool. Eventually, they got some decent power into the Grand National, and the all-black "Darth Vader" cars took on an aggressive look that was far less mundane than a stock Regal grandpa mobile.

In 1987, the final year for the Grand National, Buick built the car they should have been making all along. The GNX, which stood for "Grand National Experimental", was packed with power and performance, making it one of the fastest cars of the entire decade. Not only could the GNX blow the doors off American muscle cars like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, it was smoking European sports cars such as the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 930. Most importantly for this GM brand, it could handily beat a Corvette.

The 1987 Buick GNX was kind of a radical performance vehicle at the time, because it generated tremendous power with a turbocharged V-6 engine, versus the naturally aspirated V-8s of traditional American muscle cars. It's been almost 40 years since the GNX sent the Grand National out on a high note, and its performance stats are still impressive, even by today's standards. The GNX was a supercar killer in 1987, but amazingly stacks up nicely against modern muscle and sports cars. Obviously, it can't take out a 1,000-horsepower exotic, but it can certainly hang with some of the top new performance rides.

1987 Buick GNX Supercar Killer

Before pitting the 1987 Buick GNX against modern performance vehicles, it's important to see what it is bringing to the competition. With the Grand National, Buick eventually got some okay power out of the 3.8-liter turbocharged V-6 engine, reaching up to 235 horsepower. These were cars that ran in the 15s, which isn't anything to brag about.

For the GNX, Buick built the cars and then shipped them off to McLaren Performance Technologies to get a much-needed injection of power. The GNX still used the same 3.8-liter V-6 as the Grand National, but with a Garrett AiResearch T-3 turbocharger and performance dual exhaust, it was substantially more powerful.

GNX Power, Performance, And Price

Buick tragically underrated the power of the GNX at 276 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque, when the real numbers were 300 horsepower and 420 pound-feet. Everything under the hood was upgraded for more performance and the turbo Hydramatic 200-4R transmission was reprogrammed to maximize shifts.

A special torque arm was mounted on the rear differential that changed the GNX's geometry, lifting the car while pushing the rear tires down for added traction. All of this was some wild stuff for the 1980s, but it definitely made for a seriously badass street machine.

Performance Confusion

Just how fast was the 1987 Buick GNX? That depends on who you ask. Road & Track claimed it had a 6.0-second 0-60 time and did a quarter-mile in 14.0 seconds at 105 MPH. There are unsubstantiated reports that the GNX ran a 12.7-second quarter-mile at 113 MPH, but that can't be backed up by any credible source. Car And Driver is excellent at testing vehicles, and they got 4.7 seconds in 0-60 and 13.5 in a quarter-mile on the track, so that's likely the best performance numbers available.

GNX Production

Only 547 GNX cars were built, and Buick still owns #001 so they're even a little more rare. They originally sold for $29,900, which was a lot of money in 1987. That translates into over $80,000 in 2024 dollars, which is still quite a lot of cash. Nowadays, $80k can bring home a 500-horsepower high-performance ride, just to put that into perspective. The GNX was the most amazing vehicle of 1987, but that price was simply way too much, and probably why it was made in such limited numbers.

1987 Buick GNX Vs. Modern Muscle

Now that we know what the 1987 Buick GNX brings to the table, it's time to see how it stacks up against some modern Muscle cars. In the interest of fairness, the GNX won't have to line up against the likes of a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, or Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.

There are plenty of recent muscle cars with similar horsepower that will make a fine comparison. The 2023 Challenger SXT with a 300-horsepower 3.6-liter six-cylinder, the 2024 Mustang EcoBoost with a 315-horsepower 2.4-liter turbo I-4, and the 2024 Camaro 1LT with a 335-horsepower V-6 will suffice.

Generational Drag Race

The 1987 Buick GNX does fairly well against the competition, but can't beat the Camaro 1LT. This fictional race does come with a big asterisk as the GNX was the top-performance variant in its day, while these modern muscle cars are all base models that cost around what the Buick went for in 1987.

For under $82,788, an 807-horsepower Challenger SRT Hellcat, capable of an 11.4-second quarter-mile can be had. Chevy, Dodge, and Ford all offer powerful V-8 cars that would smoke an '87 GNX, for substantially less money.

GNX vs. Modern Sports Cars

In 1987, the Buick had bragging rights that it was quicker than European sports cars like Porsche and Ferrari, as well as the homegrown Corvette. In 2024, Ferrari doesn't make anything with similar horsepower to the GNX and the tamest 'Vette blazes a quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds.

Porsche, however, has the 375-horsepower 911 Carrera, which is as close as it's going to get. Actually, it's not even remotely close as the 911's 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged H-6 propels it from 0-60 in 4.0 seconds and down the quarter-mile track in just 12.2 seconds.

GNX Vs. Performance Sedans

The GNX was essentially a Buick Regal, which, while a two-door, was a car favored by retirees and AARP members, so maybe the best comparison against modern rides is with the performance sedan segment. Actually, while the price is comparable in the $80,000 range, most sports sedans have crazy horsepower that the GNX simply can't compete with.

The only thing close is the 2024 Cadillac CT5, with a 335-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-6. The Caddy goes 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and has a quarter-mile time of 13.3 seconds, which is slightly better than the GNX, but again, this is a base model that won't break the bank.

The 1987 Buick GNX Is An Impressive Relic

As unreal as the Buick GNX seemed in 1987, it's an almost 40-year-old car that simply can't compete with modern performance vehicles. The technology under the hood of a kick-ass 2020s ride has far exceeded what was possible decades ago. The Stellantis Hurricane twin-turbocharged I-6 is capable of getting 500 horsepower out of six cylinders, which is way more than the 300 ponies of the GNX turbo V-6. There ain't nothing wrong with a 13-second car, even to this day, but the GNX's price makes it hard to justify.

13-Second Car Price Comparison

Handling The GNX

Another aspect that has grown leaps and bounds since 1987 is vehicle handling. Steering, suspension, and brakes are simply much better now than they were in the 1980s. The Buick GNX was a nose-heavy ride that wasn't comfortable in the tight turns. Like all vehicles from the era, it was also a bit of a floater that would remind the driver of a bump for half a block. Sitting in a modern performance vehicle with a tight suspension provides a stark contrast to the spongy ride of the GNX.

Here's Where The Buick GNX Excels Over Modern Muscle

The 1987 Buick GNX might not be as fast or nimble as modern performance rides, but one area where it definitely excels is in collectability. These cars are extremely rare and incredibly desirable. Bring a Trailer has sold 42 GNX cars in the past six years and almost all of them went for six figures, with many topping $200,000. On Classic.com, which tracks recent auction sales, they set the average price paid for a GNX at $174,528, with a high of $308,000. With such a limited run of just 547 units, these cars will do nothing but increase in value.

1987 Buick GNX Top Recent Auction Sales

• Barrett-Jackson Jan 29, 2022 - $308,000
• Barrett-Jackson Jan 29, 2022 - $291,500
• Barrett-Jackson Jun 19, 2021 - $275,000
• Bring a Trailer Nov 29, 2021 - $236,000
• Barrett-Jackson Jan 27, 2024 - $231,000

Will a 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse be a collectible in 30 or 40 years? Probably, but not in the same way as the GNX is now. Mustangs are mass-produced and there is very little difference between a six-gen and a seventh-gen. Additionally, the 2025 Mustang will be identical to the 2024 model, and the same goes for the rest of the generation. There will be millions of sixth and seventh-generation Mustangs, which means they aren't rare or special. In 2084, enthusiasts will probably be interested in the 2020s 486-horsepower Mustang Dark Horse, but it won't command the prices like the ultra-rare 1987 Buick GNX supercar killer.

2024-09-07T10:08:37Z dg43tfdfdgfd