The 1987 Buick GNX was a seriously fast car for its time. With a 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 under its hood, it was quicker to 60 MPH than some notable high-performance cars from that era, such as the Ferrari F40, Chevrolet Corvette, and the Ford Mustang GT.
The GNX (Grand National Experimental) was a spicier version of the Grand National, tuned at the hands of ASC/McLaren. Buick built only a handful of these for a single model year as a send-off to the second-gen Grand National, making it a pretty special 80s muscle car.
The limited production run and impressive performance keep the demand for a GNX high in today's collector market - driving its prices well above $100,000. Due to its high value, most of the current GNX owners keep it in stock configuration. It is hard to find a restomod based on this iconic Buick.
But there aren't such restrictions in the virtual world. HotCars digital artist Rostislav Prokop uses this opportunity to give us a stunning rendering of a Buick GNX restomod. His creation is a unique take on this high-performance classic, turning it into a lowered and wide-bodied racer. Let's take a closer look.
This 1987 Buick GNX Restomod Is Darth Vader's New Ride
The GNX and the Grand National were hot versions of the Buick Regal, and both had similar exterior styling. But the GNX came with a few stand-out body modifications to distinguish it from the Grand National and the rest of the Regal line-up.
It only came with a black exterior and had 'GNX' emblems on the grille, fenders, and trunk lid. It also had bigger and wider 16-inch lightweight wheels wrapped with high-performance tires and extended wheel arches to accommodate them.
Compared to the Grand National, it had a bigger grille opening and a handful of modifications to its front and rear fascia. Buick also gave it functional vents on the hood and on the front fenders to excavate heat from the engine compartment. The GNX had a slightly larger and more prominent rear spoiler to further aid airflow.
Prokop keeps the shape of this wild digital restomod the same as the original GNX but slaps on an aggressive widebody kit to the stock sheet metal. He also chops the suspension so the car sits quite low to the ground, improving its center of gravity and making it nimble for an autocross circuit or race track.
A stealth paint scheme replaces the stock black exterior on this GNX restomod. But Prokop ensures the car retains its signature understated 'bad boy' look by adding a bunch of sweet-looking aftermarket mods.
He keeps the stock grille with the GNX emblem but replaces the stock headlamps with modern LED units. An angrier-looking front bumper replaces the original piece. It features big air vents to suck in fresh air to cool off the radiator. It also gets a low-hung splitter to channel air around the front of this restomodded muscle car.
The extended wheel arches that are a part of the widebody kit feature massive extraction vents for smoother airflow around the wheels. Prokop keeps the stock trunk lid spoiler on this GNX but adds a new set of LED rear lights and a handsome rear bumper with an integrated diffuser.
Part of the cabin is also visible in these renderings, and the bright yellow race-spec roll cage pops out as the only flashy design feature in this restomod. The cabin layout appears to be close to stock. And while a change of upholstery might be necessary after 40 years, we'd keep the analog Stewart-Warner gauges in this GNX restomod.
This Angry GNX Restomod Gets Camaro ZL1's Supercharged V8
How Much Horsepower Does A Buick GNX Have?
The GNX and the Grand National both had the same 3.8-liter turbocharged V6. But ASC/McLaren fitted the GNX with a bunch of serious performance upgrades, making it quicker than the already quick Grand National - as Buick intended it to be.
The goal was to extract maximum performance from the V6. Upgrades included replacing the stock turbocharger with a Garrett T3 turbocharger running at 15 psi of boost. The setup also came with a turbo intercooler, beefed-up transmission, free-flow exhaust, revised suspension, and an upgraded engine control module.
In the Grand National, the turbo V6 was producing 245 horsepower and 355 pound-feet of torque. With all the upgrades added on by ASC/McLaren, the performance of the six-pot motor increased substantially. Buick claimed that the GNX was making 276 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque.
However, dyno testing of a few models revealed that the brand downplayed these figures. In reality, the turbo V6 under the GNX made nearly 300 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. This impressive performance translated well on the drag strip too.
The GNX could sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in 4.7 seconds and cut through the quarter mile in 13.2 seconds. These numbers made it faster than that era's Ferraris, Porsches, and Lamborghinis. This Buick was faster than GM's own Chevrolet Corvette. For a short while, the GNX held the title of the quickest production car in the world.
If we ever get a chance to turn the iconic Buick GNX into an autocross focused restomod like Prokop's rendering, we'd give it the 6.2-liter supercharged and intercooled V8 out of the 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Its 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque would make sure that our modified GNX posts impressive lap times on nearly any circuit.
The Buick GNX Is Worth $164,000 Today
How Many Buick GNXs Were Made?
Buick won NASCAR's premier racing series, Grand National (later known as the Winston Cup), in 1981 and 1982. To bank on its victory, the brand introduced spicier versions of the road-going Regal in the 80s, such as T-Type, Turbo, and Grand National.
They all used the standard Regal platform but came with meatier engines and other upgrades to enhance their driving dynamics. In 1987, Buick decided to introduce the ultimate Grand National to mark the end of an era, and the GNX was born.
The brand came up with an initial target to make 500 units of the GNX and provide them to its top 500 dealerships for sale. But later, the number went up to 547. Most dealers who got these limited-run models kept it to themselves, while others sold them for substantial markups.
The original MSRP of a GNX in 1987 was already pretty steep at $29,290 (about $80,518 today). With its rarity and iconic performance making it a hot ticket in today's collector market, it doesn't come as a surprise that its current market value continues to be pretty hefty.
According to Classic.com, the sale of a 1987 Buick GNX averages $164,014. According to the site's data, forty-six examples of this 80s muscle car have gone on sale so far, amounting to a total dollar volume of $7.5 million. The highest sale ever recorded for this iconic Buick was $308,000.
So if you are shopping for this unique and amazing 80s performance car to turn it into an impressive restomod like our render, they aren't likely to go for anything less than a fortune.
Source: Classic.com / U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics / Mecum Auctions