# 1987 Buick Grand National GNX. IMHO - Greatest Car Ever **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2002, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961 "2002-12-20T03:14:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/1 "2002-12-20T03:14:23Z")
I want one. I always have. I think it is the single coolest car ever rolled off the line. Discuss. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/2 "2002-12-20T04:47:06Z")
Gimme a WRX instead. It’s faster, handles WAY better, and it’s All Wheel Drive. And it’s a sedan, and you can carry a family in it and get almost 30 mpg. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/3 "2002-12-20T05:34:13Z")
But does it have the super cool all black color scheme? Was it, at the time, the fastest (american made, at least) production automobile on the street? Actually, I never saw a WRX. What is it? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/4 "2002-12-20T05:45:52Z")
Subaru WRX. It’s a rally racing sedan in street form. All Wheel Drive, 227 horsepower turbocharged 2L engine. $24,000 new from Subaru. ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/5 "2002-12-20T05:52:26Z")
I always associate the grand national with my old neighbor- who would never be caught dead wearing anything other than greasy blue jeans at least 10 years out of style, a t-shirt advertising some sort of tobacco product, and a Budwiser meshback baseball hat. He was rather hostile to people he didn’t know, but once he got used to you, he’d go to unexpected lengths for you at suprising times. His GNX was, more often than not, in pieces in his driveway. Probably because he consumed vast amounts of the aforementioned Budwiser while he worked on it. I helped him a couple of times, and that, along with experiences with a friend’s RX-7, are why I will never, ever buy a car with a turbocharger. Not unless aliens come along and give us technology to create frictionless bearings with no moving parts that can work in extreme temperature ranges. Turbochargers are physical manifestations of Murphy’s law, IMHO. I personally want a Volkswagen Thing. I have no idea why, I just do. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/6 "2002-12-20T06:03:08Z")
I have test driven a WRX . I wasn’t all that impressed. It had little torque. Its sorta ok I guess,4WD and a hood scoop thats actually functional. I mean in ten years from now will it still be considered cool by the people who dig it now(like,say,muscle cars of yore) ?When I first saw it I thought it was OK but its the type of little sedan that _my_ eyes tire of quickly… 99,999,999.98 more and you’ll have a million dollars!!! ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/7 "2002-12-20T06:18:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tony Montana \* > \*\*I have test driven a WRX . I wasn’t all that impressed. It had little torque. Its sorta ok I guess,4WD and a hood scoop thats actually functional. I mean in ten years from now will it still be considered cool by the people who dig it now(like,say,muscle cars of yore) ?When I first saw it I thought it was OK but its the type of little sedan that _my_ eyes tire of quickly… > 99,999,999.98 more and you’ll have a million dollars!!! \*\* too many nines:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/8 "2002-12-20T06:20:58Z")
Woah. GNX…the automotive equivalent of Darth Vader. Only 500 made. TOP Top top of the line Buick Regal. Regal\< T-Type\ **Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/9 "2002-12-20T07:22:09Z") Coolest car? [Hemi Cuda Convertible.](http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/mopar/71CudaConvertible/) When you realize here were only 9 of these made in '71, 500 sounds like a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/10 "2002-12-20T07:34:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Enola Straight \* > \*\*Woah. > > GNX…the automotive equivalent of Darth Vader. > \*\* Ah yes, but who can forget the Chevrolet magazine advertisement that had the caption “Lord Vader, your car is ready” underneath a picture of a 1995 Impala SS. Yeah, I know a GNX would spank it off the line, but they are damned beautiful cars. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/11 "2002-12-20T08:59:43Z")
Ooh. Did they remember to unhook the rev limiter on the darling little car? If not, you’ll get nailed by anything that can get up to 127. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/12 "2002-12-20T14:30:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Only 500 made Are you sure about that? I must seen 1/2 of those personally then. I’ve always liked them too, but I thinkI’d prefer one of them notchback Trans-Ams with the GNX engine. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/13 "2002-12-20T18:04:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Saint Zero \* > \*\*Ooh. Did they remember to unhook the rev limiter on the darling little car? If not, you’ll get nailed by anything that can get up to 127. 😃 \*\* I have had mine up to 145, so if it is limited, it must be at a higher speed than that. The cruise control works up there too, btw. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/14 "2002-12-20T18:40:09Z")
GNX=Darth Vader Impala SS=The Terminator ---
**Author:** ![racekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@racekarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racekarl)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/15 "2002-12-20T19:13:54Z")
WRX faster than a GNX? Not really: [Wow I actually found a site that lets you compare the GNX and WRX side by side!!](http://www.car-videos.com/performance/view.asp?ID1=13&ID2=3) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/16 "2002-12-20T19:40:51Z")
I rather like, for exotic American, the lovely Camaro with the… what was it, aluminium block engine? I’m blanking, but people who know the era should know the car I mean. For now, I want a Ford Focus SVT. Then I’m adding a supercharger. Watch my taillights, WRX. 🙂 For a more extreme dream, I’d like the 4WD Euro-Focus with the full Rally package, but I’m not too fond of 4WD. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/17 "2002-12-20T20:05:33Z")
1959 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/18 "2002-12-20T20:07:09Z")
Here’s a [picture](http://www.rrab.com/rolls/rsc1.jpg) of one. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/19 "2002-12-21T02:59:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by E-Sabbath \* > \*\* > > For now, I want a Ford Focus SVT. Then I’m adding a supercharger. > > . \*\* hmm I wonder if you could do this.I know on my stang I’d have to swap to stronger pistons and crank among a list of assorted other things. I’ll check it out and be back… Oh \*\*Cynical \*\*, do you have a link perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1987-buick-grand-national-gnx-imho-greatest-car-ever/143961/20 "2002-12-21T05:04:22Z")
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