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Buick Regal
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The Buick Regal is a mid-size car produced by General Motors' Buick division from 1973 through 2004, during which Buick also used the Century name on mid-size models; the two frequently shared bodies and powertrains.
1973 - 1977
Buick had been the first GM division to bring a personal luxury car to market with its full-size 1963 Riviera but was otherwise slow to react to the developing lower-priced mid-size personal luxury market, which Pontiac created with the 1969 Grand Prix and Chevrolet with the Monte Carlo the following year, 1970.
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Encyclopedia
The Buick Regal is a mid-size car produced by General Motors' Buick division from 1973 through 2004, during which Buick also used the Century name on mid-size models; the two frequently shared bodies and powertrains.
1973 - 1977
Buick had been the first GM division to bring a personal luxury car to market with its full-size 1963 Riviera but was otherwise slow to react to the developing lower-priced mid-size personal luxury market, which Pontiac created with the 1969 Grand Prix and Chevrolet with the Monte Carlo the following year, 1970. At the same time Oldsmobile added a formal notchback coupe to its intermediate line, the Cutlass Supreme, in 1970 and that model soon became Olds' best selling intermediate. Wanting a model that could be marketed to compete against the Olds Cutlass Supreme as well as the Grand Prix and Monte Carlo, Buick introduced the Regal for 1973, as a top line coupe in that division's intermediate A-body line, the Century. The year 1973 also marked the introduction of the first major restyling of GM's intermediate A-body design since 1968, as well as the first major restyling for the intermediate-based G-body used for the Monte Carlo and Grand Prix.
A highly-trimmed, notchback coupe, the first Regal shared its front and rear styling with its Century parent with distinctions amounting to differing grilles and taillight lenses. The Regal shared the same "Colonnade" pillared hardtop roofline (a hardtop with center pillar but frameless doors unlike a sedan body) and greenhouse (window area) with the Grand Prix, Monte Carlo and Cutlass Supreme as well as the lower-priced Buick Century Luxus coupe. Like its corporate cousins, the Regal (and Luxus) featured the newly fashionable opera windows, which were small fixed rear-side windows surrounded by sheetmetal, instead of the traditional roll-down windows.
Only the Colonnade hardtop coupe was offered in the Regal line in 1973, but a new four-door Colonnade sedan (with six-window-greenhouse and frameless door windows) debuted in 1974 and continued through the 1977 model year.
Regal interiors were generally more luxurious than lesser Century models with woodgrain trim on dashboard and door panels, along with door-pull straps and notchback bench seats with center armrests with either cloth, velour or vinyl upholstery. Optionally available throughout the run was a 60/40 split bench seat with armrest. For 1976 and 1977, the Regal coupe was available with the S/R option that included reclining bucket seats with cordoroy upholstery.
The model lasted five years with minimal changes, although there was a fairly substantial facelift in 1976 (for the coupe only - sedans stayed with original 1973 sheetmetal through 1977), which incorporated the recently legalized square headlights (horizontally-mounted on coupes, and vertically on sedans - much like the mid-1960s Pontiacs).
The Regal most commonly powered by Buick's 350 in³ V8, which was standard equipment on all models in 1973 and 1974 and optional on coupes but remained standard on sedans from 1975 to 1977, and the larger 455 in³ V8 was optional in 1973 and 1974 only. Starting in 1975, Regal coupes came standard with Buick's resurrected V6 engine previously offered on the Skylark from 1964 to 1967; the engine's tooling had been sold to Kaiser Motors for use in Jeep models (Kaiser was purchased by American Motors in 1970 and Jeep became an AMC division) and sold back to GM by AMC in 1974. In 1975 and 1976, the Century and Regal were the only mid-sized cars in America to offer V6 engines.
The Century designation was quietly dropped from the Regal in 1975.
1978 - 1987
A downsized Regal appeared for 1978 with a new version of Buick's venerable V6, a combination that lasted 9 years and helped give the Regal an unexpected reputation for performance. Nevertheless, it was still hampered (from a performance perspective) by a soft suspension, small wheels and tires and the unavailability of a manual transmission, largely because the intermediate personal luxury market was the Regal's intended target, not the sports car segment.
The 1978 Regal was noteworthy, as it could be equipped with a 3.8 L Turbocharged V-6 engine. Versions were offered with either a 2-bbl or a 4-bbl carburetor. The Buick LeSabre was also available with the turbocharged engine. The only other turbocharged cars available in the U.S. market in 1978 were imports from Saab and the Porsche 930. The Turbo Regal also included a firm handling suspension with larger tires and sport wheels.
A facelift in 1981 gave the Regal a much more aerodynamic profile, helping make it possible for the car to compete on the NASCAR racing circuit, where it enjoyed several decent seasons and won the NASCAR manufacturers title in 1981 and 1982. V8s for street use were still available, but had shrunk to (1980 and 1981 only, Pontiac built), and the V6 was rapidly gaining popularity. In 1982, a new Century appeared on the front-wheel drive A-body, but the former rear-wheel drive Century sedan and wagon were not discontinued. These models were simply rebadged as Regals, and for the first time the name appeared on a full model lineup. The wagon was discontinued after 1983, and the sedan dropped from the lineup the next year. From 1986 to 1987, the 5.0 L Olds 307 V8 was available as an option. The 3.8 2-bbl V6 was standard. The 200-4R overdrive transmission was an option with either engine.
Grand National, T-Type and GNX
T-Type Regal coupes, aimed at the performance market, appeared at this time. In 1982, the Regal Grand National debuted. Named for the NASCAR Grand National racing series, it came with a naturally aspirated 4.1 L V6 engine with at 4000 rpm and of torque at 2000 rpm or an optional turbocharged version with at 4000 rpm and of torque at 2600 rpm. Only 215 Regal Grand Nationals were produced in 1982, and it is believed that just 16 of these were actually turbocharged. The Buick Sport Coupe also came with the turbocharged engine, of which only 2022 were produced. There was no Grand National in 1983, only a T-Type model; 3732 were produced ( at 1600 rpm and of torque at 2400 rpm).
In 1984 the Grand National returned in all black paint. The turbocharged 3.8 L became standard and was refined with sequential fuel injection, and boasted at 4400 rpm and of torque at 2400 rpm. Only 5,204 Turbo Regals were produced that year, only 2000 of which were Grand Nationals.
In 1986, a modified engine design with intercooling boosted the performance even further; in 1987 it reached and of torque. Buick dropped the T-Type package for Regal in 1987. There were only 7,896 Turbo Regals produced in 1986. In 1987, when Turbo Regals reached their peak in popularity, a total of 27,590 Turbo Regals were produced through December.
1987 also offered a lightweight WE4 (Turbo T) option. Only 1,547 of this variant were produced. They were painted black and treated to the same blackout package as the Grand National, including bumpers, grille, headlight and taillight trim. The differences between a WE4 and the base Grand National were the interior trim package, wheels, exterior badging, aluminum bumper supports, and aluminum rear brake drums as opposed to the Grand National's cast iron. The rear spoiler was only available as a dealer installed option. 1987 was the only year that the LC2 Turbo option was available on any Regal, making it possible to even see a Limited with a vinyl landau roof and a power bulge turbo hood.
For the final year, 1987, Buick introduced the GNX at $29,000. Produced by McLaren/ASC, Buick underrated the GNX at and a very substantial of torque. This was created so as to be "Grand National to end all Grand Nationals," as the next model year converted the chassis to front-wheel drive, which Buick engineers admitted would not be able to put down that much power. Changes made included a special Garrett turbocharger with a ceramic-impeller blowing through a more efficient intercooler and a "CERMATEL (Ceramic/Aluminum) coated" pipe connecting the intercooler to the engine. A GNX specific EEPROM, low-restriction exhaust with dual mufflers, reprogrammed Turbo Hydramatic 200-4R transmission with a custom torque converter and transmission cooler, and unique differential cover/panhard bar included more of the performance modifications. Exterior styling changes include vents located on each front fender, 16 inch black mesh style wheels with VR-speed rated tires, and deletion of the hood and fender emblems. The interior changes of the GNX included a serial number on the dash plaque and a revised instrument cluster providing analog Stewart-Warner gauges, including an analog turbo boost gauge.
The GNX was claimed as the fastest production sedan ever built at that time. GNX #001 is currently owned by Buick and sometimes makes appearances at car shows around the US. The GNX had a ladder bar that ran from the mid-section of the car to the rear axle, so as to increase traction. This is also the reason why a GNX will actually lift the rear end up when the car is about to launch heavily.
The stealthy appearance of the all-black GNX and Grand National, coupled with the fact that the Grand National was initially released during the height of Star Wars fever, earned it the title Darth Vader Car (Car and Driver covered the GNX model's introduction with the headline "Darth Vader, your car is ready," a phrase more recently attributed to the Maybach Exelero). The line was also used with the 1994 Chevrolet Impala SS years after the GNX was discontinued.
The Grand National returned briefly to the headlines in 2003, when actor Sean Penn's car was stolen with several guns inside. Also, actress Carmen Electra bought her then rock star husband Dave Navarro a 1987 Grand National as a present.A 1987 GNX is featured in the new video game midnight club Los Angeles
1988 - 1996
A new Regal appeared in 1988 on the GM W platform. This version both departed from and returned to Regal tradition. It was a departure in being the first front-wheel drive model, and in having no serious performance option or edition; there was no V8 engine and the V6 no longer offered a turbocharger. It did return to the original concept, however, in being offered as a coupe only, aimed once again squarely at the personal luxury buyer. The decline in that market, though, was becoming noticeable to all the manufacturers, and in 1990 the Regal again had a four-door sedan version (as did the Cutlass Supreme and Grand Prix the same year). This generation ran with few changes for nine years.
The Regal was offered in base Custom, upscale Limited, and Gran Sport trim lines, The Gran Sport option appeared in 1991 and came standard with GM's excellent 3.8L Series I V6 rated at , aluminum wheels, body side cladding, full instrumentation, and a console mounted shifter attached to a trusty GM 4-speed automatic. The 3.8 L V6 was unique to the Regal, giving the car some performance to differentiate it from the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and Pontiac Grand Prix, with which it shared many of its components. Anti-lock brakes were made standard on all but the base Custom cars in 1992, and the grille was redesigned again for 1993. Along with the new look came an electronically-controlled automatic transmission and LeSabre-like rear lights and bumper.
A driver's side airbag was added for 1994. Other changes that year included the deletion of the Limited coupe, standard ABS on all models, standard power windows, and more in the base engine. Dual airbags were new for 1995 along with a new interior. The larger 3.8 L V6 engine gained for 1996, and only the Custom and Gran Sport (GS) coupes remained. Although 1996 was the last year of this model, production continued into 1997 as the replacement model was late.
Engines
- 1988-1989 2.8 L (170 in³) V6
- 1989-1996 3.1 L (191 in³) 3100V6
- 1990-1996 3.8 L (231 in³) BuickV6
1997 - 2004
In 1997, the Century and the Regal once again became versions of the same car, only offered as a four-door sedan, and sitting on a revised W platform that was shared with the Oldsmobile Intrigue, the Pontiac Grand Prix, and the Chevrolet Impala. The Regal's length was longer than the Century. Differences were mostly cosmetic. As the upmarket version, the Regal offered larger engines and fancier trim, and once again boasted a newer version of the 3.8 L V6. While the Century was mainly a reliable, economy-minded car based upon the W-body, the Regal was fitted with many amenities, including heated leather seats, a Monsoon 8-speaker surround sound system, dual climate control, and expansive interior space. Few changes occurred during this version's seven-year run.
This period held the fastest Buick since the days of the Grand National, the Buick Regal GS. This car was now supercharged instead of turbocharged and produced a very respectable and of torque. It has gained a reputation amongst those who know automobiles as a 'sleeper', or a car that performs better than one would expect from its looks. When introduced in 1997, Buick advertised the Regal as the "car for the supercharged family". Buick also released two other model types, the LSE and the GSE. The LSE stayed with the engine with upgrades and the GSE stayed with the supercharged engine with upgrades. Also, in 2000 Buick came out with a concept GNX that had an intercooled 3.8 L, but was supercharged rather than turbocharged. It had unlike the original that had .
Engines
- 1997-2004 3.8 L Series II V6
- 1997-2004 3.8 L Series II supercharged V6
Regal LS and GS performance
The Regal LS from the factory had a 1/4 mile (~400 m) elapsed time (ET) of 15.8 seconds and could do 0-60 mph in under 8 seconds. The supercharged Regal GS had a 1/4 mile ET of 14.7 seconds, and acceleration to from a dead stop took only 6.6 seconds. The Regal GS, equipped with the supercharged 3.8 liter V6 engine (L67 produced & of torque. The Regal GS's PCM has programming that activates torque management to reduce wheel spin at launch. Removing this programming with an aftermarket PCM increases the engine's output from of torque to of torque.
Regal GSX (SLP Performance)
Available as a dealer-installed option was the GSX SLP Performance Package for the Buick Regal GS. This package included updated emblems replacing "GS" with "GSX," dual-exhaust, an upgraded cold-air intake, smaller supercharger pulley, performance PCM and wider wheels/tires. Power output was up to and of torque.
2010-
Insiders at GM have leaked that the Opel Insignia will appear in the U.S. later this year wearing the Regal badge.
In China
All Buick Regals were assembled at the Oshawa Car Assembly in Ontario, Canada. The Regal was the fourth model chosen to be assembled in China by GM Shanghai, beginning on December 26, 2002, after the Century, GL8 minivan, and the Sail. It has generated considerable sales in that market as a large, relatively luxurious model, despite being more expensive than the American version. It replaced the Century in Buick's Chinese lineup and has slightly different frontal sheetmetal from the American models. Engine choices are also very different: a 2.0 L four-cylinder and a 2.5 L V6 power the Chinese Regal.
The domestic car was less fortunate and was replaced in 2005 by the Buick LaCrosse, although the LaCrosse still uses the W platform. The final 2004 Buick Regal rolled off the assembly line on June 1, 2004.
A new Buick Regal was launched in China in November 2008 based on the Opel Insignia. It was reported in Canada's National Post that GM would build this Insignia-based Regal at its Oshawa, Ontario plant, as a way to convince the Canadian government to grant the struggling automaker $2.4 billion in financial aid.
External links
- -Original Turbo Regal Resource
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