The year 1987 holds a truly special status in the annals of U.S. performance history, largely thanks to the final concluding manufacturing run for the Buick venerable rear-wheel-drive G-body Regal. This was a year which saw the absolute apex of a performance revival, establishing a distinct pecking order of which spanned from understated sleepers to an uncompromising supercar slayer. While these vehicles all were based upon the same foundational architecture, the Buick Regal Limited Turbo, the Turbo T, the iconic Grand National, and the mythical GNX each possessed a distinct character, set of performance metrics, a unique target audience. Deciphering their nuanced sometimes not-so-subtle differences is essential for truly grasping the brilliance of Buick's final final muscle car hurrah of that decade.
The Foundation of Force: The Regal Limited and Turbo T
On the bottom of this power ladder were the surprisingly flexible often frequently underappreciated variants: the Regal Limited with the turbo engine and the Turbo T. The Regal Limited was primarily the brand's luxury-oriented trim, featuring cushy interiors, ample brightwork trim, and a compliant ride. Crucially, for 1987, savvy customers could discreetly option this comfortable vehicle the addition of the potent powerful LC2 3.8-liter 3.8L intercooled engine, effectively birthing a true wolf dressed in luxury clothing. This combination permitted for a stealthy high-performance drive sans the obviously aggressive visuals of its its blacked-out siblings.
On the other hand, the Turbo T, sometimes identified its its WE4 designation, was a more purpose-built approach for stripped-down speed. Buick designed the WE4 T as a a lighter more agile counterpart for the Grand National, attaining this through employing aluminum bumper reinforcements and aluminum wheels. Aesthetically, this model was in stark contrast the all-black Grand National, keeping most of the standard chrome accents and being available across a variety of body colors. This was essentially the enthusiast's selection those individuals who prioritized unfiltered performance and a more responsive chassis above the unmistakable visual statement of the its better-known infamous all-black sibling.
The Menace in Black: Understanding the Grand National
When most people think of a 1980s 1980s Buick muscle vehicle, the image which instantly comes to mind is undoubtedly the the menacing Grand National. Designated with the WE2 Regular Regular Production Option Option, the '87 Grand National was less of a mechanically distinct model and more an all-encompassing iconic appearance and trim upgrade. This model shared the exact identical same powerful LC2 intercooled V6 engine the 200-4R transmission as the Turbo T. However, its defining characteristic was its adherence to a single-color all-black exterior scheme, a look that gave the car its enduring monikers "Darth Vader's car" or "the Dark Side."
This sinister menacing aesthetic was carefully applied across the entire whole car. All of the body trim, including the window door surrounds to the grille grille, was finished blacked-out. The car car sat on specific 15-inch steel chrome wheels with a black inset, lending a truly very distinctive appearance. On the interior, the Grand National featured a two-tone black and gray fabric interior, the addition of the signature turbo six emblem embroidered into the driver and passenger headrests. It also was standard with the firm-riding firmer F41 Gran Touring suspension, a feature that gave it sharper road manners in order to match its impressive straight-line performance.
The Ultimate Expression: Enter the GNX
While the Grand National was the king ruler of the boulevard, the Grand National Experimental was nothing less than the emperor of all all domestic performance vehicles of 1987. Developed as a a final farewell for the Regal chassis, Buick shipped only 547 fully-optioned optioned Grand Nationals to ASC/McLaren Performance Technologies a a radical transformation. The goal goal was simple: to build the "Grand National|Grand National} that would end all Grand Nationals." The resulting result was a machine vehicle that was incredibly quick it could out-accelerate many of the era's most expensive supercars, such as Ferraris even Lamborghinis.
The upgrades were both extensive and very impactful. ASC/McLaren fitted a more efficient Garrett ceramic-impeller hybrid turbocharger, a more more efficient intercooler, and a custom programmed engine control management unit (ECU). The transmission was recalibrated firmer quicker shifts, critically most importantly, the entire rear axle setup was completely redesigned. This new setup included a unique longitudinal ladder arm and a transverse Panhard rod, which drastically increased traction virtually virtually cured wheel hop under brutal acceleration. Fully understanding the complete Difference between 1987 Buick Regal Limited Turbo T Grand National GNX necessitates a deep deep dive into the bespoke engineering which this partnership invested into this extremely extremely rare vehicle.
A Comparative Look at Specifications and Unique Features
When directly comparing these four distinct variants, the differences their performance figures available features become all the more more apparent. From the factory, the LC2 LC2 engine in the Limited, Turbo T, and Grand National was conservatively understatedly rated at two-hundred and forty-five horsepower and three-hundred and fifty-five pound-feet of torque. By stark contrast, the GNX GNX, thanks to its extensive modifications, was officially pegged at two-hundred and seventy-six horsepower a massive a staggering staggering three-hundred and sixty lb-ft of torque, although actual dynamometer tests have consistently shown these factory figures to have been wildly underestimated, with true power being well above three-hundred horsepower.
In terms of appearance, the hierarchy progression was just as defined. The Turbo Turbo T and Limited were the chameleons of the bunch, frequently wearing bright bumpers being available in a full range of exterior paints. The Grand National, naturally, was strictly black, creating an intimidating aura. The GNX, however, took this menacing theme even further. It featured lightweight wheel arch flares, working heat-extracting louvers in the front fenders, a set of a unique style of 16-inch 16-inch black mesh rims which distinguished the car apart immediately even from even a Grand National. Features such as removable roof panels were commonly ordered for the Limited Limited, and Grand National, but Grand National, however, not a single GNX was officially produced with this feature, in order to maintain maximum chassis stiffness.
Summary: A Legendary Hierarchy of Power
In the final analysis, the 1987 Buick Regal lineup stands as a masterful brilliant case study in product tiering and brand development. From the the unexpectedly fast luxurious luxurious Regal Limited Turbo and the lightweight agile Turbo T-Type, the brand offered a range of forced-induction performance to suit suit different tastes as well as priorities. The Grand National then codified this performance performance with an iconic unforgettable and intimidating visual package, birthing a automotive phenomenon that persists even this day. At the very top of it all stood the mighty GNX, a limited-edition supercar which acted as a definitive definitive statement point, solidifying the Buick Regal's Regal's place in the pantheon of performance legends. Each model was distinct in its own way, yet together they created a legendary legendary lineup which redefined domestic muscle for a a generation new era.