Buick Grand National: The First Muscle Car Since The Mid-70s

Buick Grand National

The Death Of High-Output Muscle Cars

In the late '70s and all of the '80s, American auto companies were being forced to come up with more fuel-efficient economy-friendly cars.

So what did this mean? 

This meant the Muscle Car era was over. Even cars like the high profile Corvette was suffering. For the most part, sports car styling was still very appealing, but their lack of performance issues was a big problem for consumers. 

Buick Was Ready To Change The Automotive Company

The Grand Nationals were produced between '84-'87 and had the same body type as the Regal. The GN was upgraded with a sportier interior, a high-performance turbo V-6, suspension upgrades, and exterior styling upgrades. 

The '84 and '85 Grand National was not quite the performer that the '86-'87 Grand National was. Due to a lack of an intercooler, the ‘84-’85 did not produce as much power, but they still came with a V-6 3.8-liter with a turbo that produced 200 horses, which was more horsepower than the Camaro was producing at the time.

'86-'87 Grand National: The Real Performer

The '84-'85 Grand National was the launchpad that got the Grand National's name out there and paved the way for the '86 and '87 Grand National. Buick added an intercooler upgrade to the already stout turbo set-up making it capable of producing 235 horsepower and 355 lb-ft torque. This was impressive for a V-6 full-bodied car from the '80s, and even more impressive was the gains it was able to produce after a few minor affordable bolt-ons. 

A 13-second pass in the quarter-mile was very common for these V-6 legends. This may not seem very fast by today's standards, but in the '80s, Camaros, and Mustangs were lucky to break into the 14-second range unless you were willing to dump a boatload of money into them. 

From 1986 to the early 1990s, the Grand National took no shame in leaving Corvettes, Camaros, Firebirds and Mustangs in their dust. Stock GM TPI and Ford 5.0 motors just did not hold a candle to what the Grand National brought to the table.

My First Personal Experience

Before my senior year of High School, before my dad and I built my first muscle car ('71 Buick Skylark 455) for my senior year, my dad owned an '87 Grand National. I got the joy of taking it to school a few times. With its grocery-getter body style, it was not too hard to lure the Camaros and Mustangs to the local drag race spot. 

The Grand National was running in the low 13's and the guys who drove the TPI's and 5.0's of our school had never even seen a 1/4 time-slip. But most of them guaranteed me that their cars were 12 and 11-second rides. Needless to say, that day they all got a rude awakening when a proven 13-second quarter mile car left them literally many car lengths behind. This left most of my friends dumb-founded. A quiet V-6 with interior room to fit five passengers comfortably beating up on their cool looking V-8 sports car. That day a lot of people found out what the meaning of a true sleeper was.   

The Buick Grand National Gave Hope

In the 1980s, the Grand National was just what the auto industry needed: a car that could promote good performance, reasonable gas mileage, and style and comfort. Not only did it bring those great things to the auto industry, but it also brought hope back to car enthusiasts. It brought the hope that soon the beloved Corvettes, Camaros, Mopars, and Mustangs would eventually bring back the power that they were once known for but in a more efficient technology-driven form.

Harley J. Earl: Four Important Contributions Given To The Automotive Industry

Harley J. Earl

Harley J. Earl started his career at General Motors in the design department as Head of Design. After proving his skills to be invaluable, General Motors appointed him to become Vice President of the corporation.  

The move by GM made Mr. Earl the first-ever appointed top executive of a major corporation in American history. Every executive prior to Earl was grandfathered into their positions.

So what made him so desirable?

What made General Motors go so far out of character to appoint Mr. Earl and his abilities to a Vice President position?

Not only was Earl’s ability to design vehicles incredible, but he also had a knack that no one else did, he could tap into what the consumer wanted.  

Instead of designing vehicles that General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford deemed as profitable, he wanted to design and build vehicles that consumers wanted to see and drive. This idealism made General Motors nervous, but ultimately they trusted in Earl with good outcomes. GM saw the rise in public excitement, vehicle sales, and of course, profits.

Here are just four of Harley J. Earl’s important contributions to the automotive industry.    

 

1. Freeform Sketching and Hand Sculpted Clay Models: Harley J. Earl was a coachbuilder by trade. By honing and adjusting his craft, he became a pioneer of car design by introducing the use of freeform sketching and hand-sculpting clay models. Bringing this skill to the industry helped create some of the finest bodylines that we’ve come to know and love today.

2. Chevrolet Corvette: Earl decided that America needed a real sports car, one that resembled the English and European sports cars that were getting built overseas after WWII.

With Earl’s already established reputation in the automotive industry, he didn’t think he would get too much pull from other executives by presenting the thought of taking on such a risky project as creating a sports car, and he didn’t.

He went to Chevrolet’s general manager, Ed Cole, with a secret project called “Project Opel." With complete confidence in Harley Earl, Mr. Cole gave him the okay with no hesitation. Not more than a year later, in 1953, America would get its first glimpse at what would become the most iconic American sports car ever built, the Chevrolet Corvette.  

3. First Concept Car: The 1939 Buick Y-Job was the first-ever concept car built. Earl recognized early the need to get the public's reaction to a vehicle's appearances and performance before one is put into production.

Under Earl’s supervision and direction, the General Motors styling division created something similar to what they hoped would become the next production car for Buick. With enough interest and feedback from the public, GM put a vehicle into production that turned out to be very successful. With such success with the “concept car”, to this day the concept is used every year by every large automotive corporation in the world. 

 

4. Tailfins: If you like the look of classic cars, then you know you like the look of tailfins. They’re stylish, they’re sexy, and the design of them are credited to Harley J. Earl. First appearing on the Frank Hershey 1948 Cadillac, they became an iconic look that was used throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

After the public accepted the look, Detroit car builders, especially Chrysler, competed to see who could design the most complex, biggest tailfins that could fit on the back of a car while still looking awesome.

An American Automotive Pioneer

Some of the coolest inventions and designs the public gets to enjoy in the automotive industry today are credited to Harley J Earl. Without him, who knows if we would have the Corvette, the ‘57 Chevy, and concept cars among many other great things we get to enjoy credited to Earl. 

You don’t hear about him too much, but we should always remember one of the great pioneers of the automotive industry.

Long Awaited 2018 BUICK REGAL GS

We’ve seen many different renderings and prototypes of what the 2018 Buick Regal GS could look like, and we’ve heard many different rumors about how this current Regal will create a power takeover like the turbo Regals of the late ‘80s. But we all kind of knew that Buick wouldn’t and couldn’t put something out that would take away from the current extremely successful Camaros and Corvettes like it did over 25 years ago. 

Although still a stunningly good-looking car, the four-door sedan hardly looks as aggressive and mean as some Buick fans may have been waiting for. Regardless of what you were hoping for, this 2018 Buick Regal GS still has a lot to offer. Upgrading from the 2.0 turbocharged engine that the base Regal comes standard with, the Regal GS will come equipped with a 3.6-liter Direct Injection 310 horsepower V6. The 282-lb-ft of torque is distributed smoothly at all RPMs by use of GM’s nine-speed automatic transmission. With standard cylinder-deactivation and start/stop technology, the Regal GS is very capable of being a well-rounded economical car while at the same time providing you with plenty of power for plenty of fun.  

Helping you handle all that power and fun is a standard all-wheel-drive system with an active twin-clutch, but maybe the most overlooked features on the Regal GS is the Second Generation Continuous Damping Control suspension and Interactive Drive Control. Together these two features combined use a Driving Control Module to monitor your acceleration, braking, and cornering to adjust in just milliseconds all four dampers to better accommodate to your driving style. The Driving Control Module can also monitor behaviors like lateral and longitudinal acceleration, steering wheel motion, throttle response, and vehicle speeds.

You can also choose between three different driving modes: Standard, GS, and Sport. Each mode will offer you a different set of driving parameters by affecting your throttle response, steering sensitivity, and shift patterns of your automatic transmission. All and all, no matter the situation or the driving condition you plan on encountering, the 2018 Buick Regal GS can help you handle them all.

The exterior of this four-door sedan uses a set of bold upgraded front and rear fascias, side skirts, and a rear spoiler to match the aggressive power the Regal GS manages to offer. An optional set of full LED headlights will go great with the standard Buick waterfall grille. Brembo Brakes, a sport tuned exhaust, and 19-inch rims also come standard for the Regal GS. One other thing that a lot of people might not notice right away is the sporty sedan is actually a hatchback.  

On the inside, you will find an 8-inch touch screen infotainment setup with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and an easy to read 8-inch reconfigurable instrument cluster. Heated and cooled massaging performance seats fit right in with the heated flat bottom steering wheel and metal pedals. These amenities won’t only make you feel right at home, but they will also help remind you that you're driving the high-performance Buick Regal. Safety won’t ever be an issue either. The optional Driver Confidence II package offers you Front Pedestrian Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Automatic Braking, Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Departure Warning.

Production will come to an end for the Regal in Oshawa, Canada and resume in Rüsselsheim, Germany. The 2018 Buick Regal GS that is based off an Opel Insignia chassis will go on sale in late 2017 with a starting price of $39,990.00.

2018 Cadillac CTS-V What to Expect

Mainly what you can expect with the 2018 Cadillac CTS-V is what you could always expect from the CTS-V dating all the way back to its first release date in 2004. The Cadillac CTS-V sedan will be a beefed-up version of the regular CTS with the intent to compete with German sports sedans. Sedans like the Audi RS6, Mercedes E63, BMW M-5, etc. will all have to go toe-to-toe with this American-made monster. 

In the past, the Cadillac CTS-V has been able to beat those cars from the other side of the pound in performance and handling. But with competitors all wanting to be on top of the hill, the competition will be thick. The third-gen Cadillac will - as it has always done - use the engine and transmission components from the Corvette. 

The 6.2-liter Supercharged V-8 will push out around 640-hp+ and 630-lb.-ft. of torque+. Connected to an eight-speed transmission the Cadillac will be able to reach 0-60 in 3.6-seconds and reach 100 mph in just 3.9-seconds. General Motors rumors it as a car that can reach a top speed of 200 mph, but they have said that before. 

Some people may not be very happy with the automatic transmission availability (only), but the truth is, with technology these days, the only thing you gain with a manual transmission is the feeling of being in a car that feels faster. In recent years automatics have out-performed manuals in the quarter-mile on a consistent basis. And that's not just for the Cadillac brand, the Corvettes and Camaros have also been found to be faster with an automatic.  

Past years have left some people questioning the steering of the CTS-V, saying that it has been a little bit on the week and loose side. Supposedly Cadillac has addressed these issues and the steering is now much more hefty and precise. With GM's new Magnetorheological suspension and huge Brembo brakes, the 2018 Cadillac CTS-V should have no problems handling any performance driving you throw at it. 

In true Cadillac fashion, like all of the other CTS-V sedans, even with the massive engine under the hood and other power upgrades, you will still be able to drive this vehicle back and forth to work, to the golf course, and even take them on long trips with every luxury every other Cadillac offers. 

For all of the new CTS Cadillacs, including the V-Series, they will be receiving a new infotainment system that is supposed to add more capabilities and be more compatible with the ever-turning technology age. Other interior upgrades the CTS-V will receive is a sportier steering wheel, and that's about it. For the most part, from the inside to the outside you will be owning a CTS except the emblems will have a dash and a V added to them and the power will be enormous. There will be somebody improvements, but hardly notable.  

There is one last thing to mention - this is about as big as a rumor as you can get - but a rumor is a rumor. Since all other vehicles in their class have two different body styles, there has been some talk about a possible addition of a wagon or a sedan to the 2018 Cadillac CTS-V line up, but that's just a BIG rumor. MSRP expected to be around $86,000.00.

2009 ZR1: This Era’s Most Pinnacle Corvette Ever Built

When it comes to General Motors, nothing but the best engineering has always been used when it comes to their vehicles, and the Corvette is absolutely no exception.

Through the years, Corvette has always made a big splash with their Z-Series Vettes. Corvettes such as the ZO6, ZR1, and the ZL1 would receive just a little more power and torque, handling capabilities, and all around upgrades for better track performance.

But in 2009, no one expected what we were about to see. The introduction of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 would be so performanced packed it would give it a supercar status that would have its name being mentioned in the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini.

Motor and Transmission

The see through Carbon Fiber hood allows anyone close to look inside the engine bay and take a peek to see what powers this Vette. The ZR1 is powered by a 6.2-liter LS9 aluminum V-8 with a Twin Vortices Series supercharger that pushes air through an attached intercooler. 

Hand built in Wixom, Mi. this powerhouse motor puts out 638 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 604-lb.ft. of torque at 3800 rpm. Controlling all this power is easy with a close ratio six-speed manual gearbox and a high-capacity, high-performance clutch that makes anyone who is sitting in the driver seat feel like they're driving a professional racecar.

Performance Stats

This General Motors’ engine and transmission combination is responsible for the staggering numbers that it puts down while going in a straight line. The Corvette ZR1 gets from 0-60 in 3.4-seconds while reaching 100-mph in a matter 7-seconds. The Corvette has no problem covering the quarter-mile in 11.3 seconds at 131 mph. With a top-speed of 200-mph, this Corvette is without a doubt the most powerful and fastest Corvette ever produced in history.  

Frame and Suspension

The ZR1 comes standard with an aluminum frame structure that weighs in at a mere 138 pounds. This frame is the exact frame that is used on the C6.R race car, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 5.2 pounds per horsepower. The aluminum frame rides on a Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension. The magnetic ride control is the most sophisticated suspension of its kind. This ride control gives the driver two different driving modes to choose from: the sport ride control which is ideal for the racetrack and a touring mode which is ideal for everyday driving. These modes can be switched back-and-forth right at the driver seat with a push of a button. Doesn’t seem like so much of a wow factor now, but back in 2009 this convenience was just starting to become a thing on American vehicles.   

Tires

Now with great power and a great suspension you have to have some way of keeping the tires and wheels in contact with the ground, and in this department GM spares no expense. By replacing the stock Corvette tires with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, the ZR1 was able to shred off three seconds per lap at the Virginia International Raceway. And that’s when the decision was made the Michelin’s that performed the best would come on the best Corvette ever produced.

Braking

You can't have a vehicle with all that power and all the ability to utilize it in the most effective way without having an effective way of stopping it. So Corvette straps on massive Brembo Carbon Ceramic 15-inch front and 15.5-inch rear vented cross-drilled rotors that can get as hot as 1000-degrees celsius before warping. The brake system includes six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear. When this system all works together it is capable of the type stopping power that you would need for a 200 mph supercar.

The Looks of a Supercar

With a wider stance than the average Vette, the ZR1 is designed to take corners better and get around the track faster. Sporting 19-inch diameter wheels in the front and 20-inch diameter wheels in the back, the look of the ZR1 says nothing but supercar. The buyer will have the option to choose the color of the wheels which include a bright silver coated finish, a deep black coated finish or a chrome finish. All three colors look great depending on the look you are trying to achieve. Corvette offers nine different exterior colors, all of which are in an exotic tint helping give the ZR1 the supercar look that Corvette is ultimately after. The bigger spoiler on the back is both functional and awesome looking and the see through Carbon Fiber hood really makes a supercar statement.

Interior Options for the ZR1

When it comes to interior, the ZR1 offers an abundance of options and colors. The buyer can request almost everything from the steering wheel to the door panels to be wrapped in rich leather. The buyer also has the option of different model specific badges to be placed about the inside of the vehicle. Power adjustable heated leather seats with microfiber inserts can be purchased for a better day-to-day driving experience. Corvette also offers a package called the 3ZR. This package includes a nine speaker Bose system, Bluetooth wireless technology, a head-up display and a SiriusXM satellite radio, all designed for a more convenient and exciting driving experience.

Price Tag and Gas mileage

With supercar looks and supercar power and track times to match, a MSRP price tag of $112,000.00 makes this ZR1 one of the best priced supercars of its kind. The ZR1 also rates very high in gas mileage with a rating of 14 city/20 highway mpg. For a V-8 powerhouse, this type of gas mileage is extremely good and should be extremely satisfying for consumers.

The best thing about the ZR1 is for the first time ever, Americans that are in the market for a supercar can now choose an American built supercar that is placed in a class with some of the best supercars in the world..

General Motors' Company Store Opened in GM Renaissance Center

The Renaissance Center 

Downtown Detroit on the river front of the Detroit River sets the skyline icon of the GM Renaissance Center. Headquarters to the General Motor Corporation, the 5.5 million square foot facility will play host to a new official General Motors Company store. 

Located on Level 1 in the GM Wintergarden, the GM store is part of an ongoing renovation to the tower to make public spaces more visitor friendly. The store will bring an exciting atmosphere that will use interactive exhibits to display some of GM's newest innovations, technology, and designs. The GM global brand will be promoted with novelties for purchase like branded coffee mugs, golf balls, hats, sweaters, polo shirts, model cars and much more. For more merchandise details head to www.gmcompanystore.com.

 

The new General Motors store first opened its doors on Nov. 7, 2016 with hours between 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. during the week and will be open on some weekends as its popularity progresses. All GM employs will enjoy a 10 percent discount with proper GM ID. 

The seven tower Renaissance Center sees an estimated 17,000 people per day and is home to great eateries like Joe Muer Seafood and Granite City Food & Brewery. Among the restaurants, the Renaissance Center also offers meeting and conference rooms, shopping experiences, other than the GM store, and even lodging, which includes a 70-story Detroit Marriott Hotel.  

2017 Bumblebee Transformer Camaro

After many stories about the 2017 Bumblebee Transformer Camaro, here comes the real news. My friend from GM says that all Camaros in the movie will be an assortments of different trims. Whatever GM will sell them and let them destroy will be the Camaro you see.

Still going to be cool.

Chevrolet Grand Prix - Belle Isle, Detroit

What a great way to shine a bright light on Detroit and General Motors than having the Belle Isle Chevrolet Grand Prix play out on the backdrop of the cities GM Renaissance Center building in the city where GM headquarters resides.

With many great race events creating plenty of competition all weekend long, there won't be a dull moment for any race fans that come to the festivities. But if you do find yourself in the stands needing a break from the fast cars zooming by, there are plenty of infield events to keep adults and youngsters alike loving every minute of their stay at the Belle Isle Grand Prix. Between the autograph signing sessions, extreme sports demonstrations, live music, monster truck rides for kids, car shows and of course great food, there will be entertainment for everyone around every corner.

As always Penske Racing has put a huge helping-hand into making all of this work and without a doubt there will be plenty of Penske Racing Teams involved in these great events. But there not to overshadow some of the other great sponsors like Quick and Loans, Meijer who brings the Fan Zone, Motor City Hotel brings the live entertainment and of course Chevrolet and many other sponsors.

All of this great sponsorship just proves how much everyone believes in a city that has made some major changes in the past few years and are still working on making it just an all around great place to come and visit. Whether it is for a sporting event or just to paint the town red while hitting the Casinos, the great eating destinations, clubbing or pub and bar prowling - whatever suits your fantasy - you'll find it here in Detroit.

So I hope that everyone goes and does what I plan on doing - take some great pictures, but enjoy as much of the Belle Isle Chevrolet Grand Prix without an electronic device occupying your eyes and your every movement throughout the day.

Camaro's Most Powerful Muscle Car: The 2017 Camaro ZL1

Later this year, Camaro will be adding a new ZL1 performance package to their 2017 lineup. Being held out of the lineup for 2016, Camaro plans on making up for its absence with a 2017 Camaro ZL1 that can take care of business on every level - from power and performance to style and comfort.

The 2017 Camaro ZL1 will come equipped with the supercharged motor that the Corvette ZO6 is currently using. This will boost the horsepower from the 580 horses the 2016 Camaro ZL1 produced to 640 horses for 2017. The badass 6.2-liter motor will come connected to either a six-speed manual transmission or a ten-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifting abilities.

No need to worry about peeling out before fishtailing into a tree as the Camaro's power is converted back to an electronic limited-slip differential with an adjustable performance traction management system. Although if it is a burnout that you are out looking to do you can always turn that bad boy off and go crazy. But if you are just looking to sprint forward in a straight line with virtually no steering responsibilities, the Camaro ZL1 traction management system will help you do just that.

As with just about all of General Motors high-end vehicles, you will receive the Magnetic Ride Control active suspension. This will without a doubt let you carve corners effortlessly on your Good Year F1 Eagle tires while comfortably seated on the inside secured to deep leather and sued-upholstery racing Recaro seats. And comfortably is always an understatement when it comes to Camaro or any GM vehicle for that matter, as all the interior creature comforts that come with all other Camaro trim models are also standard here.


Outside of obvious power, the next biggest difference you will see between the 2017 Camaro ZL1 and the other Camaros in the lineup is the appearance package. A huge front grille lets in much-needed air as a vented hood helps release the air keeping the front-end of the Camaro down at high speeds. Wider side skirts and a bigger front spliter are easily noticed along with a rear spoiler that is definitely needed to help keep the vehicle planted when hitting corners at the road course.

No price tag has been yet announced for the 2017 Camaro ZL1, but one would have to imagine it will be a little bit more than the original price tag on the 2015 Camaro ZL1 which came in at $57,000.00.

Major Auto Industry Vehicles and Their Competitors – Can You Tell The Difference?

Mustang vs. Camaro – GM trucks vs. Ford trucks vs. Dodge trucks – Corvette vs. Viper – you can
even throw a Ferrari in the mix, everyone is going to have their own opinions on which ones are better crafted, more stylish – can beat who where and why. But are vehicles made by different companies but in the same class even that much different from each other to even make a solid argument of which one is better?


Growing up in a family where General Motor checks mostly paid the bills, to me GM vehicles ran the earth, and Ford stood for (Find On Road Dead), you could say I had my share of arguments with kids my age about how Camaros stomped on Mustangs. But in the end, we were really just a bunch of juveniles arguing about things just for the sake of argument.

If someone said that Camaros look like crap, I had to fire back on how the look of a Mustang made me want to puke. But were talking about back when Mustangs and Camaros actually looked different. This was back in the day when Corvettes were boring and the only people who really drove them were older guys with a lot of money, and as far as foreign sports cars were concerned, they weren't really in no ones budget.

Times have changed since then, exotic sports cars are much more affordable, Corvettes are made to kill the road course, not to mention the drag strip, even Mustangs and Camaros are made to pump out a lot of power while turning in road course numbers that are nothing less than awesome.

But with all this technology, what about the exterior styling of these vehicles. A lot of these vehicles share so much of the same characteristics, dimensions, and colors schemes, it seems hardly worth an argument about which one is the best looking. At a quick glance, there is not much that really sets these vehicles apart. Sure there are some attributes that are different, but it's almost like trying to compare one ditsy, blonde haired, blue eyed cheerleader with the other twelve cheerleaders on the squad.

  

As I have grown older, I have come to appreciate all vehicles. Ford vs. Chevy vs. Mopar is nothing more than needing something to stand for – almost like why most people vote for the home team in professional sports. You don't really know anybody on that team, but you feel obliged to root for them and wear their logos.

But to me, if you look at these pictures, it seems like if you closed your eyes you could mistake one for the other pretty easily. Even on the inside – General Motors has the Mylink technology displayed on a touchscreen in the center of the dash, Ford has the SYNC technology located in the same place, and image this, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge uses what they call the Uconnect that is also placed in the same place. But you can call it what you want to call it, all three of those systems basically work off a platform that is extremely similar. They all share the same connectivity availability, social medias, etc. Even safety features take on names or phases that are different from each other, but do the same thing.  

It's awesome that the power and efficiency of these vehicles are outstanding, but I'd like to see some major changes and attempts to look different in the styling department.