The 2024 Twin Turbo Buick Grand National – Would You Buy One?
Back in the 1980s, General Motors had a wild idea. They would take the Buick Regal and transplant a 3.8 L turbocharged V6 under the hood. The combination would be good for 245 hp which is not a ton by today’s standards but back then, it was flying. As such, the Buick Grand National was born. In fact, the Grand National was one of the fastest production cars of its time. Fans of the model have put together a pretty strong appreciation for the car, feasting over its forward-thinking architecture along with its power and style.
More than 40 years after the car debuted and we still have murmurs in the car community among enthusiasts that would love to have the Buick brand bring back the Grand National nameplate. Of course, this would have to be a special car to appease these folks because tinkering with an iconic name like this isn’t something to take lightly. However, the Grand National could’ve been a huge part in helping Buick in its efforts to regain mainstream relevance after being dubbed as the “old people car brand.”
A couple of years ago with the release of the Buick Avista coupe featuring a twin-turbo V6 under the hood, we almost got the chance to see the Grand National again. The model might not have had the Grand National name on it (maybe it would’ve by the time it hit production) but this car basically had the heart and soul of the Grand National in its back pocket. However, the project never made it to market.
Looking forward, we check in with Brian Mello who took the liberty of trying to patch together what a Grand National might look like should one be released in 2024. With the help of AI technology, our host was able to borrow some features from the aforementioned Buick Avista coupe and encourage the AI to give it a bit of a remodel with aerodynamics and speed in mind.
Below, we check out exactly what that car would look like along with our host taking us down the road of which existing GM architecture might be best suited to bring the idea to life.
