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Rumormill: High-performance Buick Regal GS may be coming
Opel Insignia OPC (with a Buick grille photoshopped on for fun) – Click above for high-res image gallery
Earlier this week General Motors showed its dealers the new Regal and confirmed that the name and car would be coming back to Buick's lineup soon. GM Inside News has been keeping close tabs on what the dealers are being told, which reportedly includes that two four-cylinder engines will be available at launch, the base a 2.4-liter direct injected engine producing 180 horsepower and up-level turbocharged and direct injected 2.0-liter producing about 220 hp.
The most interesting tid bit of info reportedly told to dealers is that the new Regal will also eventually have a sport model. Rumored to be named the GS, the sport model would reportedly feature the same direct injected 3.6-liter V6 as the LaCrosse. It will also reportedly include 19-inch wheels, Brembo brakes and be available with all-wheel drive like the rest of the Regal lineup. Unlike those other Regals, however, the GS may also be offered with a six-speed manual transmission.
Based on the Euro-market Opel Insignia, the new Regal GS will have a nice precedent already in the Insignia OPC. The OPC features a turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 producing 325 hp, a six-speed manual transmission and a Haldex-based all-wheel-drive system borrowed from the Saab Turbo X. In fact, the Opel Insignia OPC Sport Tourer (wagon) unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this past September was one of the most lust-worthy production cars we came across.
[Source: GM Inside News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
MeiSooHaityu 4:03PM (10/16/2009)
"Unlike those other Regals, however, the GS may also be offered with a six-speed manual transmission."
Not going to happen. Knowing U.S. Companies, it will be an automatic only.
That said, it would be nice to see a GS back on the road. Might help take away the sting of loosing the G8.
Reply
Tool 5:46PM (10/16/2009)
If there ever was a case for badge-engineering, this is it. Slap a Buick logo on it and get it into production.
Sal Collaziano 6:30PM (10/16/2009)
I doubt the manual transmission as well - but I believe a GS would be good for Buick - so that I'm confident will happen. I wouldn't mind a simple Regal T-Type either, though. I think that would work better because if Buick ever does come up with a sporty lineup - say with a Riviera - than T-Type would work nicely across the board.. Cadillac would have the V-Series, and Buick would have it's T-Types... They wouldn't necessarily have to compete with one another either...
Sal Collaziano
http://www.buickforums.com
futurama 7:14PM (10/16/2009)
I wonder if they have to keep the Regal name plate??? For what merit? Not sure if it has any appeal or much brand equity in the marketplace today. I believe they can go ahead and introduce this as a brand new model to Buick with a new name.
Not sure to many of you, but saying "I have Buick Regal GS" just does not appeal much to me. But.. I'd love to own Insignia OPC Sport Tourer!! :)
Torrent 7:36PM (10/16/2009)
AZZO: I figured that even if GM sold Opel, they'd still own the Platform (and desgin somehow).. Or am I not understanding GM speak either? lol
Torrent 7:42PM (10/16/2009)
I am going to brutally attack this comment system...
Dr. Greenthumb 9:37AM (10/17/2009)
Tool: ALL car manufacturers engage in this practice. Nothing new here. The idiotic whining is beyond stupid.
Back in the days of "OLD" GM, the company engaged in the stupid practice of making no fewer than four versions of the same car, and sometimes five. One each for Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac and as in the case of the Cimarron one for Cadillac. All competing in the same market.
Fast forward to present day, some of this idiocy still lingers (Acadia, Outlook,Enclave and Traverse), but I guess it was grandfathered in since all of these cars were already in the marketplace before the "birth" of the "NEW" GM.
The G8, Regal and their respective Holden, Opel and Vauxhall counterparts, is SMART business. Making or badging a essentially the vehicle for sale under the brand in their respective markets. Stupid would have been to spend the money to develop four different cars, one for each market.
Quit the whining already.
Volk 7:29PM (10/17/2009)
Yeah, that's because there are not that many nuts buying manual. But one must be totally crazy comparing it to G8.
Farmboy 5:17PM (10/18/2009)
Thank you Dr. Greenthumb, thank you.
dal20402 4:05PM (10/16/2009)
I'll believe both the GS and the stick when I see them.
If it does happen, the car will be a killer sleeper.
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James 4:33PM (10/16/2009)
If true for the USDM, it sounds like Buick would carry the "sporty" torch from Pontiac..and the recent short lived German link from Saturn (nee Opel).
The Return of Buick Opel...
AZZO45b 5:49PM (10/16/2009)
But if GM is dumping Opel... then where does their "Buick" come from??? Seems odd to buy back your "Buick" from a company you will soon sell.
Is it me or am I not following GM-speak correctly?
Derek Washington 5:12AM (10/17/2009)
Yeah, I'm not understanding where this car comes from if GM is selling Opel. Somebody please explain.
Other Man 11:58AM (10/17/2009)
GM may be selling Opel, but the Insignia is GM. The engine, the platform, the design studio, and so on.
It's all GM. Furthermore, the Insignia also has the Vauxhall Insignia clone, and GM is keeping Vauxhall for now.
So what we have here is the Insignia being a GM, not an Opel.
inline6 2:57AM (10/18/2009)
Good grief, people...
GM is retaining a 35% share of Opel. Magna and Sperbank can't supply the platform engineering for new models. That'll be GM's job - AS PART OWNER - going forward.
But cars like the Insignia and upcoming Astra were all designed and engineered before these deals were even proposed, much less finalized. In fact, they STILL haven't been finalized.
Questions like this and "I still don't understand why they'd keep Buick and GMC and ditch Pontiac" repeated over and over again get highly annoying.
Read the replies. Hell, read the damn stories you're commenting on.
Derek 4:05PM (10/16/2009)
Honest question, but what is the goal of this? I know Buick has a long history to it's name, and not just old man cars (Grand National was beast) but I'm curious as to what GM is going after here... Maybe the 3 Series?
Regardless, anything they can do to attract new/young buyers would be great for their long term success.
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AMcA 9:25PM (10/16/2009)
How about Maxima, Mazda 6, V6 Accords & Camrys, Passats. Anything nicer than average in the mid-size market.
MemphisNET 4:06PM (10/16/2009)
Um... drool?
Is Buick the new Saturn when it comes to 'world' products ?
Reply
Paul 4:17PM (10/16/2009)
Drool indeed.
325 hp - check
AWD - check
6 Speed Proper Transmission - check
yes. Drool indeed.
MemphisNET 4:20PM (10/16/2009)
GM/Ford's 6speed auto is pretty damn nice (although I think Ford has got the tuning better than GM) -- although I'd prefer the manual trans in a car like this, I'm sure I could live with the auto. The 300ponies and AWD system is pretty damn slick.