The model year 1987 holds a hallowed place in the annals of American muscle car history, largely thanks to the final final manufacturing run for Buick's legendary RWD G-body Regal coupe. This was a time which saw the absolute culmination of a performance revival, creating a distinct clear pecking order of models which spanned from understated performers all the way to an uncompromising supercar destroyer. While these vehicles all shared a common basic chassis, the Buick Regal Limited Turbo, the Turbo T-Type, the iconic Grand National, as well as the GNX each had a completely unique personality, set of performance metrics, and intended audience. Deciphering the nuanced sometimes blatant differences is essential to truly appreciating the genius brilliance behind Buick's final muscle car hurrah of the 1980s.
The Turbocharged Starting Points: Regal Limited and the Turbo T Package
At the bottom of this performance pyramid were the more more flexible often often underappreciated models: the Regal Limited with the turbocharged engine and the purposeful Turbo T. The Buick Regal Limited was primarily traditionally the comfort-focused package, replete with plush interiors, generous chrome trim, a a softer suspension. Crucially, for 1987, savvy customers could quietly option this comfortable coupe the addition of the potent LC2 3.8-liter V6 turbocharged engine, essentially birthing a predator dressed in sheep's clothing. This allowed for a a high-performance experience sans the aggressive obviously menacing styling of its more famous darker stablemates.
On the other hand, the Turbo T package, sometimes known by internal WE4 RPO code, represented a decidedly purpose-built approach to stripped-down performance. Buick created the Turbo T as a a lighter more agile alternative to the Grand National, attaining this goal through utilizing lightweight aluminum bumper reinforcements by offering aluminum wheels. Visually, it stood in direct opposition to all-black Grand National, keeping most of the standard factory chrome trim and being offered in a variety of exterior colors. This variant was essentially the enthusiast's purist's selection those those that valued raw acceleration a a nimbler feel above the iconic unmistakable style presence of its better-known infamous monochromatic counterpart.
The Menace in Black: Understanding the Grand National
When most enthusiasts think of a 1980s '80s Buick muscle car, the image which instantly springs to their head is the the Grand National. Designated with the WE2 WE2 Regular Regular Production Production Option (RPO), the Grand National was less of a mechanically distinct vehicle and more of an iconic styling and suspension upgrade. This model utilized the identical same potent LC2 intercooled V6 engine the 200-4R automatic transmission as the Turbo T. But, its unmistakable trait was its its single-color Darth Vader exterior scheme, which gave the car its famous monikers "Darth Vader's car" or "the Dark Side."
This sinister menacing aesthetic was meticulously carefully enforced throughout the entire vehicle. All of the the exterior trim, including the door surrounds and the front grille, was blacked-out. The vehicle sat upon unique 15-inch chrome-plated steel rims a a contrasting black center section, lending a truly truly distinctive look. On the interior, the Grand National featured a dual-color black and gray fabric upholstery, with the signature turbo "6" emblem embroidered on the front front seat headrests. It also was standard the the stiffer F41 Gran Touring suspension, a feature that gave it better handling in order to complement its impressive accelerative performance.
The Apex Predator: The Grand National Experimental (GNX)
While the Grand National was considered the ruler of the street, the GNX Grand National Experimental was the emperor pinnacle of all domestic performance cars in 1987. Developed as a final send-off for the G-body chassis, General Motors shipped just five hundred forty-seven fully loaded Grand Nationals the facilities of ASC/McLaren Performance Technologies for a comprehensive re-engineering. The goal was clear: to build the "Grand National|Grand National} that would put an end to all other Grand Nationals." The outcome was a a machine which was so incredibly quick it could was able to out-accelerate many of the world's day's most exotic supercars, including Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
The extensive modifications were extensive and very effective. The engineers fitted a larger more efficient Garrett ceramic-impeller ceramic-impeller turbocharger, a more efficient intercooler, a a specially programmed engine control management chip (ECU). The transmission 200-4R was also recalibrated firmer firmer shifts, critically most importantly, the entire rear axle setup was completely redesigned. This new setup featured a unique longitudinal torque bar a a transverse Panhard rod, a system that drastically improved grip virtually virtually cured wheel hop under hard launches. Truly understanding the complete complete Difference between 1987 Buick Regal Limited Turbo T Grand National GNX requires a thorough examination into the bespoke modifications which this partnership invested in this extremely extremely rare model.
Breaking Down the Specs, Options, and Visual Cues
When analyzing these four four distinct models, the distinctions their specifications and features are made all the more more apparent. From the factory, the LC2 LC2 found in the Regal Limited, Turbo T, as well as the Grand National was understatedly rated at two-hundred and forty-five horsepower with three-hundred and fifty-five pound-feet of torque. In dramatic comparison, the GNX GNX, thanks to its extensive significant modifications, was officially rated at two-hundred and seventy-six hp and a whopping three-hundred and sixty lb-ft of torque, although actual dynamometer readings have since consistently shown these factory numbers to have been grossly underestimated, here the true actual power being well above 300 horsepower.
Visually, the progression was equally equally defined. The Turbo Turbo T and Limited were chameleons of the group, frequently sporting chrome bumpers and available in a wide range of exterior paints. The Grand National, of course, was strictly black, projecting an unmistakable intimidating aura. The GNX, in turn, took this dark menacing theme even further. This model featured lightweight wheel arch flares, working heat-releasing vents on the front fenders, a set of a unique style of 16-inch sixteen-inch black mesh wheels which set it apart immediately from a standard a Grand National. Features such as removable roof panels were widely available on the Limited Turbo T, Turbo T, but Grand National, but, not a single GNX was ever officially built the T-top this feature, in an effort to maintain preserve maximum chassis stiffness.
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of Buick's Turbocharged Fleet
In the final assessment, the 1987 Buick Regal lineup stands as a brilliant case study of market tiering the art of performance development. From the surprisingly fast luxurious comfortable Regal Limited Turbo and the lightweight Turbo T, the brand offered a range of turbocharged power to fit varying tastes as well as budgets. The Grand National then codified this power with an iconic unforgettable and menacing visual package, creating a cultural automotive phenomenon that persists even this very day. Crowning it all was the mighty GNX, a limited-edition supercar that served as a definitive final statement mark, cementing the G-body Buick Regal's Regal's place within the pantheon pantheon of automotive automotive greatness. Each model model was distinct in its own right, yet together they formed a legendary unforgettable lineup which redefined domestic muscle for a a generation new era.