2005 Buick Park Avenue 4 Door Sedan V6 on 2040-cars

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2018 Buick Regal GS : The 310-hp American hot hatch

Buick has spent the last decade shredding its perception as the low-level luxury vehicle for geriatrics, but the brand hasn't always been associated with that crowd. In fact, ask some enthusiasts and you'll hear about the GM 3800 series engines, IndyCar racing, and the mythical GS and GNX. In that high-octane theme, GM pulled back the curtain on the all-new, all-wheel drive, 310-horsepower 2018 Buick Regal GS Wednesday morning in Milford, MI. The GS is basically a sport-tuned version of the all-new Buick Regal. We've seen the standard and high-riding wagon variants, but this is our first look at what's likely to be the enthusiast pick. The Regal GS uses the five-door sportback bodystyle from the standard car (though a GS version of the TourX would be awesome), swiped from GM's soon-to-be former German division, Opel. While a number of automakers are downsizing engines, Buick is soldiering on with its tried and true naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6, in this guise making 310 horsepower and 282 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic. The all-wheel drive system uses a twin-clutch setup and has been tuned specifically for the GS. The Regal GS makes more power than both the Acura TLX A-Spec (290 horsepower) and the Lexus IS350 F-Sport (306 horsepower). The V6 features both cylinder deactivation and auto stop/start for better fuel economy. The fully independent suspension uses the second-gen Continuous Damping Control (CDC), capable of 500 adjustments per second. Selectable modes allow the driver to tailor the car to fit the situation. Large Brembo front brakes are surrounded by standard 19-inch wheels and tires. The exterior gets a few styling changes like a sporty front and rear fascias, a small rear spoiler, and plenty of GS badges. Inside, the Regal GS gets unique sport seats with integrated headrests and adjustable lumbar and thigh bolsters. They even come standard with heating, ventilation, and massaging functions. The driver faces a GS badged flat-bottom steering wheel and GS-specific pedals. A full-color heads-up display is optional. Available safety features include front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warnings, forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. The real key for the success of the Regal GS could be pricing.

Opel Cascada close to getting green light for US

For a company with a long tradition of grand touring convertibles, it's almost unseemly that General Motors doesn't offer a properly relaxed four-seat convertible in North America. There's the Chevrolet Camaro, of course, but it's not big on rear-seat space and it doesn't offer that sort of serene demeanor that many open-air buyers crave. We're thinking of something more refined and, dare we say, elegant. Something a bit closer to the Opel Cascada.
The General's front-wheel drive convertible went on sale in Europe this year, and while it seemed like a natural fit for its Buick brand in America, it's never been sold here. That may be about to change, however. Back in June, CEO Dan Akerson hinted he'd like to see the Cascada available in the US, and now there's word from Edmunds that importation "could happen soon." That's according to an unnamed insider at the company.
It's almost unseemly that GM doesn't offer a relaxed four-seat convertible.

Junkyard Gem: 1972 Buick Centurion Four-Door Hardtop

During the mid-to-late 1960s, General Motors made flashy, semi-sporty versions of each of its full-sized B-body cars. Oldsobile had the Delta 88 Royale, for example, while Pontiac offered the Grand Prix. The rakish big Buick of that period was the Wildcat, built through the 1970 model year. Just as the Wildcat shoved aside the Invicta, the Centurion appeared in 1971 to replace the Wildcat. Named after a famous 1956 concept car, production of the Centurion continued just through 1973. Just over 100,000 were built, and here's one of those rarities in a Colorado self-service boneyard. The Centurion was available as a hardtop coupe, a convertible, and a four-door hardtop sedan. It was at heart a LeSabre with a different grille and other cosmetic touches. Instead of the usual triple-shield Buick emblems, the Centurion got Roman-soldier badges. Perhaps the world's best-known Centurion is the '72 convertible driven by Kurt Russel's slimy-car-salesman character in the 1980 film, Used Cars. Kurt ends up selling his Centurion to a customer he "baited" from the rival lot across the street. In 1974, the Centurion was replaced by the LeSabre Luxus, a trim-level designation that Buick swiped from Opel. The only engine available in the 1971 and 1972 Centurion was Buick's 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8, renowned for its low-rpm torque. Power numbers for 1972 dropped considerably compared to 1971, mostly due to the switch from gross to net measurements that year; the base '72 Centurion 455 was rated at 225 horsepower and 360 pound-feet, while an optional higher-compression version with dual exhaust made 270 hp and 390 pound-feet. All Centurions came off the assembly line with three-speed automatic transmissions. For 1973, a Buick 350 (5.7-liter) V8 became standard Centurion equipment, with the 455 an extra-cost option. The original buyer of this Centurion probably regretted the single-digit fuel economy of the 455 when OPEC shut off the oil taps in October of 1973. Front Range Colorado isn't particularly rusty, but this car looks like it must have spent some time in a road-salty place like Wisconsin or Iowa. There isn't much left of the padded vinyl roof, standard equipment on all Centurion sedans and coupes. It would have been prohibitively expensive to make this car nice again, so here it sits. This radio played AM and 8-track tapes and cost $363 extra on a $4,508 car (that's $2,615 and $32,485 in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars).