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Junkyard Gem: 1993 Buick Roadmaster Sedan

In 1931, GM's Buick Division introduced an eight-cylinder engine in its stolid rear-wheel-drive sedan models, and Americans could buy big, comfortable Buick four-doors with straight-eights and — starting in the 1954 model year — V8s driving the rear wheels for more than a half-century after that. Then, the last rear-wheel-drive LeSabre left the assembly line in 1985, and it seemed that an era had ended forever. But wait! For the 1992 model year, Buick revived the Roadmaster name and applied it to an old-timey giant sedan with a V8 engine sending power to the proper wheels. Production of the Roadmaster sedan continued through 1996, and I've found one of those throwback Buicks in a Denver self-service car graveyard. Yes, in an America full of front-wheel-drive cars contaminated by European or — even worse — Japanese influences, The General brought back the spirit of the 1931 Buick sedan. Sure, it was really a near-identical twin to the "whale-body" Chevy Caprice, complete with Chevrolet small-block V8 engine, but that didn't matter. This was the kind of Buick that our prosperous great-grandparents bought in 1932 and 1948 and 1957. And the appeal of the great big eight-cylinder Buick sedan wasn't just limited to the United States. When the film adaptation of the great Marguerite Duras novel, L'Amant, was made, only a 1932 Buick 90 sedan would have made sense for the wheels of the wealthy Saigon heir. A big reason Buick is such an important brand in China right now is the legacy left by the memorable Buick machinery that owned the roads of 1930s China. These days, most of the 1992-1996 Roadmasters you'll see will be the station wagons, but we mustn't forget the sedans. Looking at the interior of this car is like a flashback to the 1960s, when stately Buick sedans had squishy seats you'd just disappear into when you climbed in. Cool-sounding names for ordinary features had gone out of style decades earlier, but not for the Roadmaster! Dynaride was a rear suspension that used air shocks and a compressor to keep the ride height level regardless of load. The last model year for a genuine Buick V8 engine was 1980, though you could make the case that the Rover V8 (made until 2006) was really a Buick all along. The engine in this car is pure Chevrolet: a 5.7-liter small-block V8 rated at 180 horsepower. Buick was a big Olympics sponsor at this time, while Oldsmobile handled golf. Still, the Buick-buying demographic of 1993 tended to approve of golf.

2014 Buick Regal GS

A few months ago I drove the 2014 Buick LaCrosse and wrote up a First Drive review of it. For all of my quibbles with that sedan (and I had a fair number), I understand that it speaks to the heart of what new Buick loyalists like in a car; it's roomy, has a cushy ride and is as placid as a summer's morning at highway speeds.
Those qualities, while undeniably desirable, don't mean a whole lot to me personally. I prefer sedans that conjure up words like "nimble," "punchy" or even "raucous" on occasion. So, directionally, the high-performance GS version of the 2014 Buick Regal is more my cup of tea than any other car in the company's current range.
In fact, I'd already come to know the Regal GS from its 2012 model year introduction, and grown more than a little fond of the sporting sedan in its original front-wheel-drive, six-speed-manual guise. The fast, sweet-handling car with well-sorted controls may have suffered from a slight identity crisis in terms of pricing (and may still), but it was undeniably fun to drive. So, when I heard that the GS was coming to market for 2014 with optional all-wheel drive (albeit only in combination with a six-speed automatic transmission), I was stoked to have another go and concentrated my driving impressions on the AWD car.

GM applies to trademark Buick Envision GX

GM Authority found a GM application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reserve the name Buick Envision GX. We can't be certain, but it seems this all but confirms that the three-row Buick Envision, which debuted a year ago in China as the Envision Plus (pictured), will sell here as the Envision GX. Doing so would reinforce the naming convention established in the U.S. with the Encore and slightly larger Encore GX. Adding a third row to the compact two-row Envision extends three of of four dimensions. According to specs the Chinese transport ministry put online last year, the three-row Envision will be 190.7 inches long on a 111.5-inch wheelbase, increases of 8.2 and 2.1 inches, respectively. Height grows by 2.7 inches as well, only the 74.1-inch width holding steady.   That length has been utilized to make life easier for second- and third-row passengers. The Envision Plus in China comes with 2+3+2 seating, the second-row bench able to slide 9.8 inches. Behind that, cargo volume with the second and third rows stowed climbs from 52.7 cubic feet to 58 cubic feet. The sole engine will be the current Envision's 2.0-liter four-cylinder, making 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, sent to the wheels through a nine-speed automatic. Power gets sent to the front wheels as standard, and all-wheel drive will be an option.  On top of the extended rear overhang on the seven-seater, GM designers slipped in a few cosmetic changes to set it apart from the five-seater. A new horizontal trim piece connects the headlights, the lower bumper getting a pair of larger, reshaped intakes. A complementary horizontal slash connects slimmer taillights, the license plate surround squared off instead of trapezoid-shaped.  Related video: