Buick Regal GS Confirmed for Production

Buick said on Thursday that it will build the Buick Regal GS, after receiving "a lot of positive consumer feedback" about the high-performance Regal GS show car that debuted in January at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. "No further details are available at this time," said Buick in a statement.

Buick Regal GS

When the Buick Regal GS show car was unveiled, the GM division called it a high-performance version of its Regal sedan. The show car was equipped with a 2.0-liter Ecotec turbocharged engine. On Thursday, Buick said the Regal CXL turbo will be available in the fourth quarter of this year. But it didn't hint at what would be under the hood of the production Regal GS.

The Regal GS show car was designed to be a scene stealer with such details as a lowered body, an adaptive all-wheel-drive system, forged-aluminum 20-inch wheels and performance tires, Recaro front seats and Brembo brakes. The cabin was equipped with a jet-black interior and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

Buick Regal GS Confirmed

Buick Regal GS

There has been no official word from General Motors but this morning the Detroit News reported that Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman of global product development, has confirmed that the 2011 Buick Regal GS will see production. There are very few details to accompany this exciting news but the production Regal GS is expected to be very similar to the concept version unveiled at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.

Should the 2011 Buick Regal GS see production in the same form as the concept, it will feature the turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder, mated to a 6-speed transmission and (best of all) a very advanced all wheel drive system. Shy of the radical 20” wheels, there are really no features of the Regal GS Concept that couldn’t make it onto a production car and should the production 2011 Gran Sport hit the market in the same form as the Concept - Buick could have that next key piece in attracting younger buyers.

255 horsepower, 295lb-ft of torque, a six-speed transmission and a variable mode AWD system will definitely draw in the younger buyers…now all we need is the official word from GM that the 2011 Regal GS will possess all of the goodies from the 2010 NAIAS concept car. Any performance minded version of the new Regal will certainly be exciting but the key, in my opinion, is for GM to produce the same car that drew SO MUCH attention at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year and anything less will be disappointing.

Buick Regal GS Concept Tipped as the Next Gran Sport

Buick says the Regal GS show car will “reinvigorate Buick’s storied Gran Sport legacy.”

General Motors is gradually revealing the cars it plans to unveil at the Detroit auto show over the Internet. Two days ago it was the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. On Thursday, G.M. revealed the Buick Regal GS.

G.M. introduced the Buick Regal last December at the Los Angeles auto show. At the time, Buick said the Regal would release a turbocharged 2-liter version, with 220 horsepower, late this summer. The Regal GS pushes the performance threshold a bit more.

Buick Regal GS Concept

2010 Detroit auto show -- is any indication of things to come.

Conceived as a "21st-century successor" to the vaulted Skylark Gran Sports and Regal Grand Nationals, the show car -- like the production 2011 Regal itself -- has European roots. Much of the car stems from the high-performance OPC version of the Opel Insignia, including the lowered stance, aggressive front fascia, and large 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Regal GS sports an all black interior, highlighted by special Recaro front buckets (donated from the Insignia OPC), and a flat-bottom sport steering wheel.

The GS show car is powered by GM's turbocharged 2.0-liter Ecotec I-4, but receives a bump in power to live up to the Gran Sport legend. GM says the engine is pumping out about 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to propel the Regal GS from 0-60 mph in under six seconds. Power is put to the ground via a six-speed manual transmission and an advanced all-wheel-drive system, developed in part by Haldex. The system uses an electronic limited-slip rear differential to help push the car through corners, giving it a balanced, rear-drive feel. Further helping to instill that balanced feel are the unique "HiPerStrut" struts up front, which reportedly help to quell torque steer while improving steering feel.

Similar to Audi's "Drive Select" controller, Regal GS show car allows drivers to modify the car's ride control, steering effort, and throttle response through the "Interactive Drive Control System." IDCS has three settings -- normal, sport, and GS -- to allow drivers to tailor the car for soft cruising or hard driving. You'll know if you've selected either the sport or GS setting -- the instrument cluster will glow a soft blue hue.

Sporty Buick Regal GS

Upcoming 2011 Buick Regal is essentially a rebadged version of the Opel Insignia, a car that won the prestigious 2009 European Car Of The Year award the year it was launched.

What a lot of readers may not know is that in Europe, the Insignia is offered in several different variants, including one that’s available with a 325 horsepower turbocharged V-6, a manual transmission and a sophisticated all-wheel drive system. This high performance Insignia is the OPC (Opel Performance Center) model and as recently as last month Bob Lutz hinted that the car was under consideration for the U.S. market.

Speaking previously with Car and Driver, Lutz explained that manual-transmission and all-wheel drive versions of the Insignia are being considered for the U.S., and of course the OPC model are among these.

The Regal name has been linked with sporty Buicks in the past, with models like the Grand National, GNX, GS and GSX all springing to mind, and today we have reports claiming that a new iteration of one of these, a modern-day Buick Regal GS, will be unveiled at next month’s 2010 Detroit Auto Show.

325 Horsepower Buick Regal GS Rumored

So, not only is the Buick Regal nameplate returning to the American market after a long absence, but there are growing rumors that Buick will be bringing back a 325 Horsepower GS version of the Regal. Great news to me. The Grand Sports of old were serious cars, not to be trifled with at stop light drags, or real quarter mile strips for that matter.

Now, whether the supposed new GS will be that fearsome remains to be seen, but what is known is that “plain” Regal probably won’t be anything to be underestimated either. The inbound and new for 2011 Buick Regal will be a rebadged version of corporate sibling Opel’s Insignia. The Insignia won the celebrated 2009 European Car Of The Year award the when it debuted.

It seems that one element that is fueling these rumors is what options are available for the original Opel Insignia. One of the Insignia variants that’s roaming around The Continent is a 325 horsepower turbocharged V-6, sporting a manual transmission and a very advanced all-wheel drive system.

That takes us to the second element in the rumored Regal Grand Sport. The OPC model, which stands for Opel Performance Center, is the one with the aforementioned goodies, and according to Bob Lutz it’s under consideration for the U.S. market.

Oh really Bob?

Lutz enlighten Car and Driver that both all-wheel drive and manual-transmission versions of the Opel Insignia are being mulled over for the American market, and you’ll note how the OPC version of the Insignia has both of those nifty little attributes.

And it’s not like this would be a big stretch for Buick to make, either. Regals have been associated with hot rod Buicks in the past. Think of models such as the Grand National, GNX, GS and GSX for some examples.

Maximum Bob also let out that a Regal Sport Wagon is also under consideration. That seems like an easy fit too, since there’s already an Insignia Sports Tourer, i.e. a wagon, rolling around Europe. Not only is there an Insignia Sports Tourer hanging on the racks, but there’s even a high-performance OPC version of that ride too.