Buick GNX
The ’80s are generally considered the dark age of muscle cars and American performance but there were a few bright moments. One of the cars that restored faith in the muscle car movement in the ’80s was the mighty Buick GNX. In 1982, Buick started experimenting with turbocharging its line of standard V6 engines. The results were satisfying, so engineers got permission to develop a performance version that would deliver better acceleration figures (via Car and Driver).
The first model was the Buick Regal T and then the Buick Grand National with 175 hp, which wasn’t impressive but was a start. In the next couple of years, the Grand National got a bigger engine and more power, jumping from 175 hp to 200 hp and finally to 235 hp. However, in 1987, the ultimate version of GNX (Grand National Experimental) was born. It featured the same 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 with 275 hp and a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.7 seconds.