A couple thoughts on the possible new "Turbo Buick" cars

[Mike Licht]

I know these cars will not live up to our memories and strong feelings for the cars we all love but IMO we should embrace these cars, welcome the new owners into the fold here at TB.com and breath some new life and blood into the community. The vendors will likely get on board and while we will likely not relive the glory of the 80's we may have some fun, bring new folks to events so they can grow instead of shrink and generally help the TB world. I know not everyone will share this opinion but I look at this like some new life for our old cars.
ML

 

[2GNS4ME]

Well said Mike! Who knows it may a lot of aftermarket following and the vendors MIGHT look at producing some of our parts.

 

[TurboDave]

Mike, I whole heartedly agree with all your points!!!! Ford's ecoboost twin turbo V6 has a HUGE following and a great aftermarket developing already! Livornois Motor Sports has these heavy monsters running 12's on nothing more than a tune, and I'd bet money theey'll be "johnny on the spot" developing tunes for the new GM twin turbo V6's (assuming this all actually happens)!!!!
There are companies already making beautiful "catted" or "non-catted" downpipes for all the Ecoboost V6 applications!! It would be easy for them to also do the GM's.

Turbocharging is now and will continue to completely take over the automotive market place as more and more manufacturers see the advantages to turbo'd, direct injection applications. Ford already has a turbo motor for more than 90% of their total production. GM is just now starting to move in that direction and will certainly be drug kicking and screaming into modern motor technology and have turbo applications across the board.

If GM makes new turbo charged Buicks then I for one will welcome them here, and hopefully there'll be forums added for them.

Once people (even old one's like me) find out how much fun the twin turbo V6's can be, sales will continue to skyrocket!! Ford's already surpassed 500,000 ecoboost motor sales!!

 

[TurboTnZ06]

Would be cool to expand the TSA heads up class to include the new cars to race with the old since they'll have to look factory stock.

 

[aminga]

I kind of like them. On one of our local car forums one of the 20 somethings (actually several of them) pointed out that they look like "grandmaw's lesabre" so I reminded them that's kind of the point of the original GN's.

Look at it this way. We got RWD and a turbo 6 2 out of 3 ain't bad

 

[Red C5]

It will be interesting to see how this all comes along.

Peter

 

[TURBOTIMMER]

I totally agree. Seems all the Buick events are dying a slow death. I think these new cars may just be what helps bring people back.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Good points made course some of us recall that originally at the GS Nats the older GS guys were not real fond of the then new Turbo Regals....its important we all get a long....Buick brings them back that' great....we are a lot smarter now. I may be wrong but I don;t believe these will sell in any great numbers in the Buick line up more of a halo effect keep in mind China is the largest customer of Buick...my point being Buick may end up creating some fairly rare models sporting GN or T Type or GNX name plates....

A 3-4 year lease may work to owners benefit if the car turns out to be worth more at the end of the lease....

Just my thoughts....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[toofastforyou]

we should embrace these cars, welcome the new owners into the fold here at TB.com and breath some new life and blood into the community. bring new folks to events so they can grow instead of shrink and generally help the TB world. I know not everyone will share this opinion but I look at this like some new life for our old cars.
ML

I agree with the "brigning some new people in the community"...
and

Seems all the Buick events are dying a slow death.

Sad but unfortunately, I have to agree... Back in the days, there were several tracks who had some turbo Buick-related events (like the three Buick "showdowns" held every year at Englishtown, NJ) that ultimately got cancelled probably due to the lack of participants. Aside from Bowling Green, I can't think of any other one at the moment.



Personnally, I like the idea of some new generation of turbo Buicks, but they'll never pull it off with the cars that are being made now. The new Buicks are so ugly, especially the Regal and LaCrosse models with their 4 doors and long flat roof line that makes them look like any other Mazda 6, or Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima and the like. To be succesfull, they'd need to have only two doors and be rear wheel driven a little bit like the late GTO's, but with a little more "personality", a more agressive look and with a turbo SIX cylinder engine, not a ridiculous 4-banger!
That might resurrect the T-Types and GN's.

Claude.