Lots of enthusiasts miss the Buick brand. During the time it was around, it made some fantastic sports cars and muscle cars. One of those is the Buick Grand National. While it was a bit of a sleeper model in its day, in enthusiast circles the Grand National has ended up becoming one of the most revered cars Buick ever made. Some of that reputation has come in the way you'd expect. But, it recently received a popularity boost from a source that you might not have expected! The Buick Grand National Is One Of GM's Most Celebrated Sports Cars Bring A TrailerDespite what the name might suggest, the Buick Grand National isn't really a standalone model. It's actually a variant of the second-generation Buick Regal. This generation was produced between 1978-1987. The Grand National first appeared in 1982, as a special model celebrating Buick's successes in NASCAR. While the Grand National is best known for having a turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine, this actually wasn't the standard engine in the Grand National's first model year. Most 1982 Grand Nationals actually came with a 4.1-liter V6 that produced 125 horsepower and 205 lb-ft of torque. After a year away in 1983, the Grand National came back for 1984 with the turbocharged engine as the only option.During the Grand National's second stint in production from 1984-1987, the Grand National's power output increased almost year-on-year. 1984 model year Grand Nationals produced 200 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. By the final year of the Grand National in 1987, it was producing 245 horsepower and 355 lb-ft of torque. This gave it some seriously fantastic performance figures for its day. The 1985 Grand National was recorded as having a 0-60 mph time of 7.5 seconds, and a 1/4 mile time of 15.7 seconds at 87 mph. That might sound unimpressive by today's standards, but it was definitely impressive compared to the V8 sports cars you could get at the same time. It Wasn't The Only Turbocharged Version Of The Buick Regal Mecum AuctionsThe Grand National is the car that most enthusiasts will think of when it comes to turbocharged versions of the Regal. But, it wasn't the only turbocharged Regal variant. It wasn't even the first turbocharged Regal to come onto the market! That was the Regal Sport Coupe, which was introduced in 1978. The Regal Sport Coupe's engine was initially offered in two or four-barrel carburetor versions, producing 150 and 165 horsepower respectively. The two-barrel option was removed in 1979, and the output of the remaining four-barrel engine got a power increase to 170 horsepower. By the time that the Regal Sport Coupe was discontinued in 1983, it produced 180 horsepower.The turbocharged Buick Regal also didn't go away during the Grand National's disappearance in 1983. The Regal Sport Coupe had been replaced by the Regal T-Type that year, and this became the Regal's sole turbocharged option during that time. When the Grand National was re-introduced, the Regal T-Type carried on alongside it up to 1986. The GNX Is The Ultimate Version Of The Grand National Bring a TrailerWhen enthusiasts talk about the Buick Grand National, the version of it they'll have the most reverence for is the GNX. Standing for "Grand National Experimenal", the GNX was a 1987-only version of the Grand National that took the performance up to eleven. Buick got engineering assistance from ASC/McLaren (yes, that McLaren) to boost the performance into overdrive. The result was a car that had an (underrated by the factory) output of 276 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque. This made the GNX incredibly fast. It clocked a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds, and could run a 1/4 mile in 13.5 seconds at 102 mph. The GNX Gained A Boost In Popularity Thanks To One Of Rap's Biggest StarsKendrick Lamar / InstagramFor a long time, the Grand National and GNX were only really known in the car community. That changed a couple of years ago, though, thanks to it becoming a central part of one of the most critically acclaimed rap albums of the decade. Kendrick Lamar named his 6th studio album (which was released in 2024) GNX, and a GNX featured on the album's cover art. The album also had a track of the same name, another song ("tv off") had the opening line of "all I ever wanted was a black Grand National", and the tour supporting the album was called The Grand National tour. With the car being such a central part of the album's aesthetic, it made a lot of younger listeners and non-car people aware that the Grand National and GNX were not only real cars that existed, but were also secretly proper performance monsters. As a result, a spike in online searches about the GNX was recorded. It's A Favorite With Tuners And Restomodders The Buick Grand National is fast enough on its own for an '80s American sports coupe. It's platform can take quite a bit more power than that, though. All of the mechanical parts on the Grand National are easily tunable, and it's not too difficult to swap out some components with more modern equivalents. As a result, the Grand National has become a favourite with tuners and restomodders. There are plenty of examples of modded Grand Nationals having over 500 horsepower. Some of them even hit figures of 900 horsepower or more! The fact that these 40+ year old cars can take all that extra power without becoming too undriveable is a testament to how great the stock platform really was. What Should You Look For If You Want To Buy A Buick Grand National? Bring A TrailerWhile the Buick Grand National is a brilliant slice of classic Americana, it's not perfect. There are quite a few common problems that Grand National owners face. These include head gasket issues, due to there not being as much head bolts on the standard version of the engine to cope with the higher pressures that come with turbocharging. If you want to tune or restomod your Grand National, fixing this issue via an upgrade is essential. The upper A-arm bushing can also be affected by heat escaping from the exhaust down pipe, and exhausts can often have cracks in them. As a result, taking a good look at the rear end of the car is something you should absolutely do before dropping money on one.Thankfully, the Grand National's typical American car mechanicals and shared parts with a lot of other GM models from the '70s and '80s make maintenance on these a breeze. If you're a good enough auto mechanic, you can actually do a lot of maintenance on a Grand National yourself. How Much Is A Buick Grand National Worth Now? Bring A TrailerSo, you've decided to actually buy a Grand National. How much will it cost you? Well, these cars are now pretty valuable for '80s GM sports coupes. The average used value for a Grand National is now $49,134. Some of the best-condition examples have sold for prices near or exceeding $100,000. The GNX is even more pricey, with average values now sitting at $196,264. This is definitely one of those cars where, if you can afford to get hold of one, you really should. You could end up having a car with values that are in the stratosphere within 5-10 years!Sources: Buick, Car And Driver, Car & ClassicFAQQ: How fast is a Buick Grand National?The 1985 Buick Grand National was recorded as having a 0-60 mph time of 7.5 seconds. The GNX was recorded as having a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds.Q: How much is a Buick Grand National worth today? The average used value for a Buick Grand National is $49,134. The average used value for a GNX is $196,264.Q: What makes the Grand National special?It has a 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 engine instead of a big, naturally aspirated V8.Q: How many Buick Grand Nationals were made?Around 30,000 Buick Grand Nationals were produced from 1982-1987. 547 GNXs were produced in 1987.Q: Is the Grand National turbocharged?Yes. Some 1982 and all 1984-1987 Grand Nationals were powered by a 3.8-liter turbocharged V6.