The Buick Grand National is the darling of the classic car scene right now. With its menacing black paint, mix of modern amenities, and beastly V6 under the hood, it still hits the sweet spot for car nuts who want something old school but not completely outdated. Like any car, it has a following of loyal purists that will rip apart anyone who takes the Grand National off the beaten path.Autotopia LA just featured one with a supercharged V8 under the hood. While a bizarrely blasphemous move for this muscle car, the end result is a stark reminder that, sometimes, bigger really is better. The V8-Powered Grand National Autotopia LA, YouTube Autotopia LA just featured a 1986 Buick Grand National that Jorge Buenrostro of Rostro Performance worked up for a customer. From the exterior, you might assume it's just like any other black Buick. It’s fairly complete, beautiful, and, aside from the wheels, it appears just like a Grand National should. Things take a major turn when you start talking about the work that’s actually been done.Like many G-body nuts do, the owner opted to upgrade the suspension and brake system. While the four-link rear and front discs these cars came with are good for their time, they aren’t perfect. It's standard procedure for anyone concerned with performance to make some updates here to help their G-body handle and stop better. That’s all well and good, but under the hood lies a massive sin in the Grand National world.The original turbocharged V6 engine has been replaced with a supercharged LT4 V8. As much of an improvement as that sounds to most car enthusiasts, it’s a massive offense to Buick purists. Not only does it remove the coveted engine that made these cars what they are in the first place, but it’s a Chevy powerplant, too. This would make any die-hard Buick Grand National nut red with rage. However, they really need to check out the performance stats and listen to the thing before they swear it off. Just A Dash of E85 To Make 600 WHP Autotopia LA, YouTube The engine and transmission were sourced from a 2022 ZL1 Camaro. While the internals haven’t been touched, a few very meaningful upgrades were made. The engine has been set up with a cold air intake, headers, a full 2.5-inch dual exhaust, and an E85 tune. While it’s not much on paper, it’s enough for this machine to produce 600 horsepower at the wheels.Behind the nasty V8 is a 10L90 10-speed automatic transmission. Out back is a posi 8.5-inch rear end, set up with 3.08 gears. This helps the ‘80s Grand National drive more like a modern car than anything else, giving it the perfect blend of aggressive acceleration and relaxed cruising capabilities today’s drivers want.The suspension has been set up with a UMI Stage four kit, which replaces all the stamped components with tubular counterparts, along with the switch to better springs all around. These changes make for substantial improvements in terms of handling. Wilwood brakes on all four corners take the place of the factory setup, ensuring all of that power can be tamed with enough stopping power. It’s Hard Not to Love This Brick Autotopia LA, YouTubeStill not on board with the removal of the original, legendary turbo engine? Maybe you need to listen to this thing rip. It is hands-down one of the best-sounding cars you’ve ever heard, even if your bias is trying to muffle the tones.If you’re feeling salty anyway, just know that this particular Grand National wasn’t exactly a flawless gem when the folks at Rostro Performance got their hands on it. According to Beunrostro, the Grand National came in with a bad engine in the first place. It’d already been modified to delete the heater box and who knows what else was done to it. So, it’s not like he cut up a perfectly fine, totally original car to do the job. In fact, this happens to be one of the few cases when building something back with different parts is acceptable, so long as you’re not concerned with collector value. Clearly, that’s not the case because this car is built to get down and dirty, and we’re absolutely in love with it.
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