Buick Regal? Yes Please!

Hopefully not a repost not a repost not a repost...

255 HP, 6 spd manual, Brembos? Is GM finally getting their heads out of their keesters? Lets hope...the model at the auto show also sported AWD, that would be so sweet! The GMC salesman Ive been working with says the Opel version won the equivalent of JD Power assoc. car of the year in Europe.The Regal GS (turbo I4...yes!) is s scheduled for release as a 2011 model.

What says the board? I say yes please!

Why pay big dollars for the Brembos when they can use in house products and engineering?

awesome car

John Brown wrote: Why pay big dollars for the Brembos when they can use in house products and engineering?

Because people want the name.

Meh. 4 dr sedan.

Looks good on paper. Also looks like their trying to market it as an aggressive sporty sedan...no problem with that. But, then why, pray tell, did they choose pearly-white paint and those...wheels for its photo-shoot? Kinda the automotive equivalent of sending an Olympic sprinter onto the track in sparkly shoes and a tutu. I just don't understand their marketing.

I actually get that angle. They are trying to dual sport the idea. Make it "pimpish" for that type, make it sound sporty for our type.

I just don't get the need for the cost of branding. I would rather have saved $2500.00 on the list price and had GM engineer the same spec components.

Wonder why Ford put Brembos on my 03 Mach 1? I don't know, but the car stops pretty damn good. A lot of companies with the ability to do the work in house have done the same thing. Seems to happen all the time.

Yeah, but what do you think GM pays for the Brembo parts after the purchasing department gets through with them?

I know it's lingering brand bias, but I just can't bring myself to even consider buying a Buick made after about 1987.

GMs gonna have to do something ridiculous awesome to get me (and most likely most of my generation) to even look twice at a Buick, and a turbo-4 AWD luxobarge just isn't it.

Turbo-4s are only awesome in cars that are adequately powered by N/A 4-cylinders. Put it in a car that should at the very least have a V6, and you take all the fun away.

That's strange. . . I actually like the look of it. . .

I can't believe I just said that . . .

I was picturing the ugly '80's version, but that looks good!

John Brown wrote: Why pay big dollars for the Brembos when they can use in house products and engineering?

The ironic part is that they usually go to great lengths to make sure that parts do not have the supplier's name on it. We were providing some prototype turbos to Ford and one of our parts, a hydraulic actuator for the vanes in the turbine, had 'Garrett' molded into it in tiny letters, maybe 1.5cm long. Ford threw a fit and wanted us to come in and file off 'Garrett' on all 26 turbos that nobody but Ford engineers would ever see and promise not have it on any future parts. We were able to get an exemption because it's a common part used on many different turbos, but it's ironic that sometimes they want the name brand and other times they don't. GM was the exact same way, as were most other passenger car manufacturers. The commercial truck companies didn't give a damn.

I like the new Regal, but don't think I'd ever buy one. Hopefully it does good things for them.

Bob

Repost!

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/best-looking-buick-ever/17713/page1/

I think the big news here is that there is a manual transmission in a Buick! When's the last time that happened? Does their demographic even know how to drive stick?

I'd love to drive one.

I don't think I'd want to own one though.

I've never been able to find an Opel rotor not actually made by Brembo. Most of the calipers on them are either ATE or Brembo as well. Why spend the $ to engineer something and custom make it when someone else already has it on the shelf?

Looks like every other car being made. I can't tell if it's a Mazda, Lexus, Honda or Kia.

ReverendDexter wrote: GMs gonna have to do something ridiculous awesome to get me (and most likely most of my generation) to even look twice at a Buick, and a turbo-4 AWD luxobarge just isn't it.

And that in a nutshell is why GM is going down the drain. They gave up on the new generation of customers in the early 70s and have been living off of a dying market share ever since.

It speaks to what a success story GM was at one point that they could coast for almost 40 years on their client base before the machine ran out of fuel (customers)

I see the new products they are rolling out and admit that there is nothing wrong with the cars. They may even be world class in quality and performance, however they are not aimed at renewing the roots of the company by attracting young buyers. I see no evidence that GM is even aware of this problem.

Marty! wrote: I think the big news here is that there is a manual transmission in a Buick! When's the last time that happened? Does their demographic even know how to drive stick?

Probably there are quite a few of their demographic that learned to drive on stick.

I gotta give them props for trying. I can arm chair quarterback what they should be doing as well as the next guy, but...it's a step in the right direction.

Whats wrong with you?

I'd rock that thing.

I actually like 2 of the current Buicks: the Enclave is a nice big sport utility. I like the design, I drove one for a weekend and liked how it drove and rode. If I were buying a new large SUV it would probably top my list. The Lacrosse at least looks good, I don't have any seat time in one yet but I'll have my neighbor buddy who works at the local Buick/GMC/Pontiac (oops) dealer bring one home for a weekend sometime. I'm looking forward to seeing the new Regal. And this is from a 40 year old guy who gave up on GM products by the time I was 15. Buick is on the way back I say.

They need the name recognition, that's why they got Brembo's.

I hope they can advertise the thing well or this will be a wasted effort.

Marty! wrote: I think the big news here is that there is a manual transmission in a Buick! When's the last time that happened?

1989 Buick Skyhawk

minimac wrote: Looks like every other car being made. I can't tell if it's a Mazda, Lexus, Honda or Kia.

If you can't tell a new Mazda you must be a blind man...