Introduced in 1973 as a replacement for the Skylark, the Buick Regal started life as a variant of the Century. That changed in 1978, when Buick introduced the second-gen car. A downsized version of its predecessor, the Regal became a standalone model exclusive to the two-door coupe body style, while Buick continued to sell the sedan and wagon as the Century.
The nameplate started to gain traction in the early 1980s, when Buick launched the Grand National and the T-Type. In 1987, Buick rolled out the beefed-up GNX and the second-gen Regal became a 1980s performance icon.
Almost 40 years and four generations later and the 1980s car remains the most representative. And while they don't get as much attention as the GNX and the Turbo-T, regular second-gen Regals are just as popular as the Fox-body Mustangs among drag racers. And sometimes they end up being cool sleepers that are faster than their appearance suggests. Like the cream-painted coupe in the video below.
Remember the blue, nitrous-fed Regal that hit the drag strip with knight rider lights last month? Well, this one's quite different. Instead of a flashy paint job and a complete exterior, this Regal sports a plain-looking cream finish and misses quite a few parts.
There's no grille, no headlamp surrounds, and no turn signals in the front bumper. It's also missing the door handles. It looks like a restored car waiting for the finishing touches, but I'm pretty sure all those parts were removed to keep weight low. Apart from the drag-spec wheels, the bulged hood is the only hint that this Regal ain't stock.
And I don't know what lurks under the hood, but not only does it sound mean, but it also enables the G-body coupe to pull some brutal launches. There's no loss of traction and the front wheels catch a bit of air time.
The first run is a solo one, so you can't tell how quick it really is, but the second sprint at the 3:45-minute mark is a proper drag race against another 1980s coupe. And the Regal leaves its competitor way behind with a perfect start. The driver manages a perfect launch too.
Too bad that the first test run wasn't a race against that blue sixth-generation Ford Mustang. I bet the Regal would have won. What do you think?
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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