The Buick Regal arrived in 1973, at a time when the oil crisis had already ruined the muscle car. But the second-gen model became famous in the 1980s thanks to Buick's turbocharged V6. In 1987, when performance cars were usually rated at around 200 horsepower, Buick rolled out the Regal GNX with 300 horses. That's when the Regal left a permanent mark in the history books.
The Regal continued to live on until 2020 when it was discontinued as a four-door sedan. But no other generation is as iconic as the boxy second-gen car. On top of having kickstarted the muscle car business, the 1980s Regal is also favored by drag racers, who take full advantage of its versatile G-body platform.
If you haven't seen a Regal burn rubber at the track, the blue-painted coupe below is the best one to start with. This boxy two-door looks perfect on skinny front wheels and meaty rear tires. It's as if it was intended to become a dragster once it grows too old to be a daily driver.
The quick-release engine hood with the massive bulge in the center also fits like a glove, and it even features Knight Rider lights in the front grille. I must say, it almost looks better than the original KITT car; all it needs is a black paint job.
But nothing compares to this Regal's exhaust note. We don't know what's under the hood aside from the fact that it's nitrous-fed, but it sure sounds like a V8. The GNX might have been sold with a 3.8-liter V6, but the second-gen Regal was also offered with V8 mills displacing as much as 5.7 liters. So there's enough room under that hood for a small-block V8, or maybe even a big-block with a bit of extra work.
Anyway, it's one of the meanest drag-spec Regals we've seen recently, and it packs just enough oomph to run the quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds. All while smoking a Fox-body Ford Mustang, also known for its great modding potential.
Another cool thing about this Regal is that it's still road legal. It features a full interior, including an audio system, so the owner can still drive it to and from the race track. Don't forget to crank up the volume before you hit that play button; you're in for a treat.
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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