An Incredible 203-Mile 1987 Buick GNX Is Looking For A New Home After Sitting For Years
Photo: Bring a Trailer
This Buick GNX has traversed just 203 miles in its life. That’s fewer miles than I’ve ridden a motorcycle in a day for fun. That’s fewer miles than I’ve driven to buy a new car. But it also means that someone is soon going to get a famed classic Buick that’s about as close to new as you’re going to get.
We’re huge fans of the Buick Grand National here and we get all hot and bothered whenever a clean example shows up for sale. Seriously, we’ve written about these sinister Buicks showing up for sale in various conditions for over a decade now. And today I have a treat for you because this isn’t a typical Grand National, but the hopped up Buick GNX. I’ll let Jalopnik alum Tom Joslin give you the lowdown:
If you don’t know why GNXs are awesome, you should. GNXs were a ray of black on black hope in an equally dark time for American cars. Produced only in the last year Grand Nationals were sold, GNXs were specially outfitted by ASC/McLaren to be the ultimate example of the model. The GNX was underrated at 276 hp/360 lb-ft of torque and was capable of a 4.6 second 0-60 run on the way to a low 13 second quarter mile. Still impressive 24 years later, at the time these numbers were unheard of from any American car, let alone one so menacing and awesome.
Yep, these were the swan song of the Grand National and thus, Buick saved the best for last.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
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Let’s start with what ASC/McLaren did to its performance. The GNX (Grand National Experimental) features the Grand National’s fabled 3.8-liter turbo V6. However, power has been bumped from 245 horsepower and 355 lb-ft torque to 276 hp and 360 lb-ft torque by way of freer flowing heads, engine management, a more open exhaust and a Garrett T3 turbo.
Those power numbers are known to be underrated and its real power is more like 300 hp and 420 lb-ft toque.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
Backing up the extra power is a transmission cooler for the Turbo-Hydramatic 200R4 four-speed automatic, stiffer body, limited-slip differential and a stiffer suspension to match.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
Aesthetically, the GNX got a bulge in its hood, composite flares, functional heat-extracting fender vents and larger wheels. Inside, the gauges are upgraded to Stewart-Warner parts.
All of this added up to a rocket that raced to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and completed the quarter-mile in the low 13-second range. Those aren’t bad numbers today, over 35 years later.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
Photo: Bring a Trailer
The original run of the GNX was slated to be 500 units, with those being distributed to Buick’s top 500 of roughly 2,700 dealers at the time. As Car and Driver notes, there was also Buick’s Select 60 program, where dealerships angled to be in the top 60. Apparently just 47 dealerships qualified and Buick gave them a second GNX, making total production 547.
This one is number 308 of the lot with just 203 miles on its odometer.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
This car actually has some history as it was the one that sat in a showroom for years after its original dealer failed to sell it for more than sticker. Then it just became part of the dealer’s family. Back in 2010 when we wrote that story it had just 164 miles. It had a sticker price of $29,389, or $75,984 in today’s money.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
The listing notes that this is actually the second time that the car was put up for sale on the platform, with the last time being in 2020. Back then it had just 200 miles on its odometer. Bidding on Bring a Trailer is currently sitting at $125,000 with four days to go, so expect this to go big. With much of this car’s value tied up in its low mileage, it’s likely that its new owner won’t be sending it anytime soon.
