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1987 Buick Regal GNX driven just 54.8 miles heads to auction

The previously unimaginable prices for seemingly anything on any number of wheels continues to lure garage queens into the open. Here we have another Buick GNX headed to auction, this one Mecum's Summer Special in Orlando from July 6-9. Buick only made 547; it feels like half went to owners who never drove them. The last GNX auction we covered, in 2019 on Bring a Trailer, ended up grossing $200,000 for a model with 8.5 miles. This example has been driven much harder than that, praise be to enthusiasts, with 54.8 miles on the odometer. That means the original owner, who kept the coupe until 2017, got more than six times the use out of his GNX than the 2019 owner. Way to go. For those who haven't attended any classes on the Buick Regal GNX, allow us to summarize the subject matter. When Buick greenlit "a Grand National to end all Grand Nationals," out came the one-year-only 1987 GNX. A racier brand back then, it partnered with ASC/McLaren to work up the wheel lip flares, fender vents, 16-by-8-inch BBS rims, more aggressive tires, and the interior treatment. The Grand National trim used a 3.8-liter V6 making 245 horsepower and 355 pound-feet of torque hooked to a four-speed automatic. The GNX benefited from a larger Garrett T-3 turbocharger with a ceramic impeller, a larger intercooler, more aggressive fuel, spark, and waste gate tables, and a dual exhaust system that boosted output to what some say is an underrated 276 hp and 360 lb-ft.  This GNX headed to auction spices up the standard specs with the original order paperwork, window sticker, dealer invoice, ASC documentation, a GNX coffee table book, and a GNX jacket. That jacket could be the denim one or the high school varsity jacket with the cloth front and back and leather(ish) sleeves, which, sadly, didn't include Buick's attacking eagle logo of the time. We'd mention the black and sand gray cloth interior, power driver's seat and mirrors, and Delco Concert Sound stereo, but it's likely that the future owner won't spend much time with them. Likely fated to be a garage or show queen again, the jet black paint, "original parts stickers still affixed on suspension," and "original chalk markings throughout" will be the major points of interest. Mecum doesn't give a pre-sale estimate for this GNX, so we'll be waiting to find out if the 2019 sale price was an anomaly — well, more of an anomaly — or the new benchmark.

Why Buick's Encore wasn't a Chevy

Buick is taking a gamble with its 2013 Encore. General Motors' near-luxury brand has enjoyed great success attracting conquest buyers to its larger Enclave crossover, but it has never offered something quite like this small CUV.
Very early signs suggest that the gamble might be working. According to Mark Reuss, President of General Motors, the automaker expected about 1,500 initial orders from its dealers for the Encore, but it's tracking closer to 9,000 units. Alluding to the fact that historically, Buick has shared similar products with GM's other brands, Reuss says that Buick dealers are "thrilled to have an exclusive." The automaker already markets almost identical models in other markets as the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka and Chevrolet Trax, but The General's other brands won't offer a twin to the new baby Buick.
The new Encore is based on the Gamma architecture that underpins the Chevrolet Sonic, and it shares the economy car's available turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine. With standard front-wheel drive and available all-wheel drive, GM says its Encore will be pitted against competitors like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, both of which are much more expensive but also much more powerful.

Ford GT, Buick Avenir and Audi Q7 take 2015 EyesOn Design awards

The annual EyesOn Design Awards at the Detroit Auto Show allows some of the greatest designers in the world to weigh in on the best production and concept debuts at the big event each year. For 2015, the large panel of judges included luminaries like Frank Stephenson of McLaren, Ralph Gilles from FCA and Moray Callum of Ford. Apparently the editors at Autoblog had a good eye because the winner of 2015's Best Designed Production Vehicle award went to the Ford GT, which was also our favorite debut from the show. The new supercar beat the Acura NSX and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Coupe for the honor. The judges described the Blue Oval's shape as "capturing the original GT40 in a modern interpretation," according to EyesOn Design. The Buick Avenir was also a big winner in the awards this year and received the nods for both Best Designed Concept Vehicle and Innovative Use of Color, Graphics and Materials. In the concept category, it beat out the Chevrolet Bolt and Mercedes-Benz F 015, and in the latter group, the sedan triumphed over Audi Q7, Mercedes F 015 and Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE. The Q7 received its own accolade for Best Designed Interior, and it beat the Avenir and Infiniti Q60 for the honor. This year's Lifetime Design Achievement Award went to former Renault designer Patrick le Quement, and Bob Lutz received the EyesOn Design Catalyst Award for the second time. The honor is for an executive "who has empowered great design," according to the organization, which describes Lutz perfectly. Scroll down to read the announcement with more comments about the winners. Related Video: Ford, Buick, Audi recipients of EyesOn Design Awards at North American International Auto Show EyesOn Design Awards for Design Excellence for 2015 were revealed today at the North American International Auto Show. The awards honor the most significant automotive designs revealed at NAIAS as determined by the North American and global leaders of design from automotive manufacturers, along with academic chairs of transportation design programs and design leaders from other fields.