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Junkyard Gem: 1997 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight LSS Supercharged

Oldsmobile got terminated by The General in 2005, in part because the marketing suits decided that the first three letters of the marque's name made the cars undesirable to the under-75 set (never mind that 21st-century rappers continue to venerate Oldsmobiles). Not long before the demise of Olds, though, you could buy an Eighty-Eight with the supercharged L67 V6, known as the Luxury Sports Sedan or LSS. These cars are very rare today, but I spotted this '97 in a Denver self-service wrecking yard. These Eaton blowers are now so easy to find in wrecking yards that most of them go unpicked by customers. The going rate for this supercharger is about 50 bucks, because everyone who wants one already has a big hoard of the things. If you have ever wanted to drop a supercharger onto your crapcan race car's engine, now is the time. Performance was respectable for the era, with output of 240 hp and 280 lb-ft. The 3800 was the descendant of the ancient Buick V6, which debuted way back in 1962, so GM had had many decades in which to make it a dependable (though not very smooth-running) powerplant. Yes, you could still buy big ol' sedans with rear drums at the dawn of the 21st century. Did the LSS steal any sales from potential BMW or Mercedes-Benz buyers? Probably not many, though its $27,695 price tag must have looked pretty tempting when compared to that of the much slower $32,960 Lexus ES 300 in 1997. Right now is the best time to make a resolution you'll enjoy sticking with. The reviewers at Popular Mechanics were unable to break the first-year LSS. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1997 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight LSS View 12 Photos Auto News Buick Economy Cars Classics Sedan supercharger

2018 Buick Regal TourX starts right around $30,000

The all-new Buick Regal is coming, and it's ditching the sedan bodystyle in favor of two liftback variants. This week, CarsDirect reported pricing on the more interesting of the two, the Regal TourX. While we're waiting on an official confirmation from Buick, at $29,995 (presumably before destination), the lifted-wagon will significantly undercut competitors from BMW, Volvo, and Audi. With standard all-wheel drive and a powerful turbocharged inline-four, the Regal TourX has the potential to steal som sales from the Europeans. CarsDirect bases its report on the latest Buick order guides. All versions of the Regal TourX come with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 250 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. The only available transmission is an eight-speed automatic. Push-button start, active-noise cancellation, and 18-inch wheels are part of the package. The Regal TourX Preferred bumps the price to $33,575. For the extra few hundred dollars, you get an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power driver's seat, and door sill plates. There are also more colors available than on the base model. Further options include a $1,240 driver's assistance package with blind-spot monitoring, rear park assist, and cross-traffic alert, and a $1,200 panoramic moonroof. A fully loaded, top-trim Regal TourX rings in at $38,860. Direct competitors are difficult to name. The pricing is above something like the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, but far less than the Audi A4 Allroad, Volvo V60 Cross Country, or a BMW 3 Series wagon. It ought to offer more power and refinement than a Subaru Outback, but we'll have to wait to drive it before we can make a final call. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Buick Regal TourX: New York 2017 View 12 Photos News Source: CarsDirectImage Credit: AOL Buick Wagon buick regal tourx

Is Buick America's most daring mainstream car brand?

Considering Buick as an adventurous automaker seems a little odd at first thought. But with little fanfare over the last several years, the marque is transforming itself from a brand often associated with elderly drivers to a nameplate willing to take chances in niche segments. The gamble is already paying off with 2014 sales up 11.4 percent in the US to 228,963 cars. Given recent product launches, this experimentation is only likely to continue. The key to the transformation at Buick is its willingness to explore the so-called white space, according to Automotive News; the term refers to niches in the market without rivals as a challenge. In addition, the brand's position in the near-luxury space means that its products are cross-shopped by a large swath of customers. Without having a specific competitor, Buick has more room to experiment within its segment. "Designers love designing Buicks because it's not a paint-by-numbers brand," said Andrew Smith, director of design at Buick and Cadillac, to Automotive News. The company's strategy of going where others haven't is best exemplified by the Encore. The subcompact, luxury crossover came to market early, and Buick found serious success with it. The tiny CUV was the automaker's fastest growing model last year with a 53 percent gain and 48,892 units sold. With the test a triumph, the Encore recently got a sibling in the US in the form of the Chevrolet Trax. The upcoming Cascada is taking a similar approach. The non-sporty convertible segment is practically empty in the US, and this slightly redesigned product from Opel has the opportunity to become a leader in its niche. Of course, Buick's biggest recent surprise was the Avenir concept at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The car's swooping shape and use of materials earned it two EyesOn Design Awards against some tough competition. While the company's intentions for this flagship sedan aren't entirely clear yet, the vehicle does "test some of the future design language that will come on the next generation of Buicks," according to brand boss Duncan Aldred to Automotive News, which is definitely something to look forward to. Featured Gallery Buick Avenir Concept: Detroit 2015 View 12 Photos Related Gallery Buick Avenir Concept View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Design/Style Buick Convertible Crossover Luxury buick encore buick cascada buick avenir