1969 Chevrolet Chevelle vs 1987 Buick GNX in Generation Gap showdown

Wed, 15 Oct 2014

Generation Gap generally tries to adhere to a theme for each episode, and for the final video from the Lingenfelter collection, the series might have its best idea yet – limited-production muscle cars from General Motors.

On one side you get a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle COPO, and it's an absolute sleeper. Other than the SS wheels, this classic coupe looks practically bone stock, at least until the engine fires up. Under the hood is a 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8 making a claimed 425 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. This was the sole year for the COPO package on the Chevelle, and Chevy only made about 323 of them.

The Chevelle's challenger is almost as rare and arguably just as cool. The 1987 Buick Grand National GNX looks just as mean today as when new. It eschews a traditional muscular V8 in favor of a 3.8-liter turbo V6 making a claimed 276 hp and 360 lb-ft, although that number is supposedly a bit underrated. Also, just 547 examples of the GNX version were ever built making it quite a collector's item too.

So what era of muscle do you prefer? Undoubtedly, both the Chevelle and GNX are certified classics, but they make their performance credentials in very different ways. Ken Lingenfelter even weighs in during the video to pick his favorite. Check it out to see which one he prefers.

By Chris Bruce