2012 Buick Lacrosse Leather Group on 2040-cars

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GM’s Charlie Wilson was right: Stronger regulations can help U.S. automakers

Charlie Wilson had been the president and CEO of General Motors before being nominated to become secretary of defense by Dwight Eisenhower. During his Senate confirmation hearings, he controversially said, "For years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa." And he was right. While car companies aren't necessarily the most progressive when it comes to things that might have the slightest possibility of political blowback, General Motors should be credited for doing something absolutely forthright in this regard with its announcement that it wants the federal U.S. government not to squash the California Air Resources Board's emissions requirements but to actually create a 50-state "National Zero Emissions Vehicle" program that, in the words of Mark Reuss, executive vice president and president, Global Product Group and Cadillac, "will drive the scale and infrastructure investments needed to allow the U.S. to lead the way to a zero emission future." Filing comments to the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks is one thing. But a graphic the company developed for this announcement — shown above — is something else entirely, something that is absolutely credible, creative and clever. There is a photo of a Chevrolet Bolt EV driving along a highway, which seems to be in Marin County (based on the blurred San Francisco skyline in the background). Text on the photo states: "It's Time for American Leadership in Zero Emissions Vehicles." It seems to say, in effect, "If we want to make America great again, then we're going to do it by leading in technology, not by retreating behind weakened regulations." General Motors understands that the auto market is globally competitive, and if U.S.-based companies are going to be in the game, then they'd better be able to out-innovate the companies based elsewhere, where emissions and economy standards are not being weakened. What's good for our country ... Related Video:

Third 1987 Buick Regal GNX will be auctioned in January

A member of the 1987 Buick press fleet is hitting the auction block next year and it's a rarified gem: a low-mileage Regal Grand National GNX, serial No. 003 and one of just 547 models built for that year, and the last of the traditional body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive Grand Nationals. It'll be auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction in January. The GNX No. 003 was loaned out to publications including Autoweek, Motor Trend and Road & Track, where it racked up around 8,200 miles. "Through it all, a constant sad undertone was the understanding that 1987 was to be the final appearance of the traditional body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive G-body (which also underpinned the best-selling Chevy Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix and Olds Cutlass)," reads a the description published on Barrett-Jackson's website. "A totally redesigned W-body Somerset Regal, with front-wheel drive and unitized body construction, was slated to replace the popular midsize Buick in 1988." So Buick opted to make "a Grand National to end all Grand Nationals" with the '87 GNX, partnering with ASC/McLaren to equip them with wheel lip flares, fender vents, 16-by-8-inch BBS rims and more aggressive tires. It left untouched the Grand National's standard Sequential Electronic Fuel Injection 3.8-liter V6 but added 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 from 235 horsepower and 330 foot-pounds of torque to 276 hp and 360 lb-ft. That was enough, Barrett-Jackson reports, to make the performance coupe quicker and faster in quarter-mile tests than the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 930 Turbo. After making the test-drive rounds in the automotive media, the car sold in 1988 as a brass hat/company official car to Fischer Buick in Troy, Mich. with approximately 8,200 miles on it. From there, it quickly sold to a local resident who drove it very little, and sold it in the spring of 1989. Since 1992, it has reportedly been kept in climate-controlled storage, totally original, unmodified and undamaged, with just 10,790 miles on the odometer today. It recently underwent a complete mechanical service and cosmetic reconditioning. You can check out the listing on Barrett-Jackson here. The first '87 GNX ever produced resides in the General Motors Heritage Collection and No. 002 is at the Sloan Museum in Flint, Mich. Interestingly, another '87 GNX, No.

2022 Buick Enclave Avenir Interior Review: What’s in an Avenir?

The second-generation Buick Enclave launched for the 2018 model year, and was updated for 2022. The Avenir is the highest and most expensive trim of the 2022 Buick Enclave. At $56,295 (including the $1,195 destination charge), it is $12,300 more than the base Essence trim, and $5,300 more than the Premium trim. Adding all-wheel drive increases that price to $58,495. While still not our favorite three-row luxury pick, we can’t help but appreciate the design, comfort and space of the 2022 Buick Enclave Avenir. Regardless of trim level, the Enclave comes standard with front-wheel drive, offering all-wheel drive as an option. Each Enclave has a 3.6-liter V6 paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Despite the AvenirÂ’s 4,469-pound curb weight, which outdoes those of the Premium and Essence trims by 71 and 110 pounds, respectively, it shares the same fuel economy ratings: 21-miles-per-gallon combined (18 city, 26 highway) for FWD, and 20 combined (17 city, 25 highway) for AWD. So, what does the Avenir include? There are a few features standard on the Avenir that are also standard on the Premium trim. These include a Bose 10-speaker premium audio system, head-up display, navigation, surround-view parking camera, rear camera washer, rear pedestrian alert, four-way power lumbar adjustments for the driver and front passenger, ventilated front seats, power steering column, driver memory settings , heated second-row outboard seats, power 60/40 split-folding third row, an 8-inch digital display between the gauges and power-folding side-mirrors with auto-dimming driverÂ’s side. Some features come standard on Avenir that are options on other trims. Inside, the Avenir gets a standard power sunroof with fixed rear skylight. Adaptive cruise control comes standard, as does enhanced automatic emergency braking. It also has a 120-volt outlet on the rear of the center console. But the Avenir has some exclusive features that make it stand out from the rest. It has nicer trim and quilted leather upholstery that help make it feel considerably more upscale than the rest of the lineup. The Avenir is the only trim with rain-sensing windshield wipers, and embroidery for the first-row floor mats (an indispensable feature, we know). It gets standard 20-inch aluminum wheels with Avenir Pearl Nickel finish. Twenty-inch wheels are available as an option on the other trims, but those are limited to polished aluminum or chrome finishes. It also has its own unique mesh grille.