2012 Buick Regal GS - Prototype Drive - Car and Driver

[naldi247]

all that fwd power and no lsd? great looking car but, no thanks.

P.S. props on the 6spd manual

[TheyCallMeRilez]

Get with the program buick.. drop that FWD shit.. I though for sure they'd make it a v6

[22ratshot]

6speed manual? It's about time.

[ZEEK38JACK]

fuck this...i want the vauxhall vxr >:(

[WellImHereNow]

shame they didnt keep the 4 wd that is on the opel/vauxhall insignia vxr and the v6 which is basically the same car

[Mr2010Luistorres]

I would consider buying this car and dropping it and putting a twin turbo system in it.

[TheByronLandon]

Buick is making some sexy cars... The world is officially a different place!

[canomarquina]

can he switch gears slower??

[CaptainBackFat]

All the people complaining about it being FWD must not know how to drive. ;-) Looks like Buick might deliver a decent contender this time instead of the half-ass crap of previous years that only had maybe one or two redeeming attributes. Now, the real question - How much is this pig going to weigh?

[sollows1]

Helmet?

[T6camino]

V6 Turbo RWD, Thats a real turbo regal. Why do you insult us GM?

[coolgames14]

@T6camino regal grand national :)

[jmc6000]

This car is "hyper" gay to say the least.

[KrAxRACING]

next time get someone who can drive and isnt a city slicker

[chinchillawrangler]

theres no limited slip either? what the fuck GM

[361tony1]

what happened to the all wheel drive why does GM do this

[chinchillawrangler]

@361tony1 i dont know, ford does the same shit all the time too

[KrAxRACING]

@361tony1 AWD kills gas mileage

[KrAxRACING]

@361tony1 AWD and gas mileage dont mix

[elviscash56]

Fuck this, I want a 1970 Buick GS, the REAL one. This has 295 lb. feet of pussy torque, the 1970 GS had 510! Now THAT is torque. I'm 19, I can't believe my generation gets this crap and my dad got the huge, gas guzzling, sweet ass muscle cars.

[billyjohnson777]

@elviscash56 as much as i like the old buicks people would buy this as a good all year dd, not just a weekend car. and this one will out handle, out brake, and outperform the old buick despite the hp and tq difference. not to mention its a comfy ride.

[Losocroft]

you drive like a female..

[jd5179]

Needs to be rwd -

[Acc0rd79]

Oh Lord, grandma will now really kill us with a car like this! Case you know it will be priced around 40k and there are way better cars for the money.

[soyntgo4it]

Man tires are getting thinner and thinner on cars gonna suck when you hit a pot hole and their goes your tire and rim.. I think all cars should have turbos and get rid of all V-6s or get rid of V-8s and just put turbos on the V-6s.

[tta299]

some buicks have to have roll bars also

[radar3699]

You want sporty? Make it rear-wheel drive.

[thecarwhisperers]

Love Turbo!

[legorobot101]

i bet all of u r wondering y hes wearing a helmet, well its a test drive and hes going fast, so if he crashes hes dead. sence its a test he is going to see how controllible the car is when u go fast in the car.

[Wawrzyn92]

In Europe it's called Opel Insignia OPC and it's already available.

[LowsJuan]

The gs has yet to launch. Other models of the regal line up are in production not the gs

[macktenful]

a fwd car with brembo WTF

[supercarkid]

What a great looking car. However it need AWD. The front wheels cannot handle 270hp and especially cant handle 295lb-ft torque. Simple physics.

[7superduper]

If they're going to make a 270hp front wheel drive sporty car, they should think to have a limited slip differential.

[Ganbala]

opel car in USA

[vsboy25]

Abit of a BMW copy cat.

[mazda6tuner99]

@vsboy25 Not at all -__-

[vsboy25]

@mazda6tuner99 to me it looks like a M series BMW only it lacks the state of the art German lighting systems of LED rear lights.

[mazda6tuner99]

@vsboy25 No way, pause at 00:23 and compare it to all M models. No way haha Bmw is way ahead of this buick. And I hate bmws lol

[vsboy25]

@mazda6tuner99 it kind of looks like a BMW and anybody on this planet knows A BMW is pure class engineering this car on the other hand is a fail.

[vsboy25]

@socalguy97 Please do not compare precision German cars and Japanese precision cars to this car.

[socalguy97]

@vsboy25 Oh believe me, I won't. Just as soon as this car stops taking home awards and leading sales in the U.S. and China. I believe a company can come from garbage and rise up to precision if they so choose. Buick looks to me like they're getting there pretty fast.

[vsboy25]

@socalguy97 Listen here this car is in my view a direct rip off a BMW in looks however it does not have the standards and quality control parameters of a BMW.

I don’t know much about this brand of car but I know better then such a car with its modest packagers will never be of a standard of a German or other car makers around the world.

[TheHager1]

wtf is with the helmet in that buick

[socalguy97]

WHAT is everyone bitchin' about here? It's a great car. It's better than Buick's of the past. Buick is upping its game. Good for them! Does it matter where it was designed? I Couldn't care less if it's rebadged. As far as history goes, Buick supersedes Opel/Vauxhaull, so they have the right to rebadge whatever they please in their lineup. Looks great. I don't see my grandpa being interested in this. And it's not a Ferrari, nor is it intended for drag strip enthusiast. It's doing its job well!

[flees4free]

Badge engineering ... nothing else. It's just an Opel designed and build in Germany.

[MrTakaMOSHi]

a buick with brembos, a six-speed, and a turbo? Woah, Grandma better watch what she's buyin now

[95CSL]

How can they expect to be taken seriously if their customers are going to one-tire fire every time they floor it?

[workingmen1]

see the video ( GM Handicap kids )

[dp2world23]

Well at least WE know why GM got rid of Pontiac.

[dp2world23]

Well at least WE know why Gm got rid of Pontiac.

[Stompy77]

I will always call it the Opel Insignia, even though I'm from America.

[Zinizzle]

@TR1NOMA88 Haha racist? My comment doesn't relate to racism at all. It's just a true fact, when GM wants to keep their US sales alive what do they do... take form the Opel division. Just like Ford with Mazda.

[its2realj]

295 ft-lb of torque on a fwd? nice!

[Weider63]

Nice rebadged OPEL Insignia .

[JmH551]

are you seriously wearing a helmet in a buick?

[bigenginesismythang]

@JmH551 if you knew how bad buicks use to handle you would be wearing a helmet too

[cata893]

@JmH551 It's on the track... Helmet is required. 

[GungStarz]

@JmH551 HAHAHA yeah i was thinkin the same thang ;-)

WTF :-D

[dpain0]

What a pussy...

[lhaaker]

thank god GM saved buick from being just grandparents' cars and are making cars now for the younger crowd

[mistamontiel]

A Buick. 6 speed manual.

YEH !!!!!!

[1mckayj]

lol. does he really need a helmet?

[bdub215]

Prototype? the car is a full fledged production car already. its called the vauxhall insignia VXR. what else needs to be developed? i wanna drive the car already!

[wideopen704]

@bdub215 the insignia vxr has 320horsepower, a 2.8l v6T, and many more traction control modes.

[Chrisuu]

@bdub215 You mean a opel insignia VXR

[rlg1976x]

@bdub215 --GM has to engineer in a healthy dose of mediocrity for the North American market.

[BahamaTodd]

@bdub215 The VXR is an AWD turbo V6. The GS is a FWD turbo 4cyl not in production anywhere and is therefore a prototype.

[bdub215]

@BahamaTodd

thats strange. ever heard of a car called the Saab 9-5 that IS sold here in the states?? sold with both AWD/FWD 2.8T V6 and FWD 2.0T riding on the same chassis as this new Regal GS, your point means nothing. We have all of this stuff in the 9-5, now GM needs to pick up the pace with the Regal.

[BahamaTodd]

@bdub215 Ok, it isn't a prototype in the classic sense as in a one off concept. The GS goes on sale this fall so what they're driving in the video is pretty much production ready. The car still had to go through a few years of development. Just because a similar powertrain is in production doesn't mean you can just drop it into another car. Alot of work and validation would have also gone into the suspension and accessory components to the powertrain.

[djmarkian]

Is it FWD?, thought it was AWD?...

[e40cally]

Buick.....the official car of grandpa's gone wild lol

[djuraster]

opel insignia with buick badge....mediocre car, nothing more...

[zfeldstein]

I THINK MY GRAMPA WOULD LOVE THIS CAR

[pokemonfc]

i hate the comercial

[longbowdt]

In God we trust. All others bring data. Where's the data?Coming soon, I hope.

[lasertools1]

i think the helmet is not necessary

[Blutwrx]

car is great looking but those wheels need to go

[ecoRfan]

This new YouTube SUCKS, I can't see how much of the video is loaded already, so I have no clue when to start, plus it stops in the middle to load.

[5Qu1Z33r]

Not much of a review...

[btevoxboy6835]

needs a diff cause its not awd

[AnthonyBacardi]

Why can't I watch this on my iPad?

[n9athan]

F*** buick's decision to not make this awd

[hallofghdg]

it looks like an opel insignia...

and opel belongs to GM, too.....

[firesquare16]

@hallofghdg it is. I think it looks great.

[hallofghdg]

@firesquare16 It really looks great. But I wouldn't buy that because in Germany we have the Opel Insignia... And thats the same car with other labels.

[benm94111]

@hallofghdg it is an opel insignia just with left hand drive and buick badges

[hallofghdg]

@benm94111 well, the insignia is a left hand drive, too, because opel is german. GM bought it...

[benm94111]

@hallofghdg yeah they still copied it from oel

[shankqiu]

No playback on iPad? Wtf!

[bdub232]

More revvs in that Buick obviously, but very similar which it shouldn't be? watch?v=u7DUfsIYJKY 6:10 to 6:20 best example revving it out in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Must be transmission noise is similar too- because that Buick shouldn't sound like a boxer.

[bdub232]

LOL- that in-cabin engine sounds exactly like my non-turbo boxer '09 Impreza 2.5i 5-speed. Weird! See (hear) for yourself -- watch?v=u7DUfsIYJKY Crank up your subs.

[AWDfreak]

@bdub232 OMG it does sound like a Subaru XD

[bdub232]

LOL- that in-cabin engine sounds exactly like my non-turbo boxer '09 Impreza 2.5i 5-speed. Weird! See (hear) for yourself -- watch?v=u7DUfsIYJKY Crank up your subs.

[coolerdude44]

this isn't a vxr! i wish it was, the vxr has a twin-turbo 2.8 liter v6 making over 300 hp. this is a 4-pot turbo makina about 250.

[whatthehallbetch]

@coolerdude44 no kidding! i would sell a kidney for a VX-R

[rocketballa4life]

GS Mode aka VXR mode ahahha

[unknownuser1987]

Quarter mile run, please!

[venom5809]

Nice little car.

Not bad.

[zachtravers]

This is a re-badged Vauxhall VXR.

[socalguy97]

@zachtravers So what? GM owns them. It's America. They have the right to rebadge. How many Lexus models are rebadged Toyotas?

[zachtravers]

@socalguy97 I was just saying it looks absolutely identical. And Lexus never looks identical to Toyota, not anymore at least. I never said there was anything wrong with it.

[BrentSiT]

You could buy a new one of these or a nice used cts-v. I know which one I would pick. I know if I was asked what I drove I would be embarrassed to say a buick.

[asdfgoogle]

Pretty sweet video. A lot of informative information!

[zachattack83]

@asdfgoogle Information usually is informative. Otherwise it wouldn't be information it would be BS.

[asdfgoogle]

@zachattack83 Good point.... lol. I must have meant useful information. lmao xD

[bluestarkad17]

love the engine sound

[CasaDeGomez]

MODULATE is the million dollar word of the day haha

[omidool]

Dude, first learn how to shift, then wear a helmet!

[bluestarkad17]

@omidool i was thinking the same thing...

[Swidhelm]

And the 87 Regal Grand National mops the floor with this thing. :P As does the 1970 Skylark GS.

[Swidhelm]

@Swidhelm Well, at least in a strait line.

[sonnylowery]

does in it look like a opel/vauxhall insigna

[albodude93]

He looks like such a loser with that helmet on .

[reevsaj]

The only question that matters is: Will the Chinese like it?

[24carWon]

wheel spin is good

[p10ghost]

Manual, turbo buick... tasty

[FT86TT]

ugly!

[XenomorphLV426]

not a real Buick.

[deedundone]

@cb7pwn thats why they give us the Lacrosse......A bigger car as well.

[finch204]

Beautiful looking car.

[NegativeNumbers427]

Looks like a vauxhall...

Wait

[deedundone]

@NegativeNumbers427 its an opel? weve know this for a while...

[NegativeNumbers427]

@deedundone

i see

[deedundone]

@NegativeNumbers427 In America we dont have Opel, So it makes sense for Gm to Re-badge an Opel and breathe some life into buick....

[NegativeNumbers427]

@deedundone

What happened to buick anyways?

Didn't they go bankcrupt or get dropped by GM?

I haven't heard much from them for the past couple of years

[Pizzapacman]

@NegativeNumbers427 nope that was pontiac-which sucks cuz pontiac was GM's best brand

[NegativeNumbers427]

@Pizzapacman

That's worse news then I thought :(

I liked pontiac also...

[deedundone]

@NegativeNumbers427 No? GM Has buick Cadillac Chevy and GMC.the entire company went bankrupt and they dropped Pontiac, Hummer, Saturn, and Sold Saab.

[deedundone]

@NegativeNumbers427 Buick has been making a slow come back and has been slowly phasing out old models and finding ways to put together a brand image out of various rebadged and entirely new vehicles. but this is in America, not sure where your from.....

[NegativeNumbers427]

@deedundone

I'm In the U.K...

I prefer your Older cars. I like to keep on track of where they all are also...

Thanks for your time anyways :)

[amathew711]

i know its not the best performing car..but damn those lines are sexy..and not just for a buick lol.

[ricksmiths10]

vauxhalls with buick badges! i see gm is so creative! lol

[deedundone]

@ricksmiths10 Correction, opel. We dont have them here in the US, perhaps you wouldnt know that considering your immediate judgement.

[ricksmiths10]

@deedundone i have lived in india and uk before.....im very well aware of opel buddy.

[DroverChicago]

@ricksmiths10 - First, it would be more accurate to say both this and the Vauxhall are Opels with Vauxhall or Buick badges. Second, what difference does it make if GM puts a Buick badge on an Opel? It sure beats the U.S.-market crap that wore Buick badges for the last 40 years. If the Opel is a good car, why not sell it here too instead of making a different (and almost certainly crappier) car for the U.S. market? Everyone is going global these days. Why shouldn't GM?

[drjesus616]

@DroverChicago ... there are very many little things wrong with your rebuttal to whatever ricksmiths post was ... i wont go into too much detail other than to say, GM going global? using cars from other markets in the US and vice versa, dude, study up on your history of GM and GM related brands before you say that they are just now doing so ...

[Germandude74]

i like the interior

[teamlaguna]

We need a rear drive BUICK !

[bluestarkad17]

@teamlaguna thats what caddy is for.

[Fuki2012]

Those wheels are beautiful

[peterpanda1970]

that's an european opel insignia... nice car but not so big for americans hehehe

[romero1337]

i refuse to call this a Buick

[deedundone]

@romero1337 And why? Because its not an ugly old persons car, or because its not a race car, or because its not a boat???

[romero1337]

@deedundone because i respect it as a Vauxhall VXR and Buick adding their badges to it doesnt appeal to me.

[deedundone]

@romero1337 its an Opel, its a Vauxhaul, and in America, its a Buick, its all the same car.....all the same company.

[mrtemptation5]

you know what the vauxhall got. a turbo 6 cal with over 380hp. america gets boned again

[luke26126]

fwd lol

[johnnykash25]

this car is a bad ass little sedan

[petrolhead229]

American Vauxhall Insignia VXR?

[paskowitz]

Seriously, a helmet in a Buick? Really takes any seriousness out of this review.

[johnnykash25]

@paskowitz he has to at the gm proving grounds. you can not go on the track without one

[aconfusedazn]

Not a bad Opel

[tbirdsport302]

i'll take an older 3.8L supercharged GS over this newer one anyday, i mean the older one was just so normal looking and had so much performance, it was a true sleeper, not to mention one of the best powertrains ever

[mrtemptation5]

@tbirdsport302 until the head gasket starts leaking.... 3.1 3.4 & 3.8 were terrible for that

[tbirdsport302]

@mrtemptation5 uhhhh pretty sure that was the intake manifold gasket (which is not a big deal to fix).......not the head gasket.......they really don't blow head gaskets all that often at all

[medz91xc]

I dont care how hard GM is trying to change the peoples out look on Buick, it will always and forever be recognized as an "old peoples car".

There are already the established benchmarks for this class that this GS is in, one that is occupied by cars ranging from the Mazda Speed 3, Hyundai Sonata Turbo, and topping out at the BMW 328I/Mercedes C330.

The production of this car is just a waste of money IMO for GM. Its in a field of competitors that are light years ahead of it. But hey, who knows.

[TheHm3]

@DANG3RBIRD GM sucked in 2007-2009, thats when they screwed up the most. But luckily that GM died and there's a new better GM nowadays.

[QaisRAK]

y would i buy this car

[ken060693]

@DANG3RBIRD they're the biggest car company in the world. they're great now a days