Story Time
The "Grand National" name first appeared in 1982 on a special edition Buick Regal as a NASCAR "homologation special". Most of them came with a 123hp 4.1 litre V6, except for 50 cars that were specced with a 176hp 3.8 litre turbo V6, which could be considered a predecessor to the real Grand National we know and love. However, the real "Dark Side", as it was nicknamed, started production as an appearance package for the Regal T-Type in 1984. What you got was a 200hp and 407 Nm turbocharged 3.8 litre V6 coupled to a smooth 4 speed auto, black paint, a grey and black interior and the turbo 6 emblem splattered here and there. In its last year of production, the now intercooled Darth Vader was producing 245hp and 481Nm. The one we're featuring here, though, is the cream of the crop, creme de la creme of Grand Nationals: the GNX. Only 500 were made, which means that for the average Joe, today, paying six digits for a fast Regal is 1) not feasible and 2) plain silly... but that's a story for another day. The power was upped to 300hp and 569Nm with the help of Mclaren, and yes, I'm talking about the same company who later employed Ayrton Senna and who made the coolest, supercariest supercar of all time, the F1. The maximum boost-by-gear went from 15 psi to 16 psi in 1st and 2nd gears, from 10 psi to 14 psi in 3rd and 4th was left untouched at 10 psi. The Brits even changed the size and shape of the fins in the intercooler for improved performance and coolness. If this fact isn't geeky, then Bush would've been mistaken for a Care Bear.
So? What About The Car?
One evident trait of today's Hot Wheels is their build quality compared to the older ones. There was time when Hot Wheels had actual suspension travel and the car's undercarriage wasn't plastic, but die-cast metal. Anyhow, that's not awfully crucial since Mattel doesn't give damn about the consumer cause they already have a cult-like following and, unfortunately, having the dignity to offer a well-made product is not even one of our society's top 10 priorities. Nevertheless, I paid 2 bucks for this bad boy and, to my surprise; it ended up being a fine purchase. It goes totally straight with no sweat. So much so it should be a recruit for the Westboro Baptist Church rallies. The color replicates the life-sized one's gloss though not its depth. Also, the wheel type and color (no surprise there... it's black) go hand in hand with the car's "Dark Side" nickname. Nevertheless, the icing on the cake is the Grand National's logo where you can clearly see the turbo/6 with its distinct red and yellow arrow. And that, in itself, makes the Fast and Furious 4 Buick GNX a Hot Wheels model worth owning.Note: Big Thanks to Regular Car Reviews for introducing me to this magical automobile! I highly recommend you watch their review and even the walkaround video. Trust me, it's worth it.
Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u8xlg-q5Xc
Walkaround: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr3_0_sm71k
