Just a few short hours ago, General Motors officially unveiled one of the most anticipated vehicles in Buick’s history – the Regal GS performance sedan.
Contrary to the expectations of many, The Regal GS is not powered by the same 2.8 liter turbo V6 found in the Insignia OPC, where it makes 320 hp and 321 lb.-ft. of torque. Instead, the GS is motivated by a smaller 2.0 liter ECOTEC four-banger good for 255 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of twist. To make matters worse, the GS doesn’t get the OPC’s all-wheel drive system, opting instead to put the power to the ground using only the front wheels. This has caused quite the controversy within the GM Authority ranks (as well as other automotive circles). After receiving more than a few tips from well-connected sources, here are the real reasons behind GM’s decisions.
According to sources, there are three major reasons for the powertrain and engine differences between the Insignia OPC and Regal GS:
- Federalization: apparently, the 2.8 liter turbo V6 would not have received the same power ratings as the European Insignia OPC if it were to make its way to the States. In short, the engine would not have made as much power on paper, prompting General Motors to consider other powerplant options.
- NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) levels: additionally, GM execs felt that the NVH levels in the 2.8 liter were unforgivably harsh for a Buick. Out of all three reasons, we find this one to be the most peculiar (read: weak), since NVH is something that an advanced automaker such as GM could easily eliminate simply by tweaking a few things here and there. And who the heck cares about NVH in a high-performance vehicle?
- Weight: this is where the all-wheel drive system lost out. The additional weight would weigh down the vehicle, making for a less-than-stellar sports-driving experience.
The GM Authority Take
So, the Insignia OPC lost 65 horses and 26 lb.-ft. of torque while making its way Stateside. However, it also shaved some weight – 200 kilos, or 440 pounds – to be exact.
As such, it appears that the advantages of a turbo V6 and AWD would have been outweighed by the very disadvantages of such a setup. But we’re glad those totally sick wheels made it all the way to production!
What do you think? Sound off in the comments below and be sure to check our our live coverage of the Regal GS in Miami, FL.
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Comments
I remember back when GM still ran the “Ask GM/Fritz” portion of gmreinvention.com that someone did ask about the turbo V6, the response was exactly the reason they are currently giving. Because of stringent US emissions standards the engine in its current form wouldn’t be usable without modifications that would result in lower power output than the Opel variant anyway.
Whatever the case, it’s still a beautiful car. It’s a shame it won’t be all wheel drive, the only reason I’m interested in an AWD car is because I like to snowboard, but lack of AWD nothing a good set of performance snow tires can’t fix.lol
I’m more interested in rear wheel drive/all wheel drive systems.
A turbocharger on a four cylinder engine should be enough for a Regal, I think.
Thinking about this some more, I actually support the decision to exclude the 2.8 liter turbo and AWD systems. If you look at the specs, the Regal GS is actually faster than the OPC.
– Regal GS: 0-60 in under 7 seconds
– Insignia OPC: 0-60 in 7.2 seconds
Here’s my source for the Insignia numbers – it’s the Opel Russia website. Just do a page search for 0-100 (kilometers/hour) – the equivalent of 0-60 (miles/hour).
So, does this change anyone’s opinion of this car?
Actually, this doesn’t change my opinion of the car one bit. In fact I knew this was going to happen, which is why I have always (silently) objected to the GS being referred to as the US version of the OPC. I am actually releived that things turned out this way because it leaves room for my belief that there will be a GNX version in a short while. I believe there will be some lightening of the car to start with (aluminium and carbon-fibre bits and pieces?), followed by perhaps a slightly larger engine (2.4L perhaps?) with a turbo and around 300hp. It will have the AWD system and it will be a formidable competitor in the Subaru WRX/Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution crowd. Will the “GNX” then be the US version of the OPC? I say no, still. Let the Regal form its own path and stop weighing it down with those sorts of comparisons. I will admit though, that I my only concern is that the first versions are being built in Germany. I don’t trust the Germans to build anything that I drive (BMW, Audi, Mercedes, VW have very poor reliability histories, and the Cadillac Catera, also built in Germany at the SAME factory as the Regal, fared little better). I say hurry up with the Canadian assembly already!
Interesting point of view.
First, I’d say that the Regal will NEVER be a competitor to something like a WRX STI or a Lancer Evo. These cars are little crotch rockets for the ricer crowd… but in all seriousness, they’re rally cars. The Regal is an elegant and refined vehicle and doesn’t come close to carrying the “ricer” (or rally) image. Can you imagine a Regal or an Insignia going off road like the WRX and EVO do? They’re entirely different types of cars. If anything, the Cruze should be the one to compete with the STI/EVO in a rally event.
That said, just last night I interviewed John Scheweggman – VP or Marketing for Buick-GMC at the Regal GS launch event. I asked him whether we can expect anything like the REAL OPC… he didn’t really confirm or deny anything – as should be expected… but I’ll let you be the judge of that when the video goes live later on today.
Alex Luft
Founder, GM Authority
According to Jalopnik, the Opel Insignia OPC can hit 0-60 in under six seconds.
The REAL reason why GM opted to use the 2.0L turbo instead of the 2.8 has to do with cost and fuel economy. Not NVH or anything like that. If the 2.8 was quiet enough for the Caddy SRX, you’d think the GS would be a perfect fit.
The facts are that the 2L is far cheaper than the 2.8L and achieves better fuel economy which is something that Washington seems to be obsessed with. The Regal’s price is already on the high side for a mid-sized car with a 4cyl. which is part of the reason why sales are slow.
Adding AWD and the 2.8L on the Regal would have put the price out of range of most buyer who would flock to the LaCrosse which is larger and could be bought with the same options AND a V6 for the same money or possibly cheaper.
Considering this, I feel GM made the right choice. They need to do everything they can to keep the Regal’s price appealing to most people. The engine is basically the same as the award winning LNF unit which was used in the turbo Cobalt/Solstice.
The real surprise to me was that they didn’t opt to use the high feature DI 3.6L engine perhaps because they couldn’t mate it with the 6 speed manual?
The General has had a habit of bringing us watered down versions of production cars sold elsewhere (can you say Astra?) or have great ambitions when designing a vehicle only to disappoint us in the end. The Pontiac G6 was also supposed to be available with AWD, Boost and a Manual gearbox. At the end of the day, they brought us a normally aspirated engine (3.5OHV) with a 4speed auto with the 3.9/6spd manual coming a year later.
I hope this car sells as good as it looks and drives, afterall my job depends on it. 😉
I don’t think the 2.0 is as “cheap” to make as you assume.
Fact of the matter is that it’s not available in any other vehicles than the Regal GS. The non-GS turbo will be quite different than this GS mill. True, they’re both ECOTECS… But they have substantially different internal components, boost, compression, etc.
So I’d wager that it costs GM the same amount of bucks to make the 2.8L turbo as it does the GS’ 2.0. The 2.8 is available in the up-level SRX… that’s it! Very similar cost/volume structure as the 2.0.
So it may not be as much a cost-cutting measure as you may think!
The zero to sixty times do not change my mind about gm’s decision.Let me start off with this, gm claims that they want to change buick’s image and have it positioned as a upscale brand.Hmmm they love to compare this car to the acuras and volvo.But the cars that they are so called competing against are positioned as premium brands .Volvo has the new s60 up to 300 hp (premium), the new tl if i am not mistaken has 300hp from a v6 and includes or offers awd for crying out loud the hyundai sonata has cranked 270 out of a lower displacement engine.So if am i customer looking for a car in this segment why the fuck would i buy a watered down buick regal with no awd and 255 hp to the front wheels????If i am young person looking to buy in this segment i would not mind paying extra for a (premium) vehicle duh! If a guy can afford the audi’s and acuras why not pay a bit more for a regal that has rich features and a premium powertrain.I can’t believe there saying that costs and weight issues factored in on there decision blah blah blah. Doesn’t gm already have the insignia in eurpoe since 2008 and the 2009 european car of the year.They bring the car over to the states as a rebadged buick and now all of a sudden they cant bring this and that to the car because of costs.The regal is going to be basically 4 years old when it is released in the second half of 2011.Some things just don’t change with those morons in there executive offices and jets.I will just leave this last statement because i am really upset about this crap. The difference from selling 50,000 cars or maybe even 100,000 cars are from something simple as taking out awd and not offering a premium engine that customers will pay for i mean for christ sake this thing doesn’t even offer a rear view camera not even as an option!!!!! I am pretty sure acura and volvo does but that is who you(gm) are so called competing against so if this car flops remember this post even though i highly doubt it but if your going to bring it bring it don’t spoon feed me gm ugh.
On a purely religious basis, I agree. Why not bring the product that already exists and that whoops ass?
On the other hand, there is a reason that GM did what it did. Whether it’s financial or otherwise is an interesting story, but they – like everyone else – need to operate at a profit.
If they couldn’t turn a profit on a rebadged OPC, they did their best to deliver something as close as possible to it – and thats the GS.
I was shocked that I agreed with GM’s decision not to put the V6 in it. But I think Old GM would have done the V6 whereas “new” GM was smart enough to forgo it and do the right thing. I lament that it does not have AWD but can see the weight advantages. Although if Audi can do it, I don’t understand why GM can’t. My A4 is, and feels, heavy but still handles great… why shouldn’t the Buick do the same.
Although I’m sure many, if not most, enthusiasts will disagree with me, i’m happy that GM made the decision they did. I think it shows them to be more responsible than they have been in past years. They showed more consideration for a wider number of things than they would have in the past. Kudos, GM and Buick!
you have to be kidding ^^^^
No, I don’t think he is…
All the comments in here so far are somewhat pointless. None of us have even driven the Regal GS or the Insignia OPC, so what are we talking about anyway?
Let’s reserve all judgment until we drive this thing, shall we?
Well after watching your video with buicks vp I am starting to have a change of heart I really want to drive the gs.Dammit Alex luft I hate it when your right and you usually are lol. I still think that GM could’ve tweaked the calibrations of the car so there would be a balance where they can keep the awd system. I dunno maybe a way to counter the awd system is to crank it up to lets say 260-265hp 🙂
Hehe – I may not be right… after all.
Here’s the thing – the engine has 295 lb.-ft. of torque – which is HUGE for such a car. When I drove the Lexus ES350 (aka couch on wheels), it felt REALLY fast – and it had 268 horses but only 248 lb.-ft. of torque. In fact, it even had a 6.8 second 0-60 time.
So in the case of the GS, it may be that the high torque number is really what matters… and that the HP doesn’t matter that much… We’ll see – I can’t wait to drive it!
I think you’re missing my point here, Alex. It doesn’t matter how refined and whatnot the Regal is over the WRX or the Evolution. If my proposed “Regal GNX” offers similar or better performance for similar money it will be on the options list of buyers. And you ask if I can see the Regal going off road? The answer is “if an owner wants to he or she can put anything on a rally circuit”. Don’t forget that SAAB, Audi, and Lancia made icons of themselves on the rally scene. But we digress. My battle arena is the showroom and the streets. Anything with a 2.XL turbocharged 4 cylinder engine, AWD and a 6 speed manual is competition for the “ricer” crowd.
I disagree that our arguments are pointless. THIS is what GM wants and needs. They want us to be in the forums talking about their products, dreaming about what could be and what could have been. It’s forums and threads like these that got us the Camaro back in production, and continues to drive the push of Cadillac back to the top of the hill. It doesn’t matter if our predictions are correct, it doesn’t matter if our statements make sense. What does matter is that we are all interested in this vehicle being a success.
Richard – I think you may have misinterpreted my comments – sorry for not being more clear. When I said that our comments our “pointless,” I was specifically referring to the fact that none of us have even driven this car. As I stated in a different comment above, I had a 2009 Lexus ES350 as a daily driver for a year. It had 268 hp and 248 lb.-ft. or torque out of a 3.5L V6. And that thing was FAST in a straight line. Silky-smooth acceleration to a point that it became addictive! And that’s in a Lexus ES – a car that is as far away from “sport” as a 500-kilo couch potato. My point is that we need to reserve judgment until we get behind the wheel and drive!
As for the Evo/WRX stuff – the answer is a solid “no” – at least that’s my opinion. The “new” Buick (as a marqué) is a refined luxury brand, not a ricer’s wet dream. The reason Audi was even involved with the rally scene is to prove its Quattro all wheel drive system can hang with the best when it came to the S line of cars (S4, S6, S8, etc.). Audi and SAAB are both performance/sport-oriented brands.
I don’t think Buick is headed in that direction – at least not now. Its number one priority is Lexus – and I expect to see MAJOR revisions to the Buick lineup in the next few years to more directly compete with the big L. In effect, imagine Buick being the MODERN luxury brand that aims to coddle drivers/occupants of its vehicles rather than provide them with a hair-splitting driving experience (which is Caddy’s turf). All that may sound a bit crazy now, but remember that the Regal was never supposed to be a Buick! As such, it’s a stop gap product – something to carry the dealers over until the Tri Shield truly finds itself and its direction.
Nothing I write can do this topic the justice it deserves – which is why Manoli and I spent an entire hour (or more?) discussing this very topic in the first episode of the GM Authority Debate podcast – have a listen if you can right here 🙂 – http://gmauthority.com/blog/2010/01/gma-dp-1-2/
Cheers and lovin’ the discussion!
Alex Luft
Founder, GM Authority
I love the Regal GS. Sure I would prefer a dual clutch transmission to better compete with the 210 hp Audi A4.
Thanks for the great write up.
JB
As originally described AWD, 6-speed manual, whatever they called that interesting suspension design it was a potentially a credible option to the Audi A4 or BMW 3 series X.
Without AWD and a more conventional suspension it’s well, just another crappy FWD Buick. Which means Buick will remain the domain of the geriatric set.
Sure my A4 has less than steller reliability, but it’s such a pleasure to drive I’m willing to forgive it’s transgressions. Plus in Canada once you’ve gone AWD, you won’t go back.
@Dave, it will have the “hi-po” front suspension. They are banking on that making up for the lack of AWD.
I see it being a great car for a Regal Turbo sport. The problem is that people’s expectations were built to expect a Regal OPC — a performance halo. If expectations had been managed from the beginning, we wouldn’t have the fall out that we see.
As a Turbo Sport, it is quite appealing: with the power boost, special suspension, and body kit. I think it competes quite favorably with the V6 versions of the VW CC and Acura TSX in performance and price. Unfortunately, people were expecting an S4 competitor.
@Muhammad Good point. But I wonder how many enthusiasts who knew about this car were seriously going to buy it once it came out. You hear plenty of “bring it and sign me up” comments all over the web, but when push comes to shove, the demand simply isn’t there sometimes.
During the Regal GS Debut, I asked Buick VP of Marketing John Schwegman whether we should expect to see the OPC in a Regal sometime in the future – here’s the interview – http://gmauthority.com/blog/2010/11/interview-can-we-expect-insignia-opc-powertrain-in-the-buick-regal/
PS: I believe the official term is Hiper Strut, short for High Performance – http://gmauthority.com/blog/2010/03/buick-lacrosse-hiper-strut/
Alex Luft
Founder, GM Authority
By the way, both the CC v6 and TSX v6 start at $35k. Thus I thoroughly expect the GS to come in at $35k, and maybe undercut them slightly. Given that, it would be a greater competitor to those two. It would still be a tad slower in a straight-line, but superior in the twisties with head-turning styling thrown in. Remember the v6 versions of those two cars have gotten negative reviews regarding their balance compared to their respective i4 versions.