Yesterday, we reported on the Buick GNX that was used as a prop during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday. Automotive journalist Bozi Tatarevic investigated the car and revealed some good news and bad news. The good news is that the car we saw on stage was not, as the production company thought, an authentic Buick GNX. The bad news is that a real Buick Grand National was butchered for the show.
The car that Kendrick Lamar used on stage last night at the Super Bowl half time show is a real Buick Grand National.
Let’s dig into some of the details and see where it came from and how it was modified. pic.twitter.com/Ry5U8qM6Hf
— Bozi Tatarevic (@BoziTatarevic) February 10, 2025
Tatarevic tracked down the car where it was bought by the production company that gutted it. It was sold by a small specialty dealer called Effortless Motors in Riverside, California. It was also listed in Bring a Trailer late last year, failing to meet the reserve with a high bid of $25,000.
As the Bring a Trailer listing shows, it appears that someone began using this Grand National to make a GNX clone but didn’t quite follow through all the way. It has a GNX badge on the dash but not the exterior; it retained its Grand National badging on the front fenders, which was a giveaway that the car in the halftime show wasn’t a real GNX.
The wheels confirmed this Grand National for sale in Riverside was the car on stage in New Orleans on Sunday. It has GNX-style black cross-lace wheels, but they’re too big. The original GNX wheels were 16 inches with “GNX” center caps and fat sidewalls, but this car has bigger 18-inch wheels with Nitto NT05 track tires. Since this is probably a rare combination for a Grand National, it’s the smoking gun that confirms this modified Grand National is the GNX prop used in the halftime show.
Finally, Effortless Motors made a social media post thanking the staging company for the “amazing opportunity” to be part of the halftime show, removing any doubt that this is where the car was sourced.
In addition to gutting out the Grand National to turn it into a clown car, the production company added GNX badging on the front grille and trunk lid to make the car more similar to Kendrick Lamar’s personal Buick GNX, which graces the album art of Lamar’s recent album with the same name.
GM muscle car enthusiasts can rest easy knowing that a real Buick GNX was not sacrificed for a Super Bowl halftime performance. Although it’s sad this Grand National will likely never be driven again, at least it was one that was already modified and not in original condition.
