Muscle cars are some of the most popular and interesting in the whole automobile industry. Their popularity blew up in the ‘60s. In the 70s, they were past their heyday but were still commonly loved among the people. In 1973, the Oil Crisis affected the US in a major way. Manufacturers could no longer develop a big, thirsty engine without worrying about fuel efficiency. The US didn’t completely recover from that for a long time. Manufacturers started fitting their muscle cars with smaller engines. In February of 1982, General Motors launched the Grand National under Buick because they wanted to capitalize on their 1981 and 1982 NASCAR wins.
1987 would be the final year of the Grand National. Buick wanted to go out with a bang, so they made the GNX (Grand National Experimental). Buick fitted a 3.8L V6 engine that made 276 HP which made it the most powerful muscle car of that year. Today’s modern sports cars come equipped with lots of modern tech and gizmos. These give modern cars an upper hand over their older counterparts. We see today's hot hatches obliterate supercars from the ‘80s! But the GNX is no slouch even today. It can go 0-60 in just 4.4 seconds! That’s very quick even by today’s standards. These are the modern sports cars that the GNX can still outrun in a drag race, and epitomize the phrase, ‘Old but not obsolete.’
10 2021 Toyota Camry TRD
Toyota Camry TRD Is An Awesome Sports Sedan, there’s no question. The Camry is no longer JUST a family sedan. The TRD is a proper sports car that comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers an amazing 301 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque.
That’s more than the GNX, but there’s more to it. The Camry TRD boasts a 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds, which is better than its competitors like Mazda 6 and Honda Accord. But it still falls short of the GNX and its 4.4-second sprint to 60 mph.
9 2021 Chevrolet Camaro RS 3LT 1LE
Chevrolet’s 2.0-liter turbo-4 base engine makes 275 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The current Camaro’s base model falls short of the Mustang and Challenger in terms of performance. The 1LE takes 5.4 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill.
That’s a complete second more than the 34-year-old Buick can manage. The Camaro is easy to drive and nimble enough to have a good track record, but the GNX is simply faster. We’re pretty sure that in the hands of a capable driver, the Buick is the winner here.
8 2022 Toyota GR 86
The 2022 iteration of the GR 86 gets an all-new 2.4-liter four-cylinder boxer engine with 228 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. It may not have a turbocharger attached like many people hoped, but it’s still a powerful unit. The 0-60 time in this one can get a bit confusing though. Toyota claims it takes 6.1 seconds for the GR 86 to hit 60 mph.
Automotive Journalist Jason Cammisa tested it himself and was able to hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. The GR 86’s manual transmission needs to shift into third gear at 59 mph. With a 1 foot rollout, he was able to bring the time down to 5.6 seconds. Still, that’s no way near the GNX.
7 2022 Hyundai Veloster N
In 2022, the Veloster N turns 4 but has already made a name for itself in the automobile industry. The 275-hp Veloster N is very quick, there’s no doubt. There have been claims that it can do naught to sixty in just under 5 seconds in ideal conditions.
A real-world test conducted by Car and Driver ended in a 5.1-second result. The Veloster N is fast, agile, and can outrun a current base Mustang, but it is no match for the insanely quick Buick.
6 2022 Volkswagen GTI
The new GTI is hotly anticipated among car enthusiasts and hot-hatch aficionados. The Golf has been one of the most prominent hot hatches in automotive history, and the latest model does not disappoint.
Folks at Motor Trend got their hands on a 2022 GTI and ran some tests of their own. They managed to get a 5.4 second 0-60 mph time in the dual-clutch model. Again, 1 whole second slower than the sick-looking GNX. The manual GTI is even slower, clocking in at 6.1 seconds.
5 2021 Ford Mustang Base
The GT and Mach 1 trims are barely faster than the GNX. But the base Mustang is still a proper modern muscle car. Turns out, the base model doesn’t even stand a chance against the Buick. The Mustang is powerful, fun to drive, and easy to maintain.
Moreover, Ford seems to have taken care of many issues that plagued the Mustangs up until now. Buying a new Mustang is not a bad decision right now, but as far as used muscle cars go, we’d prefer the GNX more.
4 2019 BMW Z4 sDrive30i M-Sport
The Z4 is one of the few cars in BMW’s lineup that feels like the right direction for them to go. If you have some money, and you want a more luxurious version of the Mazda MX-5 Miata, but want to keep the fun-to-drive aspect, the Z4 seems like a good option lately.
The car is quick too, taking around 5.2 seconds to reach 60 mph. But the tremendous handling will not be enough to make up for the lack of speed and power that the Buick has over the Bimmer.
3 2021 Dodge Challenger T/A
The second generation of Dodge Challenger ended in 1983, and the third-gen didn’t come back till the late ‘00s. Hence, we do not have a direct comparison between the Challenger and the GNX from the same year. But even if we take the current Challenger, it can not overcome Buick’s experiment.
The T/A trim, for example, took 5 seconds to reach 60 mph on Motor Trend’s best run. The Hellcat and Demon are on another level, but they sell for way more than a typical muscle car does anyway.
2 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition
The Civic Type R is one of the best hot hatches one can buy right now. The Honda badge makes sure that the cost of ownership is not too high, and the engine is powerful enough. The best part is, all Civic Trims all use the same engine.
The only advantages are in the form of tech and comfort features. Hence, even the base Civic is the fastest in its class. How Fast? It can sprint from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds. Still, it falls short of the mighty GNX.
1 2020 Nissan 370Z
Nissan’s successful Z series has given us some of the most amazing sports cars over the years. The 370Z has a 3.7-liter V6 that makes 332 hp @ 7000 rpm and 270 lb.-ft. @ 5200 rpm of torque. All trim variants use the same engine, so they all take 5 seconds for the needle to hit 60 mph.
Even if we take the devilishly powerful NISMO trim, it takes only 4.6 seconds to reach 60 mph. While the Buick won’t ‘OBLITERATE’ the NISMO as the title suggests, it still comes out as a winner nonetheless! That’s crazy and it goes to show just how insanely quick the 1987 Buick GNX is!