Remember the General Motors’ Buick Grand National? The one that milked the Winston Cup wins and finally birthed the rare and vaunted Buick GNX? Have you ever wondered how it would look as a modern avatar? Jim, the imagination Lord from Instagram, certainly did and got down to rendering one in all its modernity.
Of course, this is not the only car that he’s tinkered with because when you are a graphic artist, the world is your oyster, right?
A Modern Rendition Of The Buick Grand National
Jim, who goes by the Instagram handle jlord8, called his version of a modern Buick Grand National, a fail. The caption that went with the rendering read, “This is a FAIL (but I’m still gonna keep trying to come up with a modern-day GN).”
Many Instagram users did not feel the same, as one wrote, “Keep trying, but this isn't bad at all. I'd buy it.” More comments followed, feeling that the rendering was not a fail.
Another comment read, “The wheels are perfect. The car is really good. As a new Toronado Trofeo it would be even better I think.”
Plenty of other Instagram users had some tips to offer as well, saying, “Have you considered using the ATS coupe body lines? It’s relatively angular” and “It's not bad. Maybe the sharper edges on a Camaro might be the ticket?”
A New Grand National Seems Interesting
This is not this car designer’s first rodeo, or even first Buick Rodeo, as he has done some cool renderings before as well, notably of the Buick Riviera. He describes it as, “I’ve seen a few artists tackle a Riviera recently, so I figured I’d put my stank on one. A mashup of the 65’s iconic grill with a 72 boat tail.”
Jim says his Instagram account is a place for his photoshopped '80s and '90s classics, and he is an owner of an ’86 Buick Regal T-type and a fan of G-body cars.
Meanwhile, Buick launched the Grand National in February 1982, named for the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series, and at heart, it was a tuned and shaped-up Regal. It wore a 4.1-liter engine that made 125 horses and 205 lb-ft torque, and only 215 were ever made.
A reimagining of this legend is due, even though the Buick brand does not sell all that much in North America anymore.
Would you agree?
Source: Instagram