1984 Buick Regal Grand National Coupe

The Regal coupe remained Buick's performance leader, and in early 1982, Reuss told Car and Driver that he wanted it to be the fastest of the G-body coupes (Monte Carlo/Grand Prix/Cutlass Supreme). Although 1983 was the last year for Buick's NASCAR dominance, Reuss was trying to sustain the momentum with sporty T-Type versions of every Buick except the full-size LeSabres and Electras. For 1984, he revived the Grand National. This time, it was a $1,282 appearance package on the Regal T-Type, inspired by Gary Smith's earlier concept drawings and offered only in monochrome black, with black bumpers and and side moldings. Buick's ad agency dubbed it "Darth Buick," a name that eventually caught on even within Buick itself.

By this time, the Regal T-Type and Grand National were notably more potent than before. The turbo six now had sequential fuel injection, bringing it to an even 200 hp (150 kW). It was backed by GM's new four-speed THM 200-R4 automatic, with a shorter 3.42 axle ratio. Car and Driver found that the Grand National could run 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) in 7.5 seconds and do the standing quarter mile (402 m) in 15.7 seconds at 87 mph (140 kph). Its top speed was 121 mph (195 kph). This made it faster than its V8-powered G-body siblings, and quicker (though not faster) than a BMW 635CSi. Like the Supercars of old, the turbo Regal's performance in other areas was less inspiring: it had ragged rough-road handling, a depressingly rectilinear, industrial-gray interior, and disc/drum brakes that were little changed from the far slower standard Regal. Still, the Turbo Regal offered a fair amount of speed for its relatively modest price, around $13,000.

The Grand National was a limited edition, this time capped at 2,000 units. That rose slightly to 2,102 for 1985, better than the regular T-Type, which accounted for only 2,067 sales that year. By comparison, Chevy sold more than 35,000 of its Monte Carlo SS, probably because it was around $2,000 cheaper than the Grand National. The publicity value of the T-Type and GN was apparently worthwhile, however. Although Buick lost its #3 slot to a newly resurgent Oldsmobile, its actual volume was up 22% in 1984. It topped one million units for 1985, the division's all-time record.