What Does Buick's GNX Label Stand For?

It has been a long time since Buick has released anything that could be called a true performance car, but back in the late '80s, the brand was responsible for what was arguably one of the coolest of its era. The GNX was sold only for the 1987 model year, with just 547 units produced. It featured a Garrett AiResearch T-3 turbocharger, a high-performance Hydromatic transmission, dual mufflers, and unique trim to set it apart from lesser Buicks.

Today, its combination of rarity and performance has made it an in-demand model among collectors, with cars in good condition worth over $100,000. It can't keep up with the top speeds of the fastest Buicks ever made, but the GNX's formidable acceleration and iconic looks have made it sought after by everyone from muscle car fanatics to rappers.

Chart-topping rap superstar Kendrick Lamar even named his 2024 album after the car and gave it pride of place at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime show. In the intro to his hit song "TV Off," Lamar raps, "All I ever wanted was a black Grand National ...," a reference to the fact that every example of the GNX left the factory in the same shade of black. Lamar also partly explains the "GNX" name — the "GN" stands for Grand National, while the "X" stands for Experimental.

The Grand National Experimental was indeed an experiment by Buick's engineers, who wanted to push the Grand National's performance to new limits. According to GM President Mark Ruess, who worked on the GNX project, part of the car's development involved himself and another engineer taking a prototype to a drag strip in Arizona. There, the pair would experiment with different components and setups until they found the combination that yielded the fastest quarter mile time.

The prototype was later scrapped, but the setup that they worked on helped shape the specification of the production GNX. Alongside those efforts, a team of other engineers and designers including Buick's chief engineer Dave Sharpe were key to getting the project across the finish line. To build the cars quickly, Buick contracted ASC/McLaren to construct the vehicles rather than using GM's main production facilities.

The car was the ultimate iteration of the Grand National, which in turn was a high-performance version of the Regal. As well as being a high point for the Buick brand, the GNX signified the end of GM's old-school rear-wheel drive sedans altogether, with the company switching its offerings to a new front-drive platform the year after the GNX launched. Today, Buick offers a range of SUVs and crossovers including the highly rated 2025 Enclave, but nothing that's anywhere near as exciting to drive as the GNX.