The acceleration performance of the GNX outpaced the factory's power claims:
0-60 mph took just 4.7sec with a 13.4sec/104 mph quarter-mile. According to
contemporary sources, these numbers made the GNX the fastest production sedan
ever built. This claim is somewhat controversial—the car had two doors but its
interior volume and structure made it a sedan rather than a coupé, and just 547
examples were built. GNX #001 is currently owned by Buick and sometimes makes
appearances at car shows around the US. Although many quicker cars have been
built, including a number of quicker modern sedans, its performance was truly
impressive for the time. A contemporary Porsche 930 hit 60 mph in 5.0 seconds
and ran the quarter mile in 13.6, roughly equivalent to the GNX, which cost much
less and could out-accelerate the naturally-aspirated 911 of the day. The muscle
cars of the 1960s had the power to beat the GNX, but the tires of the time could
not transform this into speed, not to mention the numerous techniques employed
in the GNX allowed the car to transfer all the power to the ground, such as a
ladder bar that ran from the mid-section of the car to the rear axle, so as to
increase traction. This is also the reason why a GNX will actually lift the rear
end up when the car is about to launch heavily. The GNX never made much of a
road-track competitor to cars like the 911, but it could certainly hold its own
on a drag strip. |
