Buick Regal GS Concept

Buick labeled its Regal GS as a concept for the Detroit Auto Show. But since so many parts on this car come straight from the European-market Opel Insignia OPC (aside from the fake portholes mounted on the hood), it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to label the Regal GS as a production car.

Buick could build this car, but should it? Here’s the question: Will a 255-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Buick be taken seriously as a sports sedan in the U.S.? If Buick wants to fix its image as an “old man’s car,” the Regal GS could be a very good start, especially if it drives anything like the Opel Insignia OPC. The Buick Regal GS might even take some sales away from the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series—now that would be quite a leap for the current Buick demographic.

Here’s an inside scoop: Buick recently let us drive an Opel Insignia OPC. Its twin-turbo V-6 and all- wheel-drive system made it feel quite substantial. So good, in fact, that European car magazines have pitted the OPC against Audi’s S4, and in some reviews it won. That’s high praise for a car that may be carrying a Buick badge.

The game changer for the Buick Regal GS in the U.S. is that it’s shooting a little lower than the S4, and that’s wise. In production, the GS will have the all-wheel-drive system, Hyper-strut front suspension, big Brembo brakes, large wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires of the Opel OPC, but not its twin-turbo V-6. Instead, it will be fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter Ecotec inline-4, an excellent engine we know well from the Chevy Cobalt SS.

Past Buick Gran Sports were an odd lot. They seemed to sacrifice sport for a comfortable ride, a mistake Buick will hopefully not make again. Equipped with a 6-speed manual, Recaro seats and suspension tuning to compete with the Europeans, the GS is bound to be a car that enthusiasts would be proud to drive, Buick badge or not. And that’s what it’s going to take for Buick to reshape its reputation from building quiet couches on wheels to true sports sedans.