To understand the reason why that car [1986 Buick Grand National] is legendary, you have to put yourself in a completely different scenario than the one we live in today.

For 15 straight years, all cars got heavier and slower. Seriously slower. The reigning champ had been the GM F-body that entire time, and it's best offering, the Z28, never put out more than 190 horsepower in it's very best engine. In '75, the best you could do was 155 hp. The average Corvette engine during that time had 200 hp or less, and was only up to 240 hp by 1986.

Muscle cars were dead, and were never coming back. There weren't any stock cars at the tracks, only older cars that had been modified. The only thing anyone used a stock car for was to tow their 15+ year old muscle car to the track.

There hadn't been an American car built in 15 years that could break a 14 second 1/4 mile. In fact, in 1986, the fastest Z28 couldn't even break the 15 second 1/4 mile, and the Corvette's best time was 14.6.

In comes Buick, with a Regal, a car that could comfortably seat 6 adults. It was conservatively rated at 235 hp, and ran a 13.9 second 1/4 mile, bone stock, right off the showroom floor. The next year it was even quicker, running the 1/4 in 13.5 seconds. The Buick Grand National was the fastest car built in America in 1986, and it was the fastest car you could buy in America in 1987. Only two other production cars were faster in 1986, the Lamborghini Countach 5000S, 13.7 1/4 mile, and the Ferrari Testarossa, 13.6 1/4 mile. Both were beat by the Grand National in 1987.

And the real kicker was it only had a 231 cubic inch V6 in it. Race tracks across the country started to change their rules, no longer allowing a V6 to race against a V8, because it was kicking their asses.

It was like a sign from God, if you believed in one. After 15 dismal years, a savior was born, and of all things, it was a Buick V6 family car.