The Factory Hot Rods

[mhoumard]

All this talk lately of engine swaps peaked my curiosity to locate what I had read long ago about post production Reatta "prototypes". Sure enough I found it in Volume 28, Number 2 (second quarter 1990) of Automobile Quarterly. This issue has the 12-page Reatta development/marketing story. It also has the David Kimble cutaway which AQ commissioned. <P>In the Fall of '89 Buick showed to the press 3 of 4 Reatta prototypes it had developed with upgraded powertrains. The 1st had an Eaton blower with an air/liquid intercooler. This was "the likliest candidate for near-future production". The 2nd was perhaps easier to build since much of the engineering and hardware came from the "late lamented Regal Grand National". Of course it had a turbocharged 3.8 and one magazine tested it from 0-60 at 6.8 seconds.<P>The 3rd required considerable work to the floorpan, since the GN was rotated 90 degrees for rear wheel drive through a "virtually complete Corvette rear axle and suspension". The 4th and final prototype not shown but was also reportedly rear wheel drive with a transaxle. <P>All proof, I believe, that had the Reatta survived we would have seen a fair HP increase by '93 if not in 1992.

[Guest EDBS0]

For the record from Road & Track December 1989 page 34 states Buick Reatta quoting their 3-88 issue 0 to 60 8.9 seconds; 1/4 mile 16.8 seconds; braking from 80 a huge 273 feet; skid pad 0.80,g; price as tested $27,800 <BR>to compare <BR>SHO 6.6 15.2 and 259<BR>BMW M3 7.1 15.4 and 239<BR>Corvette ZR1 4.9 13.4 and 233<BR>Mustang GT 6.4 15.0 307<BR>Jag XJS conv V12 9.9 17.5 238<BR>VW GTI 16V 8.5 16.5 and 258<BR>MIATA 9.5 17.0 and 270<BR>AUDI V8 Quattro 9.2 16.9 and 237<BR>Range Rover 12.6 19.0 and 316<P>The Reatta is not the slowest Brick on the block, Robert