kevin hart He is a well-known American comedian. What many people do not know is that Kevin Hart is a true fan of the motor, and specifically, of American cars. Money does not buy happiness unless you like cars, and if that is the case, you can afford to have a custom restomod built for you from one of the most iconic American cars of the eighties. It’s about the Buick Grand National, and this restomod is a tribute to its GNX versionwhich we could consider one of the most atypical muscle cars in history.
The GNX was a very special version of the Grand National, which stood out for its 3.8 V6 engine supercharged by a huge turbo up to 276 CV. Less than 600 units were produced in collaboration with ASC/McLaren Technologies, a British McLaren subsidiary founded by Bruce McLaren himself. The GNX was as fast as a Lamborghini Countach or a Ferrari 288 GTO, back in 1987, and it was more expensive than a Chevrolet Corvette C4. What Kevin Hart has done is hired Salvaggio Designs to build his own homage to the Buick GNX.
Boost Labs’ turbo shroud is a clear homage to the one present on the Buick GNX.
The simple thing would have been to use a high-powered V8 engine, but to respect the V6 philosophy of the Regal and the Grand National, the tuner used the 3.6 LF4 V6 twin-turbo engine from a Cadillac ATS-V. This engine originally developed 470 hp, but the tuner has removed one of its two turbos and used a larger turbo, in addition to modifying its electronics and eliminating all superfluous components in search of a clean look. The engine develops now 659 hp using competition gasoline 103 octane.
In the future, with new camshafts and more modifications, the engine could easily exceed 700 hp. Power goes to the ground to the rear through a nine-inch Tru Track differential, and through an eight-speed automatic torque converter – the well-known and proven ZF. At the platform level, the car is reinforced with TIG welding, a roll cage and additional reinforcementsas well as using a rear Panhard bar and an X-Gen 595 front suspension signed by specialist Detroit Speed & Engineering.
The car is called The Dark Knight, a clear homage to Batman.
Of course, the brakes have also been improved: now they are Brembo with six-piston calipers in front and four in the rear. The undercarriage also includes some spectacular vintage-looking HRE wheels, with Toyo tires in sizes 265/30 R19 at the front and 325/30 R19 at the rear. Aesthetically, this targa-top Buick looks stock, but in truth, it has quite a few modifications. All chrome is now black and there are details in carbon fiber on the hood, wing mirrors or rear spoiler.
The door handles are redesigned and the front bumper modified to achieve greater airflow. The interior does present more changes, with a complete reupholstery of the dashboard, doors and moldings, as well as the installation of greater lateral support in the seats. The instrumentation is digital and everything is built with great care. By the way, the bronze color, used in the stitching, vents and other details, is a nod to the belt worn by Batman in his films.
