2012 Buick Regal GS Officially Rated at 270HP, up from 255HP

The official performance and fuel economy numbers on the 2012 Buick Regal GS are out. When GM revealed the Buick’s sports sedan in production trim at the Detroit Motor Show this past January, the company estimated that the Regal GS was good for 255HP and a 0-60mph time of less than 7 seconds.

Now GM announced that the Regal GS’ 2.0-liter direct-injected turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been SAE-certified to deliver 270 horsepower (201kW) and 295 lb.-ft. of torque (400Nm) fat 2,400 rpm or an estimated 0-60 mph performance of 6.7 seconds, or 0.9 seconds slower than the car’s European sibling, the Opel Insignia OPC that features a 325HP V6 and AWD.

Power in the North American model is channeled to the front-wheels only through a six-speed manual gearbox, with GM stating that the Regal GS gets an estimated fuel economy of 28 mpg (8.4 lt/100km) on the highway

“The Regal GS 2.0L turbo delivers the highest specific output of any production engine GM has ever offered, and at 135 hp per liter is the most power dense engine ever certified by SAE,” said Mike Anderson, Ecotec global chief engineer and program manager.

“We’ve been combining direct injection and variable valve timing with boosted engines since 2006, and there’s no question the Regal GS turbo has the responsiveness and acceleration of some V-6s, while delivering the fuel economy you’d expect of a four-cylinder,” Anderson added.

The new 2012 Regal GS will go on sale in the States this fall with prices to be announced closer to launch.

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Unrestricted Vauxhall Insignia VXR with 170mph Top Speed Available for the UK

Following last month’s presentation of the Opel Insignia OPC Unlimited, Vauxhall introduced its own version of the performance sedan with the VXR moniker featuring the de-restricted package. The Unlimited option removes the standard Insignia VXR’s 155mph (250 km/h) restrictor, allowing Vauxhall’s range-topper to exploit its all-wheel-drive chassis and 325HP turbocharged 2.8-litre V6 engine to the full topping out at 170mph (274 km/h).

As you would have thought, the 0-60mph sprint time remains unchanged with the Insignia VXR Unlimited hatch equipped with a 6sp manual completing the dash in 5.6 seconds.

The package is priced at just £250 and is available with either manual or auto transmissions, and in Hatch, Saloon and Sports Tourer body styles. The Unlimited option also adds blue Brembo logo on the car’s front brake callipers and a newly-designed tachometer and speedometer, showing higher increments.

“For those owners who enjoy driving on the continent, the Unlimited option lets them experience the Insignia VXR’s true top speed, combined with the peerless stability and secure handling that only an all-wheel-drive chassis can offer,” said Stuart Harris, Vauxhall’s Group Product Manager.

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2011 Buick Regal 2.0 Turbo Now Able to Run On Ethanol

General Motors has released an update on the 2011 Buick Regal's 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that enables it to run on any blend of gasoline or E85 Ethanol. The Detroit automaker claims the Regal's flex-fuel capability is a first for a direct-injected turbocharged production car.

There are no performance differences between the standard 2.0-liter turbo engine and its flex-fuel variant, as output remains at 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.

However, engineers made some changes to allow the engine to run on E85. Given that ethanol needs a richer air-fuel mixture than gasoline to function properly, the flex-fuel engine is equipped with higher flow-rate injectors. In addition, a sensor in the fuel system measures the combination of gasoline and ethanol in the tank (a maximum of 85 percent is allowed of the latter), allowing the engine management system to automatically adjust the mixture to provide the required performance, emissions and fuel consumption.

GM's 2.0-liter Ecotec turbo engine also sports a new sand cast aluminium cylinder block, which translates into better durability, less noise and vibration than before.

The Regal's engine update is a step towards GM's goal of having more than 50 percent of its production in flex-fuel models by the end of 2012, with the company having already put on the streets more than 5 million flex-fuel cars in the last 15 years.

By Dan Mihalascu

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2012 Buick Regal gains eAssist Light Hybrid System, Returns 37MPG Highway

Buick today announced that the second model in its lineup to feature the eAssist “light electrification” system is the 2012 Regal, and it will be officially unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show this week. According to the automaker, estimated fuel economy is 26 mpg city/37 mpg highway, while the overall improvement over the standard 2011 Regal fitted with a four-cylinder gasoline engine and six-speed transmission is 25%.

This is enough to beat competing models such as the Acura TSX, which returns 22 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

“Buick’s eAssist technology means customers don’t have to trade a premium driving experience for efficiency”, said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick marketing. “We believe Regal and LaCrosse with eAssist provide more logical and affordable choices, compared to other hybrid midsize and full-size luxury sedans”.

The eAssist system comprises a 115V lithium-ion battery and 15-kilowatt induction motor-generator, which is mounted to 2.4-liter direct injection four-cylinder powerplant in place of the alternator. Providing both motor assist and electric-generating functions, eAssist also reduces fuel consumption through regenerative braking, automatic engine shut-off when the vehicle is stationary and fuel cut-off during deceleration.

The powertrain includes a next-generation Hydra-Matic 6T40 six-speed automatic transmission as well, with reduced spin losses and higher gearing that further improves fuel economy. The system’s combined output is rated at 182HP (136 kW).

Finally, engineers optimized the car’s underbody aerodynamics and opted for 17-inch lightweight alloys and low rolling resistance tires.

The 2012 Buick Regal eAssist will go on sale in the USA this fall.

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