“Lord Vader, your car is ready.”
The Buick Grand National and GNX have been associated with Darth Vader since their inception back in the mid-80s. Sporting a menacing appearance with monochromatic black paint, a turbocharged V6 (sounding much like an F-16 fighter jet), and LED boost gauge and tachometer gauges (in the GN), it would have been the perfect car for the Sith Lord to motor around in, had he been on Earth in the late 20th Century.
Fast forward a few decades and a classic car dealership by the name of Bullet Motorsports has envisioned a very unique way of selling a particular ’86 Grand National that they currently have on the market. Rather then doing the typical salesy-walkaround, highlighting the features of the car and telling the viewer what a great buy it is, they’ve elected to hire Star Wars’ most notorious villain for the job at hand; Darth Vader.
Not speaking a single word, just the deep, muffled breathing that the Sith Lord emits, Vader gets a feel of the Buick by driving around a rail yard spooling up the turbo and even emitting a relaxed boost launch, spinning the tires from the Grand National to showcase the power the car has on tap. According to the listing, it’s producing somewhere north of the 400hp level – or roughly 150 more than it had when it left the factory.
Judging by the video, the Buick does appear to drive and ride smoothly, and it’s definitely a clean, hardtop example with the optional digital gauge cluster, complete with the factory wheels. The original paint still looks brand new, as its been said that car has “never been in the elements,” and 16,000 original miles are realized on the odometer. It’s also been signed by Buick specialists Dennis Kirban and Rollin “Molly” Sanders – adding to its collectibility and authenticity.
The price isn’t mentioned in the ad, but we’d imagine it to go for a decent chuck of change thanks to the cars attributes… and the Darth Vadar connection, obviously.
“GGhhherrr… most impressive.”
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
