CONFIRMED! Buick Regal GS gets green light

The Buick that enthusiasts have been clamoring for--the Regal GS show car revealed at the Detroit auto show--will soon be reality.

This turbocharged demon packing 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque with a six-speed manual transmission and a host of performance enhancements has been approved, spokeswoman Dayna Hart told AutoWeek on Monday.

There is no time line for the launch, and other details are not available.

“We're kind of just saying, stay tuned,” Hart said.

GS, or Gran Sport, channels Buick's heritage of sporting drives going back to the 1960s. The Riviera, the Wildcat, the Skylark and the Regal have all worn the badge.

The car at the Detroit auto show had all-wheel drive, two more vertical front air intakes, forged aluminum 20-inch wheels, a sport steering wheel and Recaro seats.

Though called a show car, the Regal GS was a gussied-up production Regal. Another turbo version of the Regal making 220 hp from the same Ecotec four-cylinder is due this summer.

By Greg Migliore