The Buick Grand National was something of a world beater when it came out, the luxury coupe holding its own against the likes of Corvettes and even Ferraris of its time. But now, after buying one, automotive YouTuber Tyler Hoover wants to pit the car against a more formidable foe from the time period: the Lamborghini Countach.
The Grand National in question wasn’t just any Grand National, rather it was the cheapest in the USA, which was bought from the Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction for $35,000. While it appears stock, Hoover suspects it may be slightly modified on account of how fast it builds boost, though nothing is known for certain.
Assuming it truly is stock, the car’s 3.8L turbocharged V6 is rated at 276 hp (280 PS / 206 kW) and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) of torque, though it’s believed to be underrated, actually making around 300 hp (304 PS / 224 kW) and 400 lb-ft (542 Nm) of torque.
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The Countach, on the other hand, is a 1989 25th Anniversary model, and its 5.2L V12 is rated at 449 hp (455 PS / 335 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. By the specs alone, it would stand to reason that the Countach would dispose of the Grand National with little effort, however in practice a different story unfolds.
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The first race saw the Buick leave the Lamborghini for dust, pulling away and staying there all the way to the end. They even ran three more races for consistency, and every time, the Grand National won despite the Countach’s best efforts. In theory, the Lamborghini would eventually be able to catch up due to its higher top speed, but that would require a drag strip much longer than the one used.
This is all made even more impressive when you consider the Buick has half as many cylinders and 150 hp (152 PS / 112 kW) less than the Lamborghini, even after accounting for the factory underrating, and to see the drag races unfold for yourself, you can check them out in the video above.