…I mean intense action-packed race? Read on to find out.

We already know Buick has come a long way with the exterior design of autos – moving away from the great white whale looking rides your grandparents drove to smaller, economical vehicles with luscious curves and fat grills. The Lexus keeps its usual fluid design back to front; we like the downward angle of its rear-to-front end slope, but we have to give style points to LaCrosse.

Under each hood is where this contest starts to get tricky. Both the LaCrosse and ES 350 have a 3.5-liter V-6 power plants with 280 horses for the Buick and 272 for Lexus. Both share six-speed automatics and have curb weights of 4030 for the Buick and 3694 pounds for Lexus. Lexus and Buick handle just as splendidly around those tight factory curves and shift smoothly in higher RPM’s.

Of course you won’t need to outrun The Joker on a daily commute, so let’s get to the realistic stats. Buick outshines Lexus with a price around the low $30,000 – over the import’s luxury $35,000+ sticker. That and LaCrosses’s impressive fuel economy (17/26 MPG ) makes it our pick for the top new sedan in 2010.

Source: Motor Trend

Buick has been thinking about a coupe again, perhaps another reemergence of the classic Riviera? More specifically, GM, after the success of new, smaller & sportier Buick models, wants to give the B another shot at sports coupes. Last year, an updated Buick Riviera concept hit auto show floors, complete with gullwing doors and an Apple laptop styled instrument panel. It was as if the DeLorean from Back to the Future made sweet love to the Star Trek reboot USS Enterprise and had a Buick baby.

Automotive News recently interviewed Buick design director John Cafaro, who confirmed that Buick is targeting a younger audience. “My role is really being a zealot for getting Buick more youthful, more spirited and probing ideas for coupes, more expressive vehicles,” he said. “That is really my job.” Pretty good gig, if you ask me.

Currently, the automaker sells just three different models, including the soon-to-be-cancelled Lucerne. Aside from the full-size crossover Enclave, the company also sells the LaCrosse, completely remodeled for 2010.

“Buick definitely needs more product in the pipeline,” Cafaro said, later mentioning that the company needs a new car that makes a statement. Any such car would become Buick’s flagship. “A coupe is definitely where you say, ‘I’m back.’”

The Source: WCF

According to Buick execs Craig Bierley and Jim Federico, the reasons for the four-cylinder versus the V-6 are many: The bigger engine doesn’t make as much power when tuned to meet U.S. emissions regulations, and because it weighs more, there’s not a lot of difference in power-to-weight ratios. The V-6 also guzzles more gas than the turbo four, and the latter provides better weight distribution.

Did we mention a zero to 60 time that is less than 6 seconds? Nice. Thanks to Car & Driver for the pics & info.

The new Regal sedan for 2011 features a smaller design based off Opel’s Insignia OPC currently built in Germany. That used to be Saturn’s deal…taking Opels. For now, Buick will get the European designs for GM.

Other sources state the Regal GS will retain all four doors, but have a larger, more powerful engine. Can Buick break 400hp? Not if they want to keep their 29-30 MPG highway rating. We also reported on a possible Buick Regal Wagon last month, but have yet to hear any further confirmation.

Stay tuned to check out full Buick coverage at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Video Source: Kickingtires.net

Accordingto reports, the model will be based on GM’s Delta II architecture, a front-wheel drive platform it will share with the Chevy Cruze, the successor to the outgoing Cobalt. Power options will also likely be shared with its Cruze sibling, including a 1.8 liter gasoline/petrol engine with 141 hp and 176 Nm of torque (130 lb-ft), or perhaps even coming with the Cruze’s 1.6 liter with 113 hp and 153 Nm (113 lb-ft) of torque power plant.

The latest peek at 2012’s Baby Buick came in the form of a press conference for the 2011 Regal, at the LA Auto Show. Buick released a teaser image of the upcoming compact sedan. We’ll keep our eyes pealed for more little GM models.

No, we are not pulling your chain or jerkin’ your rod – the Lutz-man himself has spoken of a very-possible 335 horse power variant of the Buick Regal. This future whip will identify as Regal GS – there’s even talks of a Regal Wagon version too!

GM’s unveiling of the 2011 Buick Regal starred Bob Lutz, at a car-studded event in Hollywood, CA. He said one of the models being worked on is a “manual-transmission model and all-wheel drive, as well as a 335-hp, all-wheel-drive range-topper…”

It’s no Grand National like the old school Buicks, but it sure makes our hearts pitter-patter.
According to our fav auto experts at Car and Driver – “Such a variant makes perfect sense given that Opel sells a pretty hot Insignia OPC with a 325-hp turbocharged 2.8-lilter V-6, a six-speed manual, and all-wheel drive.” We will keep you posted – or maybe next year you’ll see Buickpedia-folk racing down the NJ Turnpike in a Regal Wagon.

via car & driver

Rendering Credit: Tagline @ deviantART

Spy shots of automobiles and car concepts are online all the time – almost as widely available as celebrity upskirts on WWTDD. But the cars, usually caught during testing or at a press event, are disguised to look like other/previous year models. With the help of camera phones, tiny pocket cams and online forums, early “naked” vehicle shots are escaping faster then you can say lawsuit!

But it’s not all bad news, and as far as we’ve heard General Motors isn’t about to sue FB for any infringement. Sites like Facebook and Twitter should be embraced more then they already are for use in automotive PR – and frankly it’s great to catch some early car buyer reaction, before the final screws are put to the dealers when trying to push a sale.

Back in ‘05 The Regal was replaced by Buick LaCrosse. The last 2004 Buick Regal came off the assembly line on June 1, 2004. According to Jalopnik: Now it would appear it’ll be back and as we told you back in August when Lutz let slip this tasty piece of news to Scott Burgess of The Detroit News, it’ll be the same as was launched in China in November 2008 based on the Opel Insignia.

Thanks Jalopnik!

The video presentation – via The GM Lab, which is a blog set up through General Motors public relations, displays some of the finer tidbits of Avant. First off we at Buickpedia have to comment – we LOVE the look of Avant! Knowing this is merely the concept we know Avant won’t keep its futuristic design after production model phase, but the slender curves and egg-like shape ranks up there with Hyundai’s Accent and Toyota’s Yaris.

Special features being worked into Avant’s design include a retractile luggage storage trolley, which loads/unloads the vehicle for its driver, “Smart Doors” and translucent glass roof, which can switch from clear to dark in a matter of seconds. GM claims their “research was not brand specific” when working on Buick Avant – wonder what a Chevy Avant would look like? Stay tuned for more here and at thelab.gmblogs.

Check out the full-sized image.