The most famous muscle cars Maybe built in the sixties and seventies, but… Ring brothers is here to remind people that they are not limited to that era.
The Custom Shop in Wisconsin, best known for its work on classic hot rods, delivered a truly over-the-top Buick Grand National restomod named it “Invadr” after this year’s SEMA show. The offering has been upgraded in every way and is actually the fastest car in Ringbrothers history.
As hard as it may be to believe today, there was a time when the fastest production car in the world was worn out Belly‘s spread shield logo. It was 1987 and the car was the GNXan experimental version of the high-performance Grand National released during the model’s final year of production. That version of the car came with a 3.8-liter turbocharged V-6 that made over 300 horsepower and 400 ft lbs of torque, allowing it to reach 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h. Add to that its signature all-black look and it’s no wonder it would become one of the most revered American-made cars of the past 40 years.
Inside Ringbrothers’ 1987 Buick Grand National ‘Invadr’
Ring brothers/Facebook
The GNX may be the most powerful version of the original Grand National, but it has nothing on Ringbrothers’ restomod. It also has a 3.8-liter six-cylinder, but has been completely overhauled and equipped with a twin turbo. The custom drivetrain produces a ridiculous 1,246 horses and 1,000 ft lbs of twist sent to the rear axle through a six-speed manual transmission. No performance numbers have been released, but Mike Ring, co-founder of Ringbrothers, made it clear that it can easily surpass the original GNX.
“The acceleration of this car is nothing short of violent,” he told Top Gear earlier this week. “This might be the fastest car we’ve built to date.”
Ring brothers/Facebook
However, the powertrain hasn’t been completely redesigned. The car rides on a new custom chassis, has a unique suspension with adjustable dampers and new carbon ceramic brakes front and rear.
It also looks a little different, although only the most astute Buick enthusiasts will notice. The Invader isn’t technically painted entirely black, but is instead finished in Dark Vader Gray, which should be dark enough for the purists. The old plastic bumpers are also stainless steel and the bodywork is fitted with a number of custom fiber pieces that improve aerodynamic performance. Inside, there’s a new roll cage and plenty of exposed carbon fiber trim.
Authors
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Bryan Kap
Bryan Hood is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. Before joining the magazine, he worked for the New York Post, Artinfo and New York magazine, covering everything from celebrity gossip to…
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