09/23/2026
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The End of the Line
Shrouded in Secret, the Last GNX Re-appears
By Scotty Lachenauer
It all started with a text from an unknown number from the left coast. The message instructed me to be ready and waiting for a transport that would es**rt me to a location not far from my place at the Jersey Shore. It stated I should be alone, camera in hand, and be ready to report my findings back to this magazine on my return. Lastly it stated we should only refer to this story through its code name; it was now known strictly as Project #547.
I was definitely ready for an adventure, and well, this one seemed interesting enough to me. I grabbed my camera bag and waited for my ride to show. A black SUV soon pulled up to my place and I was instructed to jump in the back. The windows were blacked out, but that didn’t bother me none, as once I saw the fresh ice tea and pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich combo waiting for me on the seat I knew I was in good hands...or at least familiar ones.
The driver told me we weren’t going far, but for confidentiality I couldn’t know exactly where we were headed. So we hit the pavement for a few miles, and then veered off the beaten path, and set forth on a series of twists and turns, slicing through the countryside somewhere out in the Garden State’s mid-section. I knew we were in Jersey’s equine country from the smell of scrub pine and horse manure, but couldn’t pin-point my locale. That’s was just fine with me, as I was ready to witness what all this hush-hush was about.
We pulled up to the front gate of a small horse farm, and I was instructed to get out and wait there at the entrance. As my ride pulled away, the gates opened and I walked in. Over the security system’s call box I was assured by a calming voice that I was in the right spot and they would be with me shortly. Then I heard what I had come to see…
In the distance, a sound was generated that I had heard before; the rumble of American muscle, with the soft whine of a gnarly turbo filling in the patches of silence. That growl was a strikingly familiar sound from my old school days, a blast from the past for sure. Slowly I followed the tone as finally peeked its nose out at the top of the long driveway. From a distance it looked like a Buick…maybe a Grand National. As it drew closer I realized it was no ordinary muscle car for sure. It was a GNX…and a really nice one to boot. But this wouldn’t be just any example I was about to find out…
What I was witnessing was a ghost; a black ghost. It’s a car that has been written about on many message boards, but has mostly escaped the camera for its 30 odd years of life. It was the last in line; the last GNX produced by GM…yes, the one they call #547. Finally I got to witness a true apparition; the phantom menace muscle car, dressed in real-to-the-touch American steel. Now I was ready for a closer look…
The GNX
Many of you already know the story of the mighty GNX. The offspring was a collaboration between Buick and ASC/McLaren Performance Technologies, supposedly hatched between the two forces at the 1985 Indy 500. Buick would soon send fully-optioned Grand Nationals to the ASC/McLaren headquarters for their rebirth as the “Grand National Experimental” or GNX for short. This supercar would be the “Grand National to end all Grand Nationals”. There wasn’t a hotter car out on the road at that time; a ride that could slay all production models out on the street with just a push of the right pedal.
The cars received several upgrades to its 3.8 liter drivetrain at the ASC/McLaren shop, including a special Garret T-3 turbocharger, which used a lightweight ceramic impeller for more efficient boost. This helped the turbo spin much faster and with less drag, increasing performance. Boost was set at 15psi, and used a more proficient Garret air to air intercooler which boasts increased cooling efficiency. The turbo plumbing was also coated with a ceramic/aluminum compound for better heat dissipation, which makes for cooler and denser air, and thus, more power. An updated ECU tune was the icing on the cake here, pushing the engine to perform more efficiently when the hammer was dropped.
The GNX’s Turbo Hydra-Matic 200-R4 transmission was modified to handle the extra power put out by the muscular turbo powered V6. To keep the trans fluid on the chill side, an auxiliary oil cooler was mounted up front to handle the duties. Vents were installed in the fenders to allow more air to flow through the engine bay to relieve escalating temperatures as well. The factory single exhaust was also removed in favor of a newly designed dual exhaust system with less restrictive mufflers to keep the spent gasses flowing freely.
Suspension upgrades were also performed at ASC/McLaren. The rear axle received a longitudal ladder-style traction bar to cut down on rear axle windup resulting wheel hop and traction loss. A fabbed crossmember ties the chassis rail and supports the ladder bar. It also serves as a driveshaft shield in case of cataclysmic u-joint failure. A custom panhard rod was also mounted to insure lateral control and stability in the GNX. The car also received a one-off alloy differential cover.
The interiors were also touched by the hands of ASC/McLaren. The stock gauge cluster were removed, and replaced by a full complement of Stewart Warner analog gauges. These included a turbo boost gauge, oil, fuel and water gauges, along with a 160 mph speedo and 8,000 rpm tachometer to keep close eye on the engines vitals. Each car received a numbered plaque on the dash which identified the cars build number.
Sunfoofs and T-tops were not offered, though some of the original owners had their cars modified with these components. They were left out of the original plans because engineers thought it would put the cars structural rigidity in jeopardy. A rear seat back brace was also added, to help with stringency of the rear section of the chassis.
Last but not least, the GNX was offered in any color you wanted, as long as it was black! The “Dart Vader” of muscle cars was a menacing machine in its monotone looks, and its performance matched its first impression. Special composite fender flares were fitted at the corners, shrouding Goodyear Eagle VR tires mounted on lightweight 16 inch alloy lace wheels. All trim is blacked out, and badging is sparse. Small GNX call-outs were placed on the front radiator grille, rear deck lid and wheel center caps. The only use of those three distinctive letters is on the turbo heat shield under the hood and the differential cover out back.
This Particular GNX
The story of this apparition of a GNX is an interesting one indeed. It all started when Pittsburgh area native Ron Sklenar decided the time was right to buy a Grand National. Being in the car resale business, it was easy for Ron to hunt down and procure the tasty ride. Once purchased, he bought the “black beauty” home and enjoyed the most spirited ride that the Buick had to offer.
However, through a car magazine, he then learned about the all new GNX and its limited release to selected Buick dealerships. Ron was enthralled with the added performance the “X” had to offer and started researching the car, trying to locate an example for sale in his area. He soon found out that most of the cars had been “presold” through the dealerships, and mostly all of the 500 units were already spoken for. Buick had also reaped a couple, taking the first and last cars of the production sequence (number 1 and number 500) for inclusion at the Sloan Museum.
And being in the business, he soon noticed that GNX’s were already being sold at dealer only auctions, with prices skyrocketing to $75k in some instances. And remember, this is 1987 peeps, and that’s one hell of a lot of money for new factory muscle…even 30 years later in this day and age.
Ron was not ready to pay that insane amount of money to own the ebony supercar. Even at $30k, the car was going over its sticker by a few thousand bucks. So he waited; he waited for all the hoopla to go down. Over the months, prices started to drop, and Ron regained interest in owning a GNX.
Finally, his patience paid off. Nearby at Northside Buick in Pittsburgh, the dealership was advertising its last GNX for sale. Interestingly, since the dealer was one of the top 60 Buick dealerships in the country, they were allowed to choose a new Buick from the company’s line to sell at their location. They chose another GNX and were offered a second car to sell at their location.
Once Ron knew of the car, he didn’t hesitate, and immediately called the dealership. He told the salesman over the phone that he would take the car off their hands sight unseen, and offered $32k cash money. The offer was quickly accepted by the voice on the other end. Being that it was the holiday season and usually slow business time of year in the car industry, the dealership thought it was in their best interest to make a quick buck on the super car.
So Ron came down to the dealer to immediately to pick up his gleaming trophy. Dressed in all its magnificence in black, the GNX just screamed baddass muscle car from every direction. There was no denying that what Buick had created was the best thing that had come out of Detroit in years, and it gripped Ron’s attention like a tightly wound-up torque wrench. So with that, the car was signed for and given a lift back to Ron’s personal garage for safe keeping.
One thing that Ron noticed was the 547 badge on the glove compartment door. He knew that each one was numbered in order of production, and was surprised to see that they had gone over their initial offering of 500 units. Ron didn’t know if this was the last one off the line, but was assured by the dealership that it was definitely the last one they were getting for resale as production had finally ceased at ASC/McLaren.
A month later Ron received a call from the dealership. “We have a problem”, the conversation started. “Turns out #547 was the last off the production line and GM would like to have it back”, the salesman continued. Now Ron really loved that GNX and had every right to own the car. So he did what most muscle car guys would do, and said …NO!
“But they are offering you a refund of what you paid over sticker, plus a brand new Reatta to boot” the salesman stated. If you remember, the Reatta was the new sporty Buick two-seater that lasted a few short years before the company pulled the plug. Once again, the answer was a polite “no” from Ron. “I’m keeping it” was his final statement to the dealership.
This revelation made Ron a bit suspicious, and gave him a bit of anxiety when it came to the car. From then on it was rarely removed from the garage, usually every 6 months to get it out and moving under its own power. And he never titled the car, so GM would really never know where the car was, or even if it still existed. It was now truly a “phantom”, a “phantom menace” more precisely to the big and powerful automotive giant.
The car racked up about 50 miles over the years, just on bi-yearly trips to keep the fluids moving and the car healthy. Ron was fine having the un-drivable, collectible car in his heated garage, knowing that he had a piece of automotive history. But the need to drive a GNX soon got the best of him, so he did what most car guys would do if they had the means; he bought ANOTHER GNX. This one was #115, and yes, Ron drove it. He was amazed at all the performance Buick had unleashed with this experimental model.
Ron never thought of selling the car. It’s kind of hard to sell something that really had never existed in the public eye. But one day he received a call that would change all that.
It all started when our secret GNX fan, let’s call him CS for short, decided he needed to procure a GNX of his own. Now CS was very versed in the Buick supercar, and knew all about the #547 car, and frankly had dreams of owning the ghost mobile for himself. But for now he was happy just mileage example on an online auction site and decided to inquire about the car. Well it turns out Ron’s Sklenar’s wife was selling the car for a dear friend. He started asking the typical questions about the car, and mentioned the fact that he really wanted #547 for his collection, but this one woulkd have to do.
“Well then you should talk to my husband”, she told CS. “He owns #547” she followed. CS was taken back, as he was caught off-guard by her verbal discovery. Shock and awe was basically what CS felt. So he got on the phone with Ron and talked about the car.
“I never was going to sell the car”, says Ron. He asked me what price I would part with the car fort, and I gave him my “I never want to sell it price” off the top of my head”, Ron continues. CS immediately said he’d take it, which shocked even Ron, who had been in the automotive buy/sell game his whole life. That quickly the car was changing hands. “It happened in a blur of a moment” CS admits openly. “I never thought I’d find the car or ever possibly have a chance to buy it…ever!”
Today now #547 enjoys the easy life in its new home in Jersey, along with several amazing GM and Mopar collectible rides. The “phantom” is truly a real ride, a car thought up and designed by several great minds between two great companies. The car continues to prove with some forethought and the will to create something better, goals can be achieved and limits stretched. The GNX is a crowning achievement in 80’s muscle car design, and this apparition proves it with the twist of the ignition key.
