2008 Buick LaCrosse and LaCrosse Super Preview

Through design and by paying closer attention to the details, Buick has been trying to appeal to consumersby jogging the memories of the good old days when Buick was one of the top brands for affordable American luxury. The whole heritage thing has seen the return of VentiPorts, which started on the Lucerne and moved to the Enclave, and now they're bringing back the Super, the top of the line designation for Buicks back in the '50s. The Super name was relaunched just a few weeks ago in New York, showing off Buick's ability to combine performance and luxury with their flagship Lucerne, and this, their midsize LaCrosse.

The LaCrosse Super is essentially Buick's version of Chevy's Impala SS and Pontiac's Grand Prix GXP. Yep, that means there's a big 5.3-liter purpose-engineered, pushrod V8 transversely mounted and installed

OK, the Super's quick, but let's bring on the GNX. (Photo: Buick)

in the engine bay, boasting a full 300 horsepower and 323 lb-ft of torque. That power then moves through a four-on-the-floor automatic,before exiting through a sportier exhaust system finished with 3.5-inch diameter chrome tailpipes.

General Motors says that the LaCrosse Super can hit 60 mph from a standstill in 5.7 seconds, which would make it one of the quickest sedans in the entry-level midsize segment. Although, while General Motors says that the LaCrosse Super has the fuel consumption of a V6 engine because of its Active Fuel Management that

Here's the regular model, CXS trim, for comparative purposes. (Photo: Buick)

shuts off some of combustion chambers under lighter loads, we're willing to bet that in real life situations it's still not going to be as efficient as the automaker's less powerful V6s.

The difference between the LaCrosse Super and the Impala SS is that General Motors' performance division, the people who are responsiblefor turning regular Cadillacs into the awesome V-Series products, developed the Buick. That might sound impressive yet we're not wholly sold on the idea, especially after what John Heinricy, director of GM High Performance Vehicle Operations had to say about the LaCrosse. The main goal, according to him, was to produce the ride quality

Woven leather has a unique and interesting pattern. (Photo: Buick)

and road behavior of a 1980s Jaguar and the first generation of Oldsmobile Aurora. These less than lofty targets shouldn't be too hard to meet, and all things considered are probably exactly what the ideal customer is looking for – a nice, cushy, comfortable vehicle that's a little bit more composed at higher speeds.

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