A stick in a Buick! No need to buy an unreliable Audi A-4 or VW Jetta

http://jalopnik.com/5408535/breaking-buick-regal-getting-a-manual-transmission

Shocking. A midsize NA GM FWD model with a manual. They haven't had something like that in a long time.

A stick in a Buick! No need to buy an unreliable Audi A-4 or VW Jetta

http://jalopnik.com/5408535/breaking-buick-regal-getting-a-manual-transmission

VW and Audi score higher than Opel/Vauxhall in practically every customer satisfaction, quality, and reliability survey conducted so far...

this car just moved WAAYYYYYYY up on the charts. 4 cyl turbo 6 man? puhlease???????

this car just moved WAAYYYYYYY up on the charts. 4 cyl turbo 6 man? puhlease???????

Kind of shocking to think of a NA GM sedan w/ such a drivetrain... but who knows? Sounds like Buick has a lot of interesting variations coming..

Filed under: Sedan, Buick

2011 Buick Regal live unveiling - Click above for high-res image gallery

Trivia Time: When was the last time a U.S. market Buick was available with a manual transmission? Honestly, we can't recall anything more recent than a buddy in high school having a hand-me-down mid-Eighties Somerset coupe with a stubby, workmanlike five-speed. Even back then its presence in our friend's hooptie was a genuine curiosity and a source of perpetual amusement.

Naturally, we posed this same question to a few Buick PR-types this morning at a first drive event upon learning from vehicle line executive Jim Federico that the reborn 2011 Regal will receive a six-speed manual transmission option (mated to a blown 2.0-liter four, no less). The answer? Shoulder shrugs and sheepish looks. Curiously, nobody even tried to answer our query with a red herring like the ill-fated Reatta coupe (it only came with a four-speed automatic).

So we now know when a Buick will next feature God's Own Gearbox (probably in the third quarter of 2010), but we still can't crack this historical chestnut - so we beseech thee, Autoblog Nation... what year was the last Buick built with a DIY transmission - and what car was it in? Hit us with your best shot in Comments.

Gallery: 2011 Buick Regal Live Unveiling

Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

BREAKING: Buick confirms 2011 Regal 2.0T to come with manual transmission. Wait... wha? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sounds really good. Turbo and manual transmission. The "old man" Buick is no more.

Sounds really good. Turbo and manual transmission. The "old man" Buick is no more.

So no Regal Classic trim level w/ bench seat, 3.8 V6 w/ column shift 4spd auto?

I think many who like to shif for them selves will learn to like the new GM models shared with Europe and China. By selling them in markets that the manual sell well in make it affordable to sell here. This is not the last Man we will see.

The Six Speed should do real well in this car. The 4 speed auto and 5 speed were good but the six should work so much better. The torque curve on the turbo engine is flat and starts at a very low RPM. There is little to no tubo lag so it should be a blast to drive.

It would nice if the AWD option was also available on a cheaper 2.0 Turbo and not just on the V6 Turbo.

Edited November 19, 200916 yr by hyperv6

I think many who like to shif for them selves will learn to like the new GM models shared with Europe and China. By selling them in markets that the manual sell well in make it affordable to sell here. This is not the last Man we will see.

The Six Speed should do real well in this car. The 4 speed auto and 5 speed were good but the six should work so much better. The torque curve on the turbo engine is flat and starts at a very low RPM. There is little to no tubo lag so it should be a blast to drive.

It would nice if the AWD option was also available on a cheaper 2.0 Turbo and not just on the V6 Turbo.

What is this V6 Turbo of which you speak? Did I miss something among the myriad of Regal posts?

... annnnnnnnnnnnd I'm slow. I knew about that one.

Edited November 19, 200916 yr by Lamar

What is this V6 Turbo of which you speak? Did I miss something among the myriad of Regal posts?

... annnnnnnnnnnnd I'm slow. I knew about that one.

The 2.8 Turbo. Work per Lutz leak is a GS with the 325 HP V6 may be coming.

Nice to see a manual being offered in any GM product.

Now, let's hope they spread the good stuff around to other offerings.

Very nice job new-GM

I think many who like to shif for them selves will learn to like the new GM models shared with Europe and China. By selling them in markets that the manual sell well in make it affordable to sell here. This is not the last Man we will see.

The Six Speed should do real well in this car. The 4 speed auto and 5 speed were good but the six should work so much better. The torque curve on the turbo engine is flat and starts at a very low RPM. There is little to no tubo lag so it should be a blast to drive.

It would nice if the AWD option was also available on a cheaper 2.0 Turbo and not just on the V6 Turbo.

i was upset there was never a turbo astra here in NA. seems like i dont need to get upset about a turbo 6 speed imported from europe gm car being available to me anymore. hopefully it will have a stage kit as well, like the cobalt and hhr

Shocking, in a gooooood way.

The 2.8 Turbo. Work per Lutz leak is a GS with the 325 HP V6 may be coming.

Yeah, I found that story about a minute after I posted my reply to you.

Nice to see a manual being offered in any GM product.

Now, let's hope they spread the good stuff around to other offerings.

I share thy sentiments.

I'm now 99.99% sure that I'll be keeping my 03 Grand Cherokee and and getting one of these bad boys! The 6M puts me over the edge. The only thing that could make me any more sure is them announcing the coupe would be built as well!

Interesting to note the detail of the car on Autoblog's gallery having a single backup light and one rear fog light, as do Euro Insignias (rear fog light on the left for LHD models and on the right for RHD models)...

When I read about this at Edmunds', I was surprised in the most delightful way!

A stick in a Buick! No need to buy an unreliable Audi A-4 or VW Jetta

http://jalopnik.com/5408535/breaking-buick-regal-getting-a-manual-transmission

The Jetta and A4 are much better now than they were 5 years ago.

Still glad to see this in the Regal, though.

Chris

This is great news. Sort of taking over for the 9-3 in some ways in the GM lineup I think.