We've recently seen the underbelly of the 2011 Buick LaCrosse CXS and its unique Hiper Strut front suspension. Now it's time to have a look at its little brother, the 2011 Buick Regal CXL Turbo.
Why? Couple reasons. First, it's a long-term car, and I try to give all of our LT cars equal time on the jack stands.
Second, the Regal lineup currently offers no version with Hiper Strut, but it will next year. A new 2012 Buick Regal GS is coming, with a revised 2.0T engine that makes at least 35 more horsepower (possibly as much as 50 hp more) and 37 additional lb-ft of torque. A 6-speed manual transmission will be the standard offering, with a 6-speed autobox available as an option.
All of this is fantastic, but both developments increase the likelihood of torque steer. Also, a hot-rod model needs great steering. And so Hiper strut will appear on the Regal next year, but only on the fortified GS version.
With that in mind, lets look at our current Regal CXL Turbo, the one that feeds "only" 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque to its front wheels. I'll point out the 2012 Regal GS differences I know of as we go along. And, if you haven't already, make sure to click on the LaCrosse walkaround link to see what Hiper Strut is all about.
The front end of our Regal CXL Turbo rides on standard strut suspension of the non-Hiper variety.
All standard struts turn left and right because they are firmly firmly bolted to the knuckle/upright at point yellow. The upper pivot of this assembly is therefore high up in the fender, resulting in a kingpin axis that is less than optimal.
Pay no attention to the proximity of the yellow arrow and the green line. Do pay attention to the little black cube just above the arrowhead -- it'll mean something a bit later.
As expected, the Regal has a direct-acting stabilizer bar link (green) and rear-acting steering (yellow).
The steering here is hydraulic, which is good, but it tuned with tons of Buick lightness and has far too little feel. Hiper Strut helped the LaCrosse develop good feel without being overly heavy from a Buick customer standpoint.
Hopefully the sporty nature of the 2012 Buick GS will allow GM engineers to take even greater advantage of Hiper Strut when they tune that car's steering.
Aluminum knuckle? Check. Aluminum lower control arm? Check.
The Regal's L-shaped lower control arm converts the fore-aft component of road impacts into an in-out motion at the rear pivot bushing.
...which explains the offset mounting of the bush and directional shape of the bushing inside this housing, as indicated by the presence of these two extra rubber bumpers.
In this cases CDC does not stand for the Center for Disease Control. Instead it means Computer Damping Control, the name given to it by Sachs, the supplier that makes theses adjustable dampers for GM and others.
General Motors sometimes describes the feature as "Continuously Variable Real-Time Damping". It's standard today on the 2011 Buick Regal Turbo and it will return again in the 2012 Regal Turbo. No word if the 2012 GS will get unique software tuning, but it's likely.
The green arrow indicates the CDC actuator, a computer-controlled bypass valve that adjusts the level of damping. More bypass = softer, less bypass = stiffer. Because this valve is externally mounted, Sachs calls this a CDCe strut.
This is also the part where you should remember that little black cube we saw a few shots back. That was the wheel accelerometer, and each of the four wheels has one. A fifth body accelerometer is buried somewhere inside the car, mostly likely in the middle near the center of mass. The CDC electronics control unit compares each of the wheel accelerometers to the body accelerometer in order to decide what to do at any given instant.
In addition to the Hi-Po engine and the Hiper Strut suspension, the 2012 Buick Regal GS will also have Brembo fixed caliper front brakes instead of these single-piston sliding calipers. No word on the number of pistons next year, but I think four should be enough. I'm also going to go out on a limb and predict they'll be red.
In back, our 2011 Buick Regal looks much the same as the 20011 Buick Lacrosse we saw a couple of weeks ago. It's the same suspension type, and I'm pretty sure a lot of the pieces are interchangeable.
The Regal's track is listed 0.7 inches wider in front and 0.5 inches wider in the rear compared to a LaCrosse, small enough to be put down to wheel offset or alignment differences.
For our purposes, the two suspensions look identical. Small dimensional differences may exist, but we're not looking at things on that scale.
Like the LaCrosse, a tall, skinny trailing arm (black) locates the wheel in the fore-aft direction and resists torque. There's a single upper link (white) and down below we see a short toe link (green) and a long lateral link (white) that carries the coil spring.
Here's another view of the long lateral link (yellow), the short toe link (green) and the main trailing arm (black). As in the LaCrosse, the inner pivots of both lower links have eccentric cams to facilitate suspension alignment adjustments.
Here's some more deja vu for you. The rear shock absorber connects directly to the rear knuckle (yellow) at something approaching a 1-to-1 motion ratio, while the rear spring rides on the aluminum lower link at about a 0.55-to-1 or 0.60-to-1 motion ratio.
<Pesci> I've got you upper link right here. </Pesci>
The trailing arm bolts to the knuckle to form a rigid connection.
More of the same from the inside out.
Finally we can see the tortured path of the rear stabilizer bar (green) as it seeks to snake around all those other bits. Every bend reduces efficiency, so at the end of the day this one probably isn't doing as much as its diameter would suggest.
As expected, another CDC damper resides back here to control and smooth out the motions.
The Regal's rear binders consist of single-piston sliding calipers with a cable-actuated parking brake and ventilated rear rotors.
Yes, BBS makes original equipment wheels for Buick, too. These measure 19x8.5 inches. I don't know what they weigh by themselves, but with tires on they weigh 56.5 pounds apiece.
The tires in question on our 2011 Buick Regal CXL turbo are P245/40R19 all-season units. Similar (if not identical) 19-inch all-season rubber will be the standard offering on the 2012 Buick Regal GS, too, but 20-inch summer tires will also be available as an upgrade.
Our 2011 Buick Regal Turbo is a pretty decent car in many respects, but for the enthusiast it is a bit tame and the steering is a bit lame. With more motor, more brakes and the Hiper Strut front suspension next year's GS seems ready to put all that to rest.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing.
dayz says:
08:24 PM, 07/21/11
Excelent write up. Very informative.
jm1212 says:
11:27 PM, 07/21/11
if only the engine was just as good...this should be the base engine, the GS's should be the midlevel, and then we should be getting a version of that 2.8L V6 turbo with well over 300 hp. now THAT would make this car a player in the sport sedan segment. until then, though, this suspension setup will probably be largely forgotten by Americans.
igeekone says:
11:58 PM, 07/21/11
Excellent post Dan!
kpsti says:
12:42 AM, 07/22/11
Nice right-up! Just one thing. Check out your sentence about the wheel "weight."
alex38 says:
12:58 AM, 07/22/11
very thorough and informative. Great job as usual.
jaeger1 says:
04:10 AM, 07/22/11
The best part of the Regal, IMO.
throwback says:
05:17 AM, 07/22/11
Thanks again Dan, By the way I prefer the driveway walkarounds, they seem less clinical.
hfv6 says:
05:33 AM, 07/22/11
GS will have adaptive dampers but with another mode that I presume is stiffer than "sport" on the turbo. It will definitely have 50 more hp than this car, not 35.
kplacer says:
05:44 AM, 07/22/11
Some stout-looking suspension pieces there. When people complain about this car's weight compared to others they need to keep this sort of thing in mind. I don't see a whole lot of cheap, stamped steel suspension bits here like on some other brands. That's part of the trade-off one gets to make.
jaeger1 says:
05:52 AM, 07/22/11
Riiiight. The Regal's porky weight is down to it's "stout" suspension. Please do provide links to examples of these "cheap stamped steel suspension bits like on some other brands", please.
hfv6 says:
06:49 AM, 07/22/11
S60 weighs just as much in spite of being smaller. A4 weighs only slightly less in spite of being shorter. Maxima weighs about the same. And 19" wheels definitely add considerably weight vs 17" rims on a car like the TSX. Not to mention the car is physically larger than its most direct competitors.
Not sure where "porky weight" is listed on the EPA sticker but most folks have no clue how much their cars weighs. Nor do they care. Weight is an obsession of spec loving auto writers and those who take their cues from such people. Of course weight is never a negative when talking about 4000lb 5 series cars or other pricey vehicles that are 1000lbs heavier than similar vehicles sold 10 years ago.
brian_k says:
07:21 AM, 07/22/11
hfv6-
You are correct that many casual buyers have no idea how much their cars weigh. However, even a casual buyer can tell the Regal is slow given the amount of power it has. Even a casual buyer can see MPG differences due to weight. My A8L has less power, a lot less displacement, an all wheel drive system, yet weighs 300-400 pounds less than a 750iL or S550, resulting in a highway MPG advantage of 5-6 MPG vs those cars with nearly the same performance (straight line- many auto enthusiasts thinks overall driving character is superior to those). This all comes down to weight. Casual buyers will see the results. I frankly have been disappointed not to see more weight saving technology pushing down the ladder to less expensive cars (though I believe Audi chopped about 200-300 pounds from the new A6). Where are the lightweight metals, composites, carbon fiber (new Aventador has MUCH cheaper carbon process)?
dracy69 says:
07:24 AM, 07/22/11
Few things
Nice post firstly, very informative.
Next, the gs is confirmed and sae certified at 270 hp, that's the final hp number
third, when I took one of my rear tires off, I noticed this car still had the awd hubs, thought that was interesting but expected I suppose.
And for those of you wondering, I went to new jersey last monday, averaged 29.5, would have done better but I did a lot of idling at six flags and rest stops to keep my ac going. It was hot. I also got the updated trifecta tune on tuesday, no problems to report, and the car runs awesome. It gets another update on friday for more power at higher rpms which I look forward to. I have a detailed write up in the buick forums for anyone who would like to go look.
cutlasskraus says:
07:28 AM, 07/22/11
Awesome write up. These walk arounds are my favorite part of this site. The GS sounds like it could be really cool. Especially since it comes with the right number of pedals standard (3). I would prefer to see that drivetrain being sent to the rear wheels, but when they bring the g8 back in chevy form, I guess the GS will offer a nice fwd alternative.
Alright Dan, let's see the Porsche next!
texases says:
07:35 AM, 07/22/11
Another informative walk around.
Dan, when do we see the 911 walk around?
cutlasskraus says:
07:36 AM, 07/22/11
Dracy, post a link.
hfv6 says:
07:42 AM, 07/22/11
casual buyers dont review 0-60 times, quarter mile times, curb weights, proportion of lightweight high strength steel to coventional steel, etc. They drive a car and see if it has acceptable passing/merging power or if it doesn't. In today's world a 220hp car isnt all that powerful or that fast, but its more than adequate for highway driving and climbing grades which is what people are concerned about. In fact, the regal is slow considering the TORQUE is has, not power. 220hp is a modest amount as we all know. The regal has 50 less hp than the average V6 family sedan and shockingly its slower than those sedans. Less than 10 years back the average V6 wasn't even making 200hp and those cars were considered plenty fast. The only reason 220 isnt seen as more than enough today is because you can get a Camry V6 with 268hp for $25k.
Lightweight materials cost money and its easier to use them in A8s than in cars costing half that much. That is why the industry choses to focus on engine, transmission and electrification technology over massive weight loss. More features, more airbags, a desire to ace crash tests, larger wheels/tires/brakes and more electronics add weight. There is no way around it. The new 5 series is heavier than its predecessor and yet gets better mileage. When results like that are achievable it answers your question about why lightweight materials arent being used more often.
cutlasskraus says:
07:58 AM, 07/22/11
I agree hfv6 220hp is "adequate". But not competitive. Especially for a car that is marketed as a sports sedan. The GS will make this Buick more competitive, but it's still not going to be a class leader. HFV6, I guess you Philadelphia boys don't care much for speed. But up here in Jersey, people like their sports sedans to be sporty. Bring back the g8.
eidolways says:
08:07 AM, 07/22/11
...
My G8 GXP, meanwhile, features 19x8 wheels with 245/40R19 tires. A flippin' *Buick* has wider stock wheels and equally wide stock tires? *grumblemutters most bitterly*
hfv6 says:
08:34 AM, 07/22/11
Not competitive with what? The CC has 200hp and the TSX has 201hp. Its not competitive with V6 family sedans- but the ssame can be said for CC and TSX which are down about 70hp to the average V6 car. Competitive on paper and "more than enough" aren't the same thing. All the cars I mentioned have enough power to easily pass any truck on any road or merge comfortably onto any highway.
When you say "speed" are you talking about acceleration or reaching high speeds? Almost any car today can exceed 100mph. 0-60 in 6 secs is about as usable in normal driving conditions as a 150mph top speed.
kosmo69 says:
08:41 AM, 07/22/11
ZZZZZZZZZZ
crackheadalley says:
08:47 AM, 07/22/11
Great write-up on the suspension, thank you very much.
Nowadays I am more concerned about how much do I WEIGHT than my car weighs. In other words, I am probably right there at the target group GM has in mind for these Buick!
lions208487 says:
09:04 AM, 07/22/11
@jim1212- I get what you're saying, but just keep in mind that the Buick linup is intended to cross hairs with the TSX, G25 and Lexus IS250, and for the LaCross the ES is it's main comp.
The Regal GS at 270 HP and 295 Ft lbs is a better option than the TSX V6 and priced slightly less.
I wish GM would use the Buick lineup to bring back the G8 GT and GXP with a Buick badge, but that's not going to happen either.
Perhaps both of our needs can be met with the rumored Pontiac G8 as a Chevy.
mesama says:
09:51 AM, 07/22/11
Great write up Dan. As usual, the description and pics are excellent.
jaeger1 says:
10:16 AM, 07/22/11
@cutlasskraus: "I agree hfv6 220hp is "adequate". But not competitive. Especially for a car that is marketed as a sports sedan."
Agree completely.
hfv6 says:
10:34 AM, 07/22/11
The G8 was a pretty nice car but everyone needs to remember it didnt do that well. The Chrysler LX cars are doing pretty well (mainly charger) but thats largely because they have the market to themselves. There isnt a lot of evidence that there is pent up demand for large RWD V8 powered cars that arent from true lux brands.
"sports sedan" has little to do with hp. The civic Si and TSX are marketed as sports sedans- they make about 200hp.
lions208487 says:
10:43 AM, 07/22/11
The G8 didn't have a chance. It was released almost as soon as GM killed Pontiac, and right when the economy hit the crap hole. Try to find a used one, I've tried and I have to search at least 50 miles just for 2 or 3 to come up. So I would say even in it's limited time and production it was pretty successful.
cutlasskraus says:
10:49 AM, 07/22/11
Looks really cool here. If it were AWD, then I would have to give it some consideration. But, with just fwd I would still feel like I could've gotten more motor for the money. Or at least a very similarly priced CTS with rwd.
http://www.buick.com/vehicles/future-vehicles/regal-gs.html
actualsize says:
11:03 AM, 07/22/11
@hfv6: One GM document, accessed on July 20 from their media website, says "an estimated 255 horsepower". Another document we have access to from a different source says "estimated @ 270 horsepower @ 5,300 rpm" but says nothing of that being an SAE certified number. The 270 figure is probably the correct one, but GM's own media site still lists 255 as the Regal GS horsepower figure on the main 2012 Buick Regal GS landing page. If 270 really is true, someone over there ought to fix that.
cutlasskraus says:
11:44 AM, 07/22/11
It says 270 on the Buick link I just posted. That front fascia looks sweeeeet. If they brought G8 back and called it a chevy caprice, I think that car would sell extremely well. Give it a base V6 and the 6.0 V8 on the ss. It would blow dodge out of the water.
cutlasskraus says:
11:59 AM, 07/22/11
Sorry. 6.2
teampenske3 says:
12:11 PM, 07/22/11
Very, very interesting walkaround. I agree that this is one of the best parts of the Regal. I will say that I expect the GS to amend most of the power issues on the Turbo. Although I was expecting the Turbo to be a legit sports sedan, seeing as I remember Speed Channel showing the Regal lapping the Nürburgring. I still think the GS is the car the Turbo should've been.
kplacer says:
12:22 PM, 07/22/11
@jaeger1 - Sorry, I'm not going to play. However, Dan has done walkarounds on several cars of late. I'm sure you will be able to find the examples I am talking about.
cutlasskraus says:
12:35 PM, 07/22/11
@HFV6 Turns out there's a pretty big market for RWD V8s.
Apparently police car sales average 65-70,000 per year. And they almost exclusively by rwd v8s. Here's a link to the g8 in chevy badges. And they are actually selling these cars as caprices. Unfortunately, the cool Pontiac styling is gone, and the bland institutional chevy styling is at it's best on this current offering. Great platform. Great base for sales. Now they just need to get the styling to be more exciting and GM could have itself a hit.
cutlasskraus says:
12:37 PM, 07/22/11
Sorry, here's the link:
http://wot.motortrend.com/deliveries-chevy-caprice-police-cars-underway-83809.html
hfv6 says:
01:01 PM, 07/22/11
"If 270 really is true, someone over there ought to fix that."
I guess so but IL announced that the hp was 270 weeks ago so I assumed it was common knowlegde. I think it was based on this June release from GM itself- I think thats pretty official.
http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/buick/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Jun/0615_regalgs
@cutlass:
Hey, I liked the G8 but it didnt sell. Maybe a Chevy RWD sedan will come in the future but I'm not optimistic about that one.
jaeger1 says:
01:44 PM, 07/22/11
@kplacer "Sorry, I'm not going to play."
Well of course you aren't. I have never seen you back up any of your sweeping negative generalizations about imports (and let's not pretend you were talking about other domestice in your 'cheap stamped steel' remark) so I had no expectation that you would here, either.
I've read 270 for the GS from a few sources, of course, we'll see what we see. That should finally give this beast "adequate" hp, though still behind even pedestrian V6 / 2.0T family sedans that make no chest-thumping Nurburgring boasts. And weight and price are both all but guaranteed to go up - so there's that. I'm not sure how impressive 270hp is going to seem in a car that is priced into 330-plus hp Infiniti G37 territory.
mk40 says:
02:29 PM, 07/22/11
Nice photo angles. Really give u a good view of the suspension.
cutlasskraus says:
02:51 PM, 07/22/11
@hfv6. So you admit u were wrong when you said there was no demand for rwd v8s from non luxury brands?
kplacer says:
04:41 PM, 07/22/11
I just realized something. This is a Regal thread and there is no disparaging commentary from BB. Could it be? Has he finally been given the sack?
atomicgas says:
08:53 PM, 07/22/11
surprising amount of rust on a vehicle that new
kplacer says:
06:15 AM, 07/23/11
@atomicgas - I'm pretty sure that is spray-on anti-rust goop you're seeing. I thought the same thing at first until I looked closer. You can see a parting line of sorts on certain pieces with the lower part being a different color than the upper part.
kevm14 says:
08:04 AM, 07/23/11
The worst rust is really the outer CV joint and that is surface rust that won't ever do anything beyond that.
b_boy_007 says:
09:10 AM, 07/23/11
Those have to be the ugliest wheels BBS has ever produced.
mk40 says:
06:46 PM, 07/23/11
Yeah the surface rusts and then stops... it creats a protective layer of rust and doesn't go beyond that.. that's typical. You don't see it on the Lacrosse because that part is covered by the CV boot as well... the boot extends further, over that part probably just for aesthetics.
rwhayes says:
09:12 AM, 02/ 4/12
Although I'm a little late to this party, I did notice some things; The front suspension looks very similar to my 3-series BMW (even the Sachs shock and the offest rear bushing) and the rear rotor has a splined hole through it, for AWD-RWD use somewhere perhaps?