Just how influential can music be? Forget making your mum learn the Macarena, music can excite a revolution, shift emotions and even move markets.
In November 2024, Los Angeles-based rap music star Kendrick Lamar released his sixth album, GNX. The album debuted at the top of the USA Billboard music charts and recorded more than 44 million first-day streams on Spotify.
The album was named after the Buick GNX, a high-performance variant of the Buick Grand National, itself a high-performance version of the more pedestrian Buick Regal two-door coupe.
Launched in 1978, the second-generation Buick Regal was powered by engines ranging from a 67kW 3.2-litre V6 to a 123kW 3.8-litre turbocharged V6. There were V8 options in the early 1980s, but the two-door variant, the Regal Sport Coupe, kept the V6 but had output tweaked to a peak of 130kW in 1982. In typical American fashion, though, some customers wanted a little more oomph from their Regal, and in 1982 the Buick Grand National was released.
Built to celebrate Buick's manufacturer victory in the 1981 and 1982 'NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series' (hence the name), the Grand National was intended to be a 'sticker pack' special. Initially painted grey, and produced in limited numbers (just 215), compared to the regular Regal Coupe, the Grand National had a 93kW 4.1-litre V6 as standard, but the 130kW turbo V6 was an option.
In 1984 though, the Grand National started to hit its stride. The cars were all black now, and power from the 3.8-litre turbo V6 increased to 149kW, then to 175kW in 1986 and 183kW and 481Nm in 1987 – a 49 per cent increase over the standard Regal Sport Coupe.
The Grand National had become something of a street hero, but buyers still wanted more.
In 1987, the final year of the second-generation Regal, Buick, in collaboration with McLaren (yes, THAT McLaren) and ASC of Michigan, released the Buick GNX, a muscled-up version of the muscled-up version of the now nine-year-old Regal coupe.
Limited to only 547 vehicles, all painted black, the GNX saw significantly upgraded output from the 3.8-litre V6. Power climbed again to 224kW, torque to 569Nm, a 22 per cent increase over the Grand National and a staggering 234 per cent (157kW) improvement on the base Regal motor from 1978. This was achieved by using a larger Garrett T3 turbo, an intercooler with alloy piping, ECU changes and a more free-flowing exhaust.
Work was not limited to the engine, with McLaren/ASC also adding cooling vents, black mesh 16-inch alloy wheels, and a unique torque-arm that helped keep the rear wheels on the ground (but would let the front end lift) to aid traction under heavy launches.
In terms of performance, the GNX could complete the 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.7 seconds and was good for a 13.4-second quarter mile in showroom trim.
Why is Lamar so connected to the GNX, even to the point where his own car is featured on the cover of the album? The rapper was born in 1987, the same year as the car, and was driven home from the hospital as a baby in his father's Buick Regal – not quite a GNX, or even a Grand National, but the car certainly had an impression!
But while the sentimental connection between Lamar and the black Buick is clear, the success of the album and rise in prominence of the rapper has had an additional impact on the American muscle car. Prices for Buick GNXs have risen, significantly.
According to data presented by online classic car market aggregator Classic.com, prices for the black coupes have climbed almost 40 per cent since Lamar’s GNX album was released.
Due to its rarity and performance credentials, the GNX was not an unknown collector-car by any stretch, with the average selling price of a Buick GNX six months before the album’s release in November 2024 an already high, $US162k ($A247k).
In the six months hence though, prices have climbed to an average of $US199k ($A304k), a 23 per cent increase. The five most recent sales are driving this even higher, to an average of $US240k ($A367k), a 103 per cent increase from prices seen back in early 2024.
Fun fact, the highest price paid in the past five years for any second-generation Buick Regal was not for a GNX, but the 'last ever' Grand National, which sold in January 2022 for a staggering $US550k ($A841k).
Are the rising values a result of the popularity of Lamar's album?
Since its release, the album has sold more than 2 million copies. In July 2025, Spotify reported 454 million streams for the single month.
Like many things, the good times can't last forever, and in the weeks it has taken me to finish writing this story (it has been a bit busy around here...), GNX prices have hinted at a decline. For example, a modified car sold last month for just $US100k ($A153k), and more surprisingly, a well-documented original example was sold at auction for $US154k ($A236k).
Perhaps more telling, another good GNX was passed in at auction for a high bid of $US216k ($A330k). As it turns out, GNX (the album) isn't far behind the trend, currently ranking 32nd on the American Billboard 200 chart, from a recent low of 40th.
Overlay the two, and well ... it seems music can lift things up, but only if the beat stays strong.
With over 20 years of experience in digital publishing, James Ward has worked within the automotive landscape since 2007 and brings experience from the publishing, manufacturer and lifestyle side of the industry together to spearhead Drive's multi-media content direction.
