2008 Buick LaCrosse Preview

Super Refined

A new top-tier version of the Buick LaCrosse sedan helps the brand compete at the high end.

New top-tier versions of the Buick LaCrosse and Lucerne sedans resurrect the brand’s 50-year-old “Super” moniker from its heyday. They highlight a strategy to associate Buick's most premium, powerful models with the kind of luxury and refinement associated with high-end carmakers like Infiniti and Lexus.

Visual differences between Super Buicks and their base-model equivalents include more aggressive bumpers, bolder grilles, and more chrome.

The LaCrosse gets front and rear fascias that have been lowered about an inch and have “chins” along the bottom that jut out for a more aggressive look. Buick also deploys a row of small, side-mounted portholes, used on many of its classic models, as a way to evoke its rich design heritage, and denote the use of a more powerful engine.

The LaCrosse Super’s 5.3-liter small-block V8 boasts 300 horsepower (approval of the Society of Automotive Engineers pending), which can push the sedan from 0-60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds. To support the increased power, engineers specially tuned the suspension, steering, and brakes. The front-wheel-drive sedan has a four-speed automatic transmission. New interior features include increased seat-back bolstering, woven-embossed leather on each seat, and simulated wood grain accents. The new LaCrosse rolls into dealer lots this summer.

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