When Buick Built a Supercharged Coupe to Take on BMW

By the mid-1990s, Japanese sports cars like the Toyota Supra and Nissan Z had stolen America's heart. Domestic makers, except for the Corvette, were playing catch-up. Buick decided to change that with its eighth-generation Riviera, a supercharged personal luxury coupe aimed squarely at the BMW 3 Series and Acura CL.

It was a bold move for a brand better known for cushy sedans.

The 1995 Riviera marked a dramatic shift. 8-liter V6 under the hood. That engine churned out 240 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, enough to give import rivals a real scare. Inside, the cabin went modern with clean lines and leather, a far cry from the frumpy seventh-generation car.

Buick even offered a heavy-duty four-speed automatic to handle the extra boost.

Sales started strong, about 41,000 units in 1995, but the coupe market was shrinking fast. By 1998, that number had plunged to just over 10,600. Buick pulled the plug in 1999, blaming a broader shift away from two-door cars. Today, these supercharged Rivieras are a bargain on the used market, averaging around $2,500.

A couple of concept cars wore the Riviera name in 2007 and 2013, but neither made it to production. For now, the Riviera remains a fascinating footnote, proof that even Buick once tried to beat BMW at its own game.