Buick Regal GS high performance version confirmed

In an ongoing effort to be more appealing to a younger demographic, Buick is developing a sportier version of the Buick Regal.  If all stays on track, the company could release the car on the market in 2011, according to The Detroit News.

Essentially a rebadged Opel Insignia OPC (except the powertrain), the Buick Regal GS started as a concept car at the NAIAS earlier this year, and the production car might show little difference.  As a design study, the car used a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine delivering 255 horsepower (190 kW, 259 PS).  The all-wheel drive car featured a six-speed manual transmission, and four-way Recaro front seats.

With the release of a German-produced Buick Regal, the company has managed to strike a nerve with a slightly younger crowd.  The average Buick buyer is now 65-years-old, instead of 72.  Still, the automaker would like to see that number fall even lower.

"Buick kind of lost its way. We built big, floaty, quiet cars -- what our customers wanted at the time," Buick representative Dayna Hart told The Detroit News.

"The GS would be the next step, more performance-based."

Buick is expected to introduce a small four-door inside the next year-and-a-half.  They are also planning on smaller crossover vehicle based on the Buick Enclave.