Being available for the public, the Buick Reatta had its share of unusual features for its time. The car displayed an all-digital dashboard. It even boasted one of the very first LCD touchscreens installed in the center stack of any other production car foreign or domestic.
The new tech was dubbed the Electronic Control Center (ECC) and was similar to the Graphic Control Center which had debuted on the 1986 Buick Riviera. The driver was allowed to visually access and scroll through diagnostic information regarding the drivetrain and other vehicle operating parameters. The ECC even allowed operating the car’s climate control system and sound system, which although mainstream by today's standards, was rather futuristic in the 1980s.
The Reatta featured twin bucket seats with a storage area behind the seats featuring two lockable bins and a lockable access hatch to the rear trunk.
It was known as the only Buick's with traditional pop-up headlamps, not the moveable covers that were seen on the early Rivieras and the Skyhawk.
Underhood was the 3800 V6. The transversely mounted 3.8L overhead valve V6 was pretty much the same power plant that Buick used in the Grand National. However, the Reatta’s version of the engine made less power, was naturally aspirated and sent power to the front wheels.
Starting with its first model year, the engine was rated at 165 hp. By 1991, it was rated at 170.
Mated with an electronically controlled four-speed automatic, the Reatta’s V6 served as a midway point between the Fiero’s smaller, optional 2.8-liter V6 and the more powerful, not to mention pricier, V8 that propelled the Allante.
Having 165 horsepower, the Reatta wasn’t exceedingly powerful but it wasn’t necessarily slow either-thanks to its low weight coming in at roughly 3400 pounds. It had a top speed near 130 mph.
We will get you up to speed. So grab a drink and lets get down to the nitty gritty!
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. One of the systems, in particular the ECC, had “bugs” and was even considered by some buyers as being defective.
The screen at times would completely “black out” and once that happened, you could say goodbye to climate control functions or any other systems that were controlled solely by the touchscreen.
It was also this year ,1988, when fifty-five examples were designated "Select Sixties" and allocated to Buick's top sixty dealers. The models, internally designated model X22, came with a black exterior, tan interior, and unique "Select Sixty" hood emblems.
Back in 1986 when the first pilot car was built, Jay Qualman projected to move 20,000 of the Reattas annually. So far, it was falling short of that goal, with model years 1988 and 1989 combined only producing a total of 11,717 cars.
15 апр 2022
