Connecticut's Car Guy

On Thursday Buick will reveal the highly anticipated 2011 Regal in Los Angeles.  The Regal is a sport sedan aimed at the likes of the Acura TSX and Volvo S60.  It is manufactured in Germany and based on the award winning Opel Insignia, which is the best selling midsized sedan in Europe.  Right now the Regal is an extremely hot selling vehicle in China, with 64,000 units sold since December 2008.  The US version of the Regal is slated for release in the second quarter of 2010.  There are two available engine options: a 182 hp 2.4L Ecotec direct injected 4 cylinder that achieves 30 MPG (est.) and a 220 hp 2.0L Ecotec turbocharged 4 cylinder that achieves 29 MPG (est.).  Both engines will be mated with a 6 speed automatic transmission with driver-shifting control.  It is also rumored that an S version will be available with 6 speed manual transmission.