2004 Buick Rainier GNX Prototype ... Say what?!

[Drew Dowdell]

I've been looking at comfortable, cheap SUVs that I won't mind putting a ton of miles on due to a job duties change that is starting in 2015. I'll be driving back and forth between Pittsburgh and NJ twice a month...  So I was looking at Rainiers and 9-7x since they can be had for cheap and some of them come with rear air suspension.  (I've also been looking at MB GL350 CDIs with airmatic too.... because I'm a masochist apparently)

 

In the process I found this:

2004 Buick Rainier GNX Prototype

 

 

They claim it is a one-off that was sold at Barrett Jackson when GM went into Bankruptcy.  It has a supercharged V8 (5.3??), Borla exhaust, and AWD. 

 

I can't seem to find any information on it and there are very few pictures in the listing.  Does anyone remember seeing/hearing about this before? 

 

I may ask them if I can stop by and do a story on it the next time I'm in NJ if it is still there... I'm also going to contact some people at Buick to see if they have any info on it.

[ocnblu]

Is there a way to go into Barrett-Jackson history for the time range and see if this is a fraud?  See what vehicles were sold during the specified time?

[Drew Dowdell]

Here's what I found on Barrett-Jackson.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Interesting find. Doesn't seen too far fetched considering the ingredients were pretty much avail for the Trailblazer SS, including AWD and the 4.10 rear. The TB SS had the Corvette's LS2 tho,...  and touted 390HP and 0-60 times in the 5.4-5.6 range. I often wondered why Chevy didn't just go for it and give it the full HP of the LS2 at the time of 400HP. It may have made it as fast as the Grand Cherokee SRT8 that had 420HP. Of course I'm sure the desire to have some iota of fuel economy came into play as the SRT was a true guzzler. 

 

I'm sure if this is for real Drew.. the S/C gives it a 500HP rating.,