Bitter Builds A Better Buick

Now that we can basically predict the styling of future Buicks by putting waterfall grilles on current Opels, and the brand’s biggest market is China, it’s safe to say that Buick is no longer a particularly American brand anymore. It should come as no real surprise then, that it took a German to build the Ultimate Buick. That “B” on the grille stands for Bitter, an old-school German tuning house that has been to Opel what Alpina is to BMW. But because Erich Bitter has spent his life improving mass-market cars rather than Bavarian bahnsturmers, he brings a unique approach to the Opel Insignia, also known as the Buick Regal. In fact, you could almost call it more Buick than Buick.

Of course, the comparison is unfair. Bitter doesn’t have to worry about cannibalizing Cadillac or cranking out serious volume, which frees him up considerably compared to the real Buick boys. And so he starts where Buick leaves off: with the 2.8 liter turbocharged V6 and all-wheel-drive of the Opel Insignia OPC, that Buick won’t bring stateside out of respect for Cadillac. But he doesn’t hop it up to its crazed potential. Instead, it pumps out a quiet 260 hp (aka “Insignia Sport” trim) and can be serviced at any Opel dealer.

Instead of making a manic horsepower machine, Bitter wants his Insignia to “feel like a Bentley” on the freeway, and according to Autobild, it basically does, 20 inch wheels and lowered suspension notwithstanding. (Autobild actually calls the overall impression “like a Quattroporte that’s been shrunk in the wash”). But Bitter’s priorities are best illustrated by his interior, which combines real wood, leather and Alcantara. He tells Autobild

I hate plastic. It must all go away. Too “Opel-ish” (opelig).

With 53 interior components modified by this dedicated plasticphobe, the Insignia actually starts looking like, well, a Buick should.

Now for the bad news: it costs €65,000. That’s all of $80k by current exchange rates. And that will only happen if he can work out a deal with Opel, which currently has bigger fish to fry than cut deals with a low-volume tuner. Bitter himself says that if that deal doesn’t happen, this will be the last car he builds. Which is almost tragically fitting. As Autobild points out, finding BMW 5-Series intenders who might be tempted by a tarted-up mass-market sedan is no easy task in this day and age. Buick must know exactly how he feels… which is probably why they just sell Opels now.