Buick Regal GS, a high performer

For most of Buick's long life, its suspension engineers traveled to the Gulf of Mexico, donned their snorkels, and dived down to the sea floor to worship at the altar of the Sponge God.

As a result, driving a Buick was the automotive equivalent of sleeping on Beautyrest's softest mattress.

In recent times, Buick has changed religions. In the interest of building more athletic, more sophisticated automobiles, its suspension engineers have begun attending services at the European Church of Firm and Composed Undercarriages.

In the case of the Buick Regal that debuted as a 2011, Buick took Europeanization to the limit by basing the car on the Opel Insignia built in Germany. That mid-size sedan proved as competent and fun to drive as it was stylish.

Now comes the 2012 Regal GS (as in Grand Sport), a higher-performing and more upmarket machine, aimed at people who feel that spirited driving is the next best thing to intimacy.

Visually, the GS adds sporting cues to the regular Regal's handsome hide, including unique fascias, rocker-panel extensions, a rear spoiler, and integrated dual exhausts.

Mechanically, things get even more interesting. The GS eschews the standard 2.4-liter, 182-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine in favor of a turbo-charged, direct-injection four that extracts 270 horsepower and a surprising 295 pounds feet of torque from a mere 2 liters.

I have a crush on this engine. It's not one of those overachieving little screamers that you have to keep near the redline to make it perform. This engine develops its peak torque early on, at only 2,400 r.p.m.s, which is where you want the grunt during real-world driving.

This muscular squirt takes the GS from zero to 60 in a little more than six seconds, which is sprightly enough to make the car fun. (It would be even more willing if the GS didn't weigh a rather hefty 3,710 pounds.)

Despite its sporting nature, this engine proves rather hushed business, which helps make the car as civil as it is entertaining. And, with EPA mileage rating of 19 city and 27 highway, this engine delivers good fuel economy for a turbo that has to haul around a mid-size sedan.

In addition to its lusty engine, the GS is equipped with a Drive Control System that allows you to adjust the suspension and steering sensitivity. The suspension adjustments range from the comfort-minded to the firm setting you want for energetic driving.