The Buick that became a centerpiece of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show was a Grand National presented by the production as a GNX. Whether the specific car was a genuine GNX is disputed: WIRED’s behind-the-scenes account describes the team sourcing a GNX, while Hot Rod’s later examination of the visible car argues it was a Grand National styled to look like one.
What kind of Buick appeared in the halftime show?
It was a Buick Grand National used for the car reveal during Lamar’s performance of “Bodies.” The production presented it as a GNX, tying the stage image to GNX, Lamar’s album title, which refers to the Grand National Experimental. The Associated Press also identified the vehicle as a Buick Grand National Experimental in its contemporaneous Super Bowl LIX coverage.
The car served a practical stage purpose as well as a visual one: dancers emerged from it. WIRED’s account describes the halftime show as a video-game-like portrayal of Lamar’s life, with performance spaces arranged like buttons on a PlayStation-style controller. In that larger conceit, the Buick was a striking prop and a link to the album’s name.
Was the show car an authentic GNX?
The available reporting does not establish the car’s identity through a VIN inspection. WIRED reports that the production team sought and sourced a GNX. Hot Rod, however, examined the visible car and argued that it was likely a Grand National rather than a genuine GNX, pointing to the absence of the augmented front and rear wheel wells it identifies as a tell of an authentic GNX.
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Hot Rod quoted seller Daniel describing the car as “a Grand National that looked like a GNX,” and saying it was “the perfect car for them.” His account was that the look met the production’s needs without the expense of paying GNX prices. That is a reported identification dispute, not definitive proof of the car’s trim.
| Question | What the reporting says |
|---|---|
| How did the production describe it? | WIRED’s behind-the-scenes account says the team sourced a vintage GNX for the reveal. |
| What does Hot Rod’s visual analysis suggest? | Hot Rod argues the visible car was a Grand National made to look like a GNX, citing the missing wheel-well details it associates with a genuine GNX. |
| Is its exact identity conclusively verified? | No VIN-level identification is established in the cited reporting. |
Why didn’t Lamar use his own Buick?
Lamar wanted a GNX in the performance, but his own Buick Grand National was not used because the production needed a car it could gut for the stage effect. Art director Shelley Rodgers told WIRED: “That car was not easy to find, especially since he dropped his album,” adding, “We could have just used his, but I don’t know that he would’ve liked it after.”
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WIRED reports that Erik Eastland of All Access found a vintage Buick at a used-car lot in Riverside, California. The team modified it so dancers could emerge during the performance. Eastland said the production was “going to need to see the car and not a cheap imposter.” The account does not give a purchase price for the show car.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why does the GNX name matter?
The GNX—short for Grand National Experimental—was a limited-production version of the 1987 Buick Grand National. Hot Rod reports that 547 were made and describes them as powered by a turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 rated at 276 horsepower. Their rarity helps explain why identifying the show car’s exact trim matters to enthusiasts, even though the performance needed a convincing stage vehicle more than a collector-grade example.
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Hot Rod put the price of a bona fide 1987 Grand National GNX at $100,000 to $200,000 and more “these days” in its 2025 article. That is a dated estimate from that publication, not a current 2026 appraisal or the price paid for the halftime prop.
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Sources
- WIRED: “The Wild True Story Behind Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show”, by Angela Watercutter, February 9, 2025.
- Hot Rod: “Was the 1987 Buick Grand National GNX in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Real or Fake??”, by KJ Jones, 2025.
- Associated Press: “The Latest: Eagles spoil Chiefs’ three-peat bid, win Super Bowl 40-22”, February 9, 2025.
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