Buick Riviera VIII gallery (1994–1999)

The final eighth generation returned to sweeping full-size grand tourer dimensions, powered by potent supercharged 3800 V6 engines.

All photos 38 I 0 1962–1965 II 0 1965–1970 III 0 1970–1973 IV 0 1973–1976 V 0 1976–1978 VI 0 1978–1985 VII 0 1985–1993 VIII 0 1994–1999

Following a one-year hiatus, the eighth and ultimate generation of the Buick Riviera arrived for the 1995 model year. Engineered on GM's exceptionally rigid G-body architecture shared with the Oldsmobile Aurora, the Riviera was reborn as a large, dramatic personal luxury coupe with aerodynamic lines and an oval-themed cockpit. Powertrains centered on the award-winning 3.8-liter 3800 Series II V6: the naturally aspirated L36 producing 205 hp, and the supercharged Eaton Roots-blown L67 generating 225 hp, upgraded in 1996 to 240 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. Shifting was performed by the heavy-duty four-speed 4T60-E / 4T65E-HD automatic transaxle. On November 25, 1998, GM announced the end of the Riviera line, marking the finale with the special 1999 Silver Arrow Edition limited to only 200 serialized units featuring torqued aluminum wheels and bespoke silver paint, concluding 36 years of Riviera heritage.