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This Is The Buick Avista Concept

Feast your eyes the Buick Avista Concept. Having just made its somewhat-expected debut at a special event this evening just ahead of the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the concept pushes Buick’s design language and “rekindles its historic performance roots”.

The brand may have said a reborn GNX is not in its future, but this is a GNX by a whole other name. As some of our staff has stated, it’s a GNX, except, it wasn’t designed with merely a hammer.

Buick, instead, calls the Avista a “contemporary grand tourer” with a 400 hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. Yes, it runs and drives. We heard it. Buick says the twin-turbo V6 is backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission and Magnetic Ride Control. Active Fuel Management and Stop/Start technology keep things frugal, however.

Those ponies find their way to the rear wheels, too, in proper sports car fashion.

Buick is happy to draw resemblances to the Avenir concept with the Avista, and is quick to point out “uninterrupted body lines” that suggest motion. Also, note the absence of B-pillars, a lovely way to enhance the flowing profile, especially with the doors open.

Buick also highlights the front and rear lighting elements, which feature “soft curtain” elements to create halos around the edges. Buick says the design foreshadows the evolution of the brand’s lighting features.

The interior incorporates minimalist design, with very performance-oriented cues. But, the lines inside feature intense technical and surface details. In fact, the door and seat trim were actually created with 3D-printing technology.

The most conceptual part of this vehicle sits in the center console controls, which are all controlled via touch feedback on a widescreen instrumental panel. What Buick calls a “Superior Blue” color accents Mist Gray leather interior, inserts and console trim.

So, here’s your surprise, Buick fans. An exotic sports coupe only the Buick of today could bring forward. This is what momentum looks like. This is the Buick Avista.

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Comments

  1. This is gorgeous!!

    Reply
    1. This is what I had hoped for the ATS coupe. A sexy and well proportioned car.
      The rear of this car is equally attractive.

      The proportions remind me of the Jaguar F-Type.
      That is not bad company appearance wise.

      I like Cadillac but why would anyone buy a ATS Coupe.

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  2. Great looking concept. I wonder if this will have any influence on the rumored comeback of the Opel GT.

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  3. Oh my GOD! Please let this make production!

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    1. This design, not the size but look, could easily have been used for both a coupe and sedan. It’s sharper than LaCrosse and Aveinar.

      Reply
      1. Lets hope they dont ruin it with 2 more doors

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  4. Wow! This is what the Buick brand needs.

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    1. Absolutely.
      It looks production ready also.
      Build it please.

      Reply
  5. HOT DAMN it is gorgeous. I hope they actually build this one and fill one of the “holes” in their lineup.

    Reply
  6. Love the styling of this concept. If this car were to be built AS IS, I would be the first in line to purchase it. Although is must be rear wheel drive with an LS engine (or V6 turbo) making at least 450hp and available with a manual transmission. Great design. Now we can only hope GM will put it into production.

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  7. wow beautiful car, I like the new grille design. Hope a form of this car makes it to production. Probably with a TTV6, this is the car buick needs to broaden the demographic

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  9. Whoever did this should have done the 6th gen Camaro. Looks amazing.

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  10. WOW!!!

    If Buick wanted to step me up from Chevy, this would be the car to do it.

    Again, wow!!!

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  11. The side profile reminds me of an Aston Martin a little. That isn’t a bad thing. Beautiful.0

    Reply
    1. I was thinking the same thing. Avista looks like a very expensive European car.
      This car must be built. Buick does the best concepts but generally doesn’t follow through.
      I don’t miss the waterfall or missing portholes.
      If Cadillac built cars like this, they’d be outselling the German brands.

      Reply
      1. I’d buy one today

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  13. ok…now put it in production

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  14. Now Buick might be making a car that’s got me moving around in y pants.

    Build this thing,

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  15. Gorgeous.

    Since it doesn’t look that big, there could be a ‘Bolt’ version of it. Handing Tesla it’s Assla.

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  16. Oh, talk about HOT!!! Be still my beating heart!!! So, GM, now that we know you can design stunning concepts, can you execute them into production? The exterior is 100% perfected, the powertrain seems already in production, and the interior is just breathtakingly beautiful so what’s not to like? If you build it, we’ll buyit and know that you’re really serious about being world class and taking it to the Asian and German automakers. The Avista will raise the Buick and GM brand dramatically. Your design, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing teams did really beautiful work.

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  17. Cant wait for the watered down neutered production version of this. Should look very similar to the cascada.

    Reply
    1. There will be changes. There always is with concepts.
      They will not carry over the oversized wheels, ultra low profile tires and the seats that are not practical but the proportions, styling and design will carry over.
      Also chassis and powertrains are already in production elsewhere so that will also make it to production.

      I can think of no good reason why GM will not greenlight this for production.

      Reply
      1. Same reason the Elmiraj never made it. GM is afraid to make a statement.

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        1. With all due respect to the Elmiraj which was a fine concept but it was no where near production capable. It used a developmental ‘Omega’ chassis that was 4 years ahead of any possible production worthiness.
          The Avista is much closer to production viable. The engine and chassis are already in production.

          GM is not afraid to make a statement. What maybe a problem is how much better looking this is than the ATS Coupe.

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          1. You could make excuses all you want but the Elmiraj should have been the CT6 period.

            Reply
            1. Actually I disagree with you a little and think that the CT6 is the 4 door production interpretation of Elmiraj.

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              1. I like the CT6 i really do but it looks nothing like the Elmiraj.

                Reply
                1. I didn’t say the CT6 looked like the Elmiraj.
                  I said that the CT6 is the 4 door interpretation of what the Elmiraj would have been.
                  A coupe like the Elmiraj was and is a non-starter for Cadillac to produce.
                  It will not happen before 2025.
                  There is no market for a car like that to justify the investment.

                  The large luxury sedan market that the CT6 is entering is dwindling rapidly. The entire segment reduced by over 10% last year and coupes represent and even smaller portion of that segment.
                  http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2016/01/usa-large-luxury-car-sales-figures-december-2015-year-end.html

                  Not worth the time to build an Elmiraj.

                  Reply
  18. Well the styling is a home run and this is a car that could compete with any Euro GT in the mid luxury class.

    Now here is the problem. Will this be a car that could get to production 90% as we see it or will it remain still born as the Avenir?

    Buick is doing so well with the show cars that if they don’t deliver on some of them people will grow tired of the tease.

    Anyone still want a Grand National Now?

    The first problem I se here is the odds of it making it to production with a true hard top is slim. They could do it but at the price of added weight and that would not happen unless they have a new or different platform than the Alpha coming.

    But again this is only a styling concept and not a production car. The good is they are hitting home runs on show cars but they really are going to have to deliver at some point.

    Unless they say anything about production I would warn to temper your expectations.

    To me this is the affordable Bentley GT coupe.

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    1. What price would you sell the Avista at without encroaching to much on the ATS coupe?

      There is and always will be a pricing and performance hierarchy at GM.

      Reply
      1. Screw ATS and regulating price points! Each brand for its self. Corvette and Camaro don’t play thing silly non compete game.
        GM is big enough for two luxury brands.

        Reply
        1. exactly. Cadillac isn’t exactly lighting the sales charts on fire, if Buick can build a great car and have people flock to it, all the better.

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          1. I agree with the one for all and all for one mentality but there is a still a price and performance hierarchy between the Camaro and Corvette.

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      2. Well we have some things to consider here. This if produced would be a 2018-19 model.

        With that being said what kind of ATS and CTS will we have by then since we have new ones coming that will be first from the independent Cadillac.

        I suspect that the level of Cadillac models will increase in content and price along with a host of other features not available yet today. This will clear room for this car in the $40K-60K range.

        As for Cadillac now that they are on their own the performance door may be open today. They may be able to do as they wish once they get their own engines and now they are under their own control.

        Finally we all know the Corvette is going to radically change for the coming C8. I have an idea performance will not be an issue for anyone as the Vette will take it to the next level anyways.

        This is a deal you have to consider timing and progress. This will not remain static at GM as it has in the past.

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    2. Couldn’t agree more. Produce both the Avenir and Avista very close to they appear. Do not give me a 2017 Lacrosse and say it looks like the Avenir, because it doesn’t.

      Reply
      1. We could still see a Avenir at some point. The fact is Cadillac is still not out and I get the feeling Buick tested the waters and learned there was interest. It would take the a couple years that GM no longer leads that far out on announcements anymore.

        You know we were not getting the Colorado too.

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  19. This is Buick’s 21st century Riviera and it’s stunning!

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  20. The Avista concept is demonstrating.. this isn’t the Buick of yesteryear as this car goes after the best of Europe with sleek lines you would expect from an Aston Martin and with 400 horsepower under the hood, this car should be a hell of a lot of fun to drive as one can imagine ithe Avista with the upcoming 10-speed automatic transmission that should mean good mileage numbers.

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  21. This Buick Avista is a sensuous looking car that General Motors needs to build.. as it is something that will have consumers lusting for like no car with the exception of possibly the C7 Corvette.

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  22. If this went to production, what’s the competition?

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  23. If this does not see production (in near concept form) I will have lost all faith in Buick. Alpha platform with the new 3.0 TT and magnetic ride control and forget the competition. The first thing I though when I saw it is it’s a perfect competitor for the Lexus RC. Please build this!!

    Reply
  24. very smart

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  25. Y’all are gonna down vote me for this.

    First off, I’m not completely liking this new Buick look. I’m already missing the shiny chrome waterfall grille and the ventiports. If anything, the move away from the signature look reminds me more of the 90’s Buicks. I want to continue seeing post-bankruptcy Buicks triumphantly flashing that dollar grin.

    If the production version is Alpha-based coupe, I’ll be thrilled, but I’m also a little concerned. I’m concerned that this would compete with the E-Class Coupe and 6-series, where a CTS Coupe (or CT# midsized Cadillac coupe) should be competing. I think that type of overlap would be counterproductive to Cadillac’s image rebuilding. To prevent that from happening, the production Avista would either have to be down market in the interior materials and technology, or performance. The Camaro interior is already pushing entry-level luxury; the production Avista already has little wiggle room. The best they can do to prevent overlap is offer AWD, be automatic only, come with higher profile tires, offer more interior room

    I wouldn’t at all be disappointed if the production version is an upcoming E2XX-based coupe. Especially if it’s mid-sized to large. Why? Because roomy, gorgeous FWD personal luxury coupes have become one of the whitest of white spaces in the auto world. What used to be a staple in every Big Three lineup has all but disappeared. A modern Riviera, like the Cascada, would add a high profit margin to a core platform and have little to virtually no direct competition. On top of that, a production Avista can go all out with the interior quality and technology. It’s not like they can’t make it the lawyer’s hot rod. They can make that GNK AWD system come standard with the top trims enabling drift mode like the Ford Focus RS. Cadillac luxury with a Buick drivetrain. That’s still a winning combination.

    Let me be clear, I still love this concept. I’ll still be thrilled if they greenlight it. However, my point is:

    Luxury + Performance = Cadillac
    Luxury + Affordability = Buick
    Performance + Affordability = Chevrolet

    An Alpha-based Buick somewhat tampers with that formula.

    Reply
    1. Curtnik…you’re right that is not the popular stance but your points are valid and I can see the rationale.

      Reply
  26. Very, very well done! By far one of the most striking designs to grace the Buick brand EVER! It is now truly my hope that the Avista concept is far more than a mere design study for Buick! Like the equally impressive Avenir concept, this a vehicle that’ll definitely create brand cache for Buick, and make it more of a desirable brand IF GM ever decided to produce it.

    With Buick bridging the gap between the affordability of Chevrolet and the luxury of Cadillac, some of the best of both worlds can and should be prevalent in Buick’s lineup! And the Avista precisely personifies what some of these things should be! Make it happen GM!!!

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  27. Design looks great, yet sufficiently unspectacular to be production-ready…. Let’s see if RWD will also make it into a final product..

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  28. If they give it a good riding suspension (I want a luxurious ride, not stiff ride meant for the track), better visibility then a camaro, the 400hp v6 returns okay mpg, and the futuristic interior proves functional, then I would really consider buying one. Hopefully it wont be way over priced if it ever makes it to production.

    Reply
  29. Face it , this is just another publicity stunt that mirrors the brilliant Avenir concept . Buick probably raked in great brand awareness from the Avenir concept and this one will keep the flames going . I forecast the next hottie to emerge will be for an Enclave replacement concept . Again , a design to make the faithful salivate , but considerably dumbed down should any reach production ….probably produced with loving care in China !!

    Reply
  30. Last year the Avenir, this year the Avista. Perhaps next year, by way of a change and third time lucky, Buick will introduce a stunning car that is actually going into production.

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  31. Buick is taking influence from there concepts…..but Cadillac isn’t……that’s why I think Cadillacs are DATED and Buicks are not.

    Reply
  32. GM does not need another coupe with no rear legroom and no trunk space. I’d love to see them stretch this out a little to make sure those two aspects are covered and give us the CTS coupe, that Cadillac did not. It allows GM to target different need rather than have a 3rd coupe with the same dimensions competing on price and looks.

    Reply
    1. I’d much rather Cadillac just give us the CTS coupe. Cadillac is supposed to have the 6-series fighter, not Buick.

      Reply
  33. Breathtakingly beautiful! Bet you a dollar they screw it up. Where’s Lutz when you need him?

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  34. This looks like a James Bond getaway car. It looks gorgeous! Now all Buick needs to do is put it into production.

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  35. Seeing Buick’s Avista tells you that General Motors is continuing to develop their Alpha platform and it makes you wonder whether we’ll see the B-pillarless design of the Avista in Cadillac’s ATS in a couple of years if the Avista doesn’t get built when the ATS gets it’s mid-life refreshing; the design of the Avista and the Avenir shows the direction Buick is pursuing for it’s future personality.. as we may see elements of the Avista and Avenir in the next generation Buick Regal or Verano.

    Reply
  36. SPECTACULAR. sadly, it will never be built.

    Reply

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