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Strange Buick-Badged Tesla Model S Spotted On The Road

Well here’s something, um, different. What we’re looking at here is what appears to be the rear end of a Tesla Model S, but with a number of Buick badges glued to it. Photos of the strange Besla (Tuick?) were posted to social media recently, and well, we have a few questions. The biggest one – why would anyone do this?

Looking over the photos, we see the Tesla owner added no less than four individual Buick badges to the trunk of his or her EV, including a Tri-Shield emblem up top, Buick branding in the bottom lefthand corner, and both LaCrosse and CX badging in the bottom righthand corner.

As for the why behind this weirdness, there are a few theories. The most plausible is the owner wanted to disguise their Tesla Model S as some other vehicle, given the fact vandals around the country have been known to randomly key Teslas or otherwise mess with them.

Granted, that chrome section under the Buick badge still reads “TESLA,” so it doesn’t take much sleuthing to figure out this isn’t really a Buick LaCrosse. Nevertheless, anyone who defaces a stranger’s car simply because it runs on battery power is probably a complete moron anyway, so the disguise might work perfectly.

An actual 2019 Buick LaCrosse Sport Touring

Incidentally, this Buick Tesla isn’t the only example of owners disguising their EVs with some ICE-powered badging. In the same thread embedded above, we found Tesla Model 3’s dressed up as a Honda Civic Si and Audi RS3, so apparently, this isn’t a one-off situation. There’s also a picture of Chevy Cobalt with the Bowtie badge painted like the Tesla “T,” but that one looks like it’s just a goof.

Anyway, what do you make of this Buick-badged Tesla Model S, dear reader? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more Buick news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. I think it’s more an ironic statement

    Did you guys look on Tesla forums to see if the trend is a topic there? That’s what I would do…

    Reply
  2. LOL. That’s funny.

    But I agree with Andrew above. I bet you a donut that if you were on any Tesla forums that you would see this exact subject trending. Because there are idiots out there who feel it’s OK to damage someone’s car only because it’s all electric, the Tesla owners are most likely coming up with some really good ways to disguise them better! And yes, if you are stupid enough to damage someone’s car because it’s not what you think is best, you are probably not smart enough to read. Thus the morons wouldn’t pick up on the word Tesla in the chrome trim.

    Reply
    1. 10. Pay no attention to MyBuick. Go roll coal the other guy.
      9. In Wisconsin Semi-Trucks line up to block in Tesla’s
      8. Please don’t lump me in with those Bernie Sanders voting freeloaders that usually drive Tesla’s
      7. I tried Toyota badges. People got suspicious when they saw me driving at the posted speed limit.
      6. Please don’t tell grampa I sold his Lacrosse
      5. Buick is the perfect disguise. No one is sure what they look like.
      4. Shhhh. I’ve been steeling electricity all over town. No one notices when a Buick does it.
      3. Had these letters on 3 KIA Optimas in the 2 years. Didn’t want to lose them because it’s very hard to find newer Buicks in the junk yard.
      2. Tesla drivers treat you like a leper, when they see you bought the base model.
      1. I really wanted a GM electric car, but the Volt & Bolt are just too small.

      Reply
      1. Love #s 5 & 7 lol!😂😂

        Reply
  3. I find it a sad commentary on the styling if you can put a Honda badge or Buick badge and fool people it is not a specific car.

    A good design is one that is not just appealing but one that if you removed all the emblems you still knew what it was.

    Today they all look like the same sad car

    Reply
  4. Now that I think about it….the Tesla Model S has a swoopy styling styling language isn’t that far off from Buick.

    Reply
  5. If you are prone to getting parking tickets, the badging can make for the police/agent issuing a ‘defective’ ticket. They might write Buick on the ticket, seeing the badges, and then when you send in the registration and it says Tesla, the ticket is dismissed as it does not reflect the actual vehicle.

    Reply
    1. bylaw enforcement where I am takes a photo(s) of the vehicle showing the infraction

      also modifying your car to avoid ticketing (or tolls, or cameras, etc.) is illegal, so you could face worse charges if that argument is made by the owner to try and avoid a $20 parking ticket

      and in the end, the fine is attached to the registered license plate and not the specific vehicle itself

      Reply
  6. “Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick”?

    Satirical question / From 1970’s Buick ad slogan.
    (PS: Don’t go nuts and start a series of troll posts dishing Buick.)

    Reply
    1. That was an excellent response & yes I would really rather have a Buick!

      Reply
  7. That’s pretty much all of Kia / Hyundai’s line-up and most of Ford’s current offerings…sans the F-150.

    Reply
  8. The country is run by Morons and they are enabling them. This is really sad and isn’t happening in any other country in regards to electric cars.

    Reply
    1. Just to throw in my two cents. I know of a race car driver in the late 80s that was sponsored by Ford. He wanted an SUV but Ford did not make the explorer until 1991. So he purchased a Chevy SUV. He removed the Chevy emblems and put Ford in ones on. That way he did not violate his contract with Ford

      Reply
  9. “That’s not a Buick.”

    That commercial is realizing it’s destiny in “real” life.

    Reply
  10. It would appear many are doing this to avoid the idiots who are hostile towards Tesla owners.

    Reply
  11. If you bought a Tesla you love it and is yours! Do anything you like and protect from morons! Who cares what others think, you know what you driving! Hate Prosac Nation is out there 👌

    Reply
  12. If you live in a vandalism-prone area, that’s probably not a bad idea…I wonder if they did anything about the front badge? Hm…

    Reply
  13. I bet someone wanted to get their aging, buick obsessed parents a Tesla, but knew they’d refuse if it was anything else.

    Reply
  14. Some drivers are taking all of the badges off their cars for some reason. As like you can’t tell what the car is unless you’re familiar with that car.

    Reply
  15. Sucks to be Tesla. I guess. Although anyone trying to help the environment is a good thing.

    Reply
  16. As an owner of a newer LaCrosse I have to say at night the Model S and the LaCrosse look surprisingly similar. From the same basic rear lights, the front LEDs, the overall side silhouette and in particular the rear haunches they can become easily mistaken. I’d never noticed it until I bought mine and started sitting beside Teslas at red lights and it’s not like you see many new LaCrosses on the road to study.

    Reply
  17. Nevertheless, anyone who defaces a stranger’s car simply because it runs on battery power is probably a complete moron anyway, so the disguise might work perfectly.

    Reply
  18. Just drove by this car and did a double take. From a far stated….”that can’t be a Buick”. As we got closer turned out it was a Tesla. Crazy…..

    Reply
  19. Hey that’s my car! Done to disguise it, I guess that’s over! Lol

    Reply

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