With the departure of the Buick Regal this year, the age-old American brand’s portfolio now consists of crossovers only. It’s set to stay that way for the foreseeable future, too, as the brand is busy developing its new battery-electric crossover models and has no plans to introduce new sedans or coupes in the U.S. Despite this, the GM Design team still decided that fans would be interested in seeing their sketch of a sleek Buick sports car.
Details on this unnamed Buick sports car sketch are slim. GM Design says it was originally penned by Geoffrey Richmond, who has served as the Senior Exterior Designer at Buick Advanced Design since February 2017. The coupe has a svelte shape with smoothed-over body lines, giving it a streamlined appearance that would be fitting for a battery-electric vehicle, in our opinion. The tiny front “grille” opening and futuristic-looking LED headlights would also be appropriate touches for an EV, but it’s hard to say if Richmond actually envisioned this design exercise as being electric.
Buick Avista Concept
Keen Buick fans may look at this sketch and be reminded of the Buick Avista concept that debuted at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Avista was a 2+2 coupe with a fastback shape that was powered by a 3.0L twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing roughly 400 horsepower. The Avista received industry-wide praise for its handsome styling, rear-wheel-drive layout and powerful engine, which almost convinced GM to give it the green light. The handsome coupe was only ever intended to be a design exercise, though, so a production version never came to fruition.
We’re eager to see how Richmond and his team integrate modern-day Buick styling cues into its future battery-electric crossover models. If this Buick sports car sketch is anything to go by, these future electric crossovers may have more exciting exterior styling than previously thought.
Two Buick electric crossovers models are set to launch between now and 2025. One of these vehicles is described as “more conventional crossover proportions that maximizes interior space and cargo,” while the second “will feature more expressive proportions with a greater emphasis on form and athletic fashion.” These crossovers will tap GM’s Ultium modular battery system and Ultium drive family of electric motors.
Let us know if this unnamed Buick sports car sketch is a hit or a miss by voting below.
Comments
One has to imagine if there’s a lot of positive feedback from buyers in China, this sporty Buick coupe may see production especially if the exterior body panels are printed from rapid prototyping equipment and the chassis is shared with another upcoming GM vehicle.
“But Buick is set to remain a crossover brand only.”
Buick sells a lot of sedans in China you know…..
This isn’t China, you know
I wonder if they’ll ever stop putting big long hoods on EVs?
It isn’t like there is a longitudinal V8 or V10 under them.
No, but it mainly for looks, plus you can still put stuff under there, there is still a practicality advantage.
The thing is now moving forward a car like an Avista would be much easier and cheaper to approve a business case on vs a ICE platform.
Doing the body and interior on a platform that is tweaked to work on a number of different platforms would bring the cost down fast once the battery cost are under control.
That could make automakers able to do more lower volume models like a Coupe again.
As for long hoods Styling will depend on the public. Long hoods play well with the public as a dramatic visual thing.
Also it may be kept also for crush space and we still do have EV motors to house. They may be smaller but they still take up space.
What will be interesting is how automakers will deal with grills. That is the face of a car and brand. Tesla has not done well here as they are pretty face less and really have no real style up front. The Buick here has a interesting take. Also the Cadillac with the lighted grill adds impact or a face to the vehicle.
Ford on the Mach E had a start but that solid panel in the center really just did not finish it.
I also would not be surprised to see chevy and a buick coupe in EV form in the future. Once you have the battery platform figured out you just have to change the upper panels. I remember years ago this was something GM had a vision about in the future. Basically you want a new car you just buy a new body style but the electric components stay the same.
GM called it the Hy-Wire originally, but yes, the skateboard chassis is pretty much what everyone is talking about now.
Well it is not the skate board as each chassis may be a little different.
It is more like an old slot car. Some of the older cars had chassis that were adjustable to other bodies in length. They would just engineer the platform for with length and add the proper suspension.
I haven’t seen a Buick on the streets in along time I wonder where they selling so good, China? My father was a big Buick customer he bought 2 LeSabre and a Riviera model which is hard to find today. The rendering above would make a great flagship for the brand, it looks like Buick and Lincoln are direct competition now, my how the automotive landscape has changed Not For the Better
I would put Buick right up there with Chrysler, at least in our market.
Buick has always been just under Cadillac.
Chrysler has always been just above Kia when you’re talking quality of build and Luxury. Chrysler never made anything good except an above average minivan.
In this century anyway, but chrysler had some of the finest cars back in the day. Imperials were even higher class than cadillacs
Buick generally does the best concept cars; in fact, so good, these kids belong working for Cadillac if Buick refuses to take risks.
I like the concept accept for the face which reminds me of a dolphin or some other oceanic life form. Avista was nearly flawless and could, as a four door coupe, aided in an upmarket Buick reinvention.
GM managment has little use for Buick NA, doesn’t seem to understand that the brand needs a halo and should be tackling projects GMC.
Make this on the new Ultium platform about the same size as the Regal on the exterior but as spacious inside as the LaCrosse. Make it in Coupe, convertible, sedan and wagon body styles with Rear/AWD. Give It performance that maxes out in the 4.5-5 second range.
This would give buick a family of cars that are unique and gets in buyers that have refused to look at buick recently.
Completely agree. Not everyone likes boring SUV´s or Crossovers or is willing to buy one, no matter what.
It’s a little irritating how Buick designs amazing, Peugot-esque concepts then just says “No, lmao; we aren’t making this beauty.”
I was thinking about how amazing the Envision concept and the CUV electric coupe shown above were.
Was also thinking how this latest coupe slightly resembles Opel’s Monza concept in updated form.
Americans seem to reject beautiful cars, look at Mazda, in favor of boxy Toyota, Subaru, Ford. Nonetheless it seems Buick needs a bold auto in the US
ve.
Looks like a camaro EV to me
With those beautiful high door sills
i’m looking forward to the day when a 2dr EV sports car comes out. it is a small market but if gm came out with something absolutely gorgeous, i think that would turn a lot of heads and elevate their brand perception.
So sad to see Buick discontinue sedans as Foreign makers continue to improve theirs and bring new models to light… Just says to their former loyal buyers that profits are their priority; not those who purchased Buick sedans for so many years… Good bye Buick!
Completely agree.
I personally think the car is exquisite! Lovely lines and the lighting quite unique. So glad to see Buick reaching beyond its usual somewhat boring lines.
Looks like the Buick Bengal concept from the late 90’s
The Buick Avista looks like what a next generation Chevrolet Camaro should look like. It’s a sleek sporty looking car and I’d be happy to be seen in one.
That’s exactly what I thought . I would also buy one.
GM would strike Gold by marketing the old nameplates built in one factory. Oldsmobile,Buick, Pontiac , with smart sedan and small car products. But they have no promo people on board. Got to lose money to make money. Trucks will fade away as time passes. Quick electric hot looking cars with old names .
Build it ! Make it electric with all wheel drive . GM needs to step their game . Compete and lead in the coming big years . The new Hummer is step in the right direction as well as this Buick if it’s built . Same with the new Corvette and hopefully an electric version of it .
Be progressive and not a follower.
Aaand thats why Buick is in the crapper. Both those cars they showed in the article are absolutely gorgeous, but where are they. Why design something that everyone agrees is beautiful and then not make it. And then make a ridiculously tiny SUV that looks like it only fits elves inside? They took the beautiful ass kicking Turbo Regal and turned it into a front wheel drive grocery getter that was so ugly they couldn’t give it away. They could’ve crammed a Cadillac CTS-V engine into a new Regal, made it rear wheel drive, badged it as the new Grand National dressed in only black and people would’ve lined up. But no, they keep on with the lame, soul-less front wheel drive cars that nobody wants until they have to give up on passenger cars altogether. Ridiculous.
And thats why Buick is in the crapper. Both those cars they showed in the article are absolutely gorgeous, but where are they. Why design something that everyone agrees is beautiful and then not make it. And then make a ridiculously tiny SUV that looks like it only fits elves inside? They took the beautiful ass kicking Turbo Regal and turned it into a front wheel drive grocery getter that was so ugly they couldn’t give it away. They could’ve crammed a Cadillac CTS-V engine into a new Regal, made it rear wheel drive, badged it as the new Grand National dressed in only black and people would’ve lined up. But no, they keep on with the lame, soul-less front wheel drive cars that nobody wants until they have to give up on passenger cars altogether. Ridiculous.
Please build the avista! pretty please. I WILL BUY one. It would make such an awesome GT car. like a luxury camaro.
But you know they will mess up and put a 1.3L engine in it. It will be only slightly faster than the Buick chrome potato.
GM these days, Suck. That’s why I got rid of my 2017 Tahoe. Too many damn recalls. They put vehicles,on the market before all the bugs are out. Very stupid company.
Looks alot like BYD Han EV…
GM pooped the bed with they discontinued the Grand National, (real) Regal and the Riviera. THIS could be the rebirth of the Riv. GM also needs to work on their quality control. I leased a Toyota last year when I wanted to buy GM, but couldnt bear throwing $50k at a giant question mark.
The only thing that the Head Cheeses are interested in doing at GM is making enough for their excessively huge wages and bonuses that the clowns at the top seem to get every year. They are not interested in making the best vehicles in the world, but only making the best bonuses in the world. Sad, Sad 🙁
So true!
Both cars shown look great! That Avista…wow. Wish they’d produced that one! I have a 2017 Buick Lacrosse and absolutely love it. Very sleek and stylish. It is a shame that Buick is not selling sedans in the USA.
GM offers few options for those of us who don’t want a SUV! These concept designs would make the Buick badge stand out. Instead of the current lineup of reworked Chevrolet SUVs.
The Avista concept looks gorgeous, but the Enspire concept is easy to confuse with the Ford Mustang Mach E.
I suggest they should turn this into a crossover. That’s where the sales are at!! With this vision, beef this up and make it a crossover/SUV . The only futuristic suv thats out is the Tesla! This would turn heads
Buick, over the decades, has been an innovator. The original Buick Century was so named because it was the first Buick that could exceed 100 MPH. The second generation Buick Century was arguably the first of the true muscle cars. The Buick Grand National was a beast. However, after that, ,Buick sort of gave up and satisfied itself by building “not quite a Cadillac” and now has morphed into a manufacturer of SUVs.
Buick should resurrect the Pontiac Solstice with proper suspension, a smallish turbo 4-banger, shrunk a bit and challenge Mazda’s Miata.
Resurrecting irrelevant cars nobody bought to challenge other irrelevant cars nobody buys is not going to help Buick.
I will say though, that it wouldn’t hurt them either.
They should bring the reatta back to kill the miata. That’s the car that Mazda was trying to be like but made a little tiny attempt to be even half as cool, Pontiac ought to be revived just to bring the solstice back to the world.
Also no.
Who is GM tweeking with this? They have abandoned to foreign producers the entire “non-SUV/Crossover” market. And frankly, I’m grateful. Their products are great looks, engineering, performance and owner satisfaction. Why would I EVER go back to GM ???
Sales numbers dictate what is being produced. Even Toyota and Honda are making and selling lower sedan models. SUV’s and pick up trucks have been on the uptick in sales numbers and are projected to continue on that trajectory. Walk on any lot and you’ll see more SUV type vehicle model choices than sedans, hatches and wagons(even though an SUV/Crossover is technically a wagon. Most States still register and classify them as wagons).
The sketch at the top reminds me of a disgusted clam.
So, in that prototype drawing… is it just me, or does anyone else see a smoothed out high gloss 1969 Corvette in that picture?
With all the retro looks becoming popular nowdays, I would really love a modern, RWD Boattail Riviera.
One retro car that should come back is the highly underrated Buick known as the reatta, they were advanced in the 80s and they could easily bring the stylish design back, flip up headlights and all, and imagine how a hardtop convertible would look on that style of a car. Put a gas powered 3.8 liter V6 in it because mechanics would want to work on it and not have to worry about getting zapped by the batteries in it. I own a 1989 reatta and love the way it looks, runs, and handles. I think that if buick got it done right, unlike what Ford did with the Thunderbird…the reatta could finally have a chance to be the halo car that it was made to be
GM better watch out for lawsuits from Pixar, as this looks like a face lifted Lightening McQueen.
Nah, this isn’t any more likely to reach production than the Pixar car.
I see what you mean though. It kind of looks like a smiley face.
98% of all grills and front ends, as well as rear lights and facia are designed to look or evoke a smiley face, or at least a happy/positive looking face.
After the government/GM deal the new GM became a dud. It gave up any hope of being a great car/transportation company. The government leaders were trying to get rid of gas powered cars and I really think they were trying to destroy the American auto industry. Remember they “gave (forced) fiat to take Chrysler. To bad the just did not give give to Toyota.
They didn’t force them to take Chrysler, and it’s a good thing Fiat gained Ram and Jeep or they’d be in serious trouble.
Anyway, they’re merging with PSA and will be part of a much larger automaker. They are in good shape.
As for GM, I’m not so sure.
Buick has made tremendous stride in changes in sleek appearance comfort and safety. I’ve own Buick tried another make and model for 2 years and went back to Buick. Tou can’t beat the the comfort style or the quality of the car.
I’d definitely like to see something like that in my driveway. I also like how the SUV in the other picture looks, and wouldn’t mind seeing that in my driveway as well.
I worked at a Pontiac, Buick, GMC dealership. I was only there two years. My last year there was also the last year for Pontiac. I can say that Buick buyers are loyal to those cars, and not just the old grandparents. Believe me, there are more and more younger people late 30’s and up, that buy Buick. They like the comfort of the Cadillac with the lower price. I believe if there were more cars styled like the ones on this page, there would be more younger buyers captured and kept in the brand family. They could also use some different commercials and spokespeople. I mean, golf is a fun sport and all, but there are more buyers out here than just those people.
So that nameless concept drawing, I’m just going to say it, is boring and faceless, had I not been told it was a buick sketch, I would have assumed is was some obscure start up company nobody has heard of, and probably never will. The over all appearance is visually appealing, but it trys to appeal to such a wide audience, it comes of as being rather bland. The avista is quite nice, but gm should really step away from opals styling and make something new, they look great, I really love the design, but in the back of my mind, opal, opal, opal. These cars may appeal to some people in this comments section, but I feel they will fail in the wider market, I guarentee the avista won’t have nearly enough head room in the back because they (and everyone else for some reason…) design back seats to accommodate children and not average sized adults, im only 5’¹¹ and I got into the back of my friends new regal, and I could not get comfortable because the roof just falls down on you, you feel like atlas, cursed to forever hold up the ceiling of this fast back sedan, I have to slouch with my head tilted to the side, even then I was hitting the roof going over bumps, and I couldn’t use the head rest because the roof comes in right over it, and it’s like this with all gm products now, even cadillac, and don’t get me started on how awful cadillac has become over the past 20 years, they make these amazing concepts but end up producing junk, they make entry-level cars to appeal to lower income buyers, but totally fail to make anything to capture any attention from the higher tax brackets, and these new cadillacs, if you can even call them cadillacs anymore, look like chevys, its like the Cimarron all over again, and the names, ct5, ct6, xt5, what are these? Am I buying a car or ordering off a restaurant menu? They fail to spark any sort of imagination, which the company clearly reflects in their design and marketing teams. Bland, boring, uninspired, and uninspiring, a dried up husk of what use to be a company that was all those things, and more. I hope general motors gets their head out of their sands soon, corvette and equinox sales won’t hold the company up forever.
Sleek Buick Sports car? Electric? Bring it on. Make sure it[s a four-seater.
Buick has been known to make a nice little 2 door 2 seat sports car…the reatta, screw the electric garbage that modern cars are trying to force people to drive, to hell with crossovers, just cars, trucks, SUVs, sports cars and death sentences…minivans. I would rather ride a moped than any of those electric devices that are not actually cars.
Is that ⚡ Mcqueen?
Will NEVER buy a GM vehicle again in my lifetime. After the Lordstown plant closure and decision to invest in Mexico instead, I just can’t. Thousands of hard working people left jobless due to corporate greed. Get F’d GM!
Buick means grandpa and grandma or at least gray power. Younger generation they don’t like Buick I don’t think gm gonna produce this car but if gm did dream will turn in to nightmare for gm . It’s better for gm to revive Pontiac for sports cars only
Pontiac is dead. It died trying to sell us gaudy plastic cladding.
Buick… Well it’s still kicking, but in a retirement home in Florida.
I agree with you 110%, move everything to Mexico, where they are paid a very small percentage of the wages in Canada and the USA.
I bought a Chevy Cavalier, and the electrical wiring was absolutely crap!! The coating cracked and broke off and the wires actually rusted, eventhough it was supposed to be copper. I ended up purchasing a full wiring harness and replaced it, just to fix the many many problems as a result of the crappy wiring.
We really enjoyed the car, however the engine coolant, was that garbage orange colored stuff, and it destroyed the head gasket and as a result of the combination of the crappy coolant and the electrolysis, the head ended up being pitted so bad the the engine was destroyed.
This is the much too high beltline that Camaro owners complain about. The low roof and high door panels make for a very uncomfortable car. GM should stop giving technology to US enemies. It will bite the USA square in the backside soon enough. Just think Covid 19.
This is what would bring younger buyers into the Buick showroom. It’s sporty and not mediocre looking like all the other crap that is called a Buick now. Make a decent car and people will buy it, even if it’s not an SUV or cross-over – Toyota doesn’t have any problem selling Camrys. Don’t put your eggs all in one basket. GM is the king of brand re-engineering, if Buick doesn’t get it send it to Cadillac and make it the new Eldorado or a real V car. The hell with alphanumeric names.
Completely agree
My Father was a Buick man, as I have been over the past 55 years. My wife and I had our first date in a 1965 Buick Riviera, the last good looking Riviera. Once it moved on to the 66 body style Buick seemed to lose the Riviera’s way. The concept rendering looks fantastic, I only hope Buick will build it (Electric of Course) Now that we are getting older, two-door designs are appealing again.
Niche cars for old folks?
Great idea…
A nice 3-year old design that has become basically unsalable.
Underscores how much the market has changed.
That type of “style” on that kind of “platform” is a thing of the past for mainstream vehicles.
…and Astons / Jaguars of the world have “overworked” that look as well.
Thry will never build it. They have been doing this for years. There was a 1954 buick concept car that looked like tge corvette. There was an Oldsmobile too. They never built them.
Gm is like the democrats. Lots of enticing hinds and promises but very few follow through deliveries. Usually just trying to get that worm in your head that they are the ones to go with.
Gm is so pathetic. Whoops I meant gm with the sad wimpy little “g”