Shocking Chevy Malibu Code X Coupe Unveiled At 2021 Guangzhou Motor Show
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Earlier this week, we shared images of a heavily customized Chevy Malibu XL “Ute” that was presented at the recent 2021 Guangzhou Motor Show in China. Turns out that wasn’t the only radically modified Chevy Malibu that was present at the show, with the American automaker also bringing along a custom Malibu Code X that utilizes exterior parts and components from the sixth-generation Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE.
The Chevy Malibu Code X, as this custom creation is known, appears to pull inspiration from motorsports with its boxed fender flares, lowered suspension, ventilated brake discs, three-piece wheels and rear three-quarter window louvers. The builder of this wild show car also grafted the front fascia from a Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE onto the front of the Malibu, along with the muscle coupe’s LED taillamps. Other modifications include a carbon fiber front splitter, a large hood scoop, carbon side skirt extensions, a GT3-style carbon fiber rear wing, a carbon rear lower diffuser and quad-exit exhausts.
Interior photos of the Chevy Malibu Code X show reupholstered Alcantara seats, along with an abundance of Alcantara trim and yellow contrasting stitching and accents. The Malibu’s steering wheel was also tossed out in favor of a sporty flat-bottom steering wheel from a Chevy Camaro, which is complete with a yellow 12 o’clock marking and carbon fiber accents. Carbon trim also adorns the dash, center console, shift knob, HVAC vents and door trim inlays.
This might be the most heavily customized Chevy Malibu we’ve laid eyes on – or at least since we last looked at the aforementioned Malibu XL Ute that was also shown in Guangzhou. It’s interesting to see these two custom Malibu models come out of China, as this is not typically a vehicle that would grab much attention from the aftermarket here in North America.
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Looks very Pontiac. Malibu needs a major refresh with new sedans like K5 on the road. With Fusion gone there is an opportunity.
Malibu needs FRESH. Time to develop next generation Malibu…!
I love it, really COOL
I’m sorry but that is just awful. I couldn’t care less about the boy racer bolt ons. Just give me a better choice of engines/transmissions, suspension upgrades and wheels/tires combos.
… as said that the Designers are out of talent… when you re-see an elegant 1998 Chrysler Chronos, you notice that
… as said also the future of car styling is mountain abrupt down … like falling into Canyon and dying abandoned eat by vultures
… How the name GM Chevrolet Abutre ?
This concept may not be the most imaginative but nonetheless looks fantastic. Reminds me of Camaro but also a Holden Commodore.
You are stuck in a time warp. Global design has taken over. Chronos wouldn’t sell today 23 years later.
… if Chrysler would produce Chronos, would be one buyer… the interior should have alu polished panels instead the wood ones but the sedan is elegant perfect as design
this concept shown here is design garbage
Put the veil back on, wow. Stole the Camaro front end, took parts from Toyota and God know where the rest came from ! Maybe their using it for crash test dummies.
Love the idea but a bit overdone. A performance oriented Malibu sedan and coupe with storable styling enhances would IMO be a success if only GM would let it be. GM is all too happy to let the rest of the world rule the American market.
GM’s Board of Directors need to fire management from the CEO down. The current management has “blinders” that only see the need for 14 mph trucks an suvs. And those SUV’s only the Buick Encore an Chevy Trax are really close enough to be useful, the others are sport with dern near no utiity. GM’s management keeps throwing good money after bad with the Corvette and EV’s, if 1/2 of that money had been given to the Malibu’s Team what kind of real world vehicle could we be enjoying today. From someone who drives a Hybrid’s perspective, Chevy’s doing away with the Volt was stupid, GM you had a winner there, and in typical GM fashion they threw it away. In closing Ford, an Chrysler has done the same mistakes. At least Ford’s Maverick is a step in the right direction.
The Tahoe, Yukon and Suburban have no utility? Put down the crack pipe.
Crack pipe, really? The Tahoe, Yukon, and Surburban does not represent a large percentage of the SUV market, the rest “cuties” are posers. And if the boaters, travel trailers, etc crowd are backed out of the market, that leaves “public Service vehicles)” and Dodge kind of owns that so the market for that class of vehicle is getting smaller. An as for the crack pipe remark, I spent 22 years in the Coast Guard making sure suppliers of crack pipe stock piles went to jail … for a long time. Now as for suv an truck sales being good … Wolf when you don’t offer anything else … the people just buy (while holding their nose) what’s out there.
As does the others I agree the Malibu needs a refresh. GM, how about a wagon variant, and GM make it useful. Break out your ’96 Oldmobile plans an photos and go there. We The People need useful. The Chevy Cruz Hatchback pinged my Radar and I was ready to write a check … till I saw it. No head room, only about 18″ behind the rear seat, a roof line that cramped rear passengers over 12 years old, and no real useful height behind the seat. As usual with your ideas, sporty but useless to those in the real world. My wife suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, the need to haul a wheel chair is a must, if the space behind the seat can’t allow that, no sale. And before anyone writes … get a hitch hauler for the wheel chair. You have to remove it to open the hatchback, that’s get old real quick. I traded my ’96 Old Cutlass wagon before I realized the new car’s rear window didn’t open. So GM We The People Who Have Medical Issues we could go with 18″ behind the seat, if the rear glass can open. And GM, I’d buy a ’22 Encore today if it’s rear window would open, it’s low enough to the ground the wife can easily get in an out, a must. Get to work, make vehicles we need for a change and stop with the useless vehicles.
Camaro’s poor visibility was addressed; a major improvement.
ENOUGH with the poor visibility, its a SPORTS CAR, not a family kid car or an suv. Do you know what a sports car is? Do you think you could see out of the Countach??? I couldn’t see out of mine. How about Ferrari, Pantara etc. Stick to your Malibu and you’ll be happy.
I agree; a sports car should be driven by real men, not zoomers who complain all the time about practicality, fuel economy, efficiency or visibility. It’s a V6 for cry out loud.
Youtube … “A” go to youtube and watch all the dashcam videos, I’d estimate 70% (maybe higher) involve sports cars both foreign an domestic. The last 30% … sorry SUV drivers of every size, sorry “phone users” you own that. In closing that 70% mark, after looking at the videos, about 20% involve 10 wheelers, the other 50% … family vehicles. And it really didn’t matters from which country the video came from. So Visibility is an issue that should concern people who drive them … if you wipe out a family because your man toy has a visual problem you own that, and yes I know what a sports car is. There is a old phrase that applies here …. “high performance cars, being driven by low performance drivers”.
Exactly! High performance cars being driven by low performance drivers. Of course you know the stupid minority is always well represented right? I have a Camaro with said poor visibility, this has been overblown by people who don’t even have the slightest idea of what it is to drive these cars. I haven’t killed a single human with it and don’t plan to either. Like I’ve heard say and read many time, “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”.
Stillantis just killed the charger so I heard, with that GM should make a sedan with 3 engine options 4 popper 6 cylinder and balls out V8 all with awd option. Make it now and share with platform that replaces the blazer Acadia platform
The SRT are gone , not Charger.
chrysler has only 1 car the 300 and 1 van pacifica,,, so both are gone
Well supposedly from what the ceo said the challenger and charger will be done in 24. But will be back as something different which means ev
👆Big bowls of misinformation, stop guys.
Challenger/Charger isn’t going away/fwd/CUV/all EV, there will be an electric version, the Hemi will still be available, the current versions will stop being made by ’22 for the new platform. Chrysler as a whole will continue probably w/o the 300 all this decade.
Thanks for clarifying things.
Gm had the right car for the job which they should have called the Impala SS 6-7 years ago… But that will not happen again. GM is electric now. Watch Ford take their cake again being first to market with electric cars people actually want. Gm playing catchup again.
Just awful!!
Looks like a rolling ad for JC Whitney.
This just proves that the Chinese should NEVER be designing cars. Period.
Well, if it wore a little less junk, it would have been acceptable, The roofline isn’t bad, it reminds a bit of the Holden Ute. Just get rid of the up and down suspension, the stupid looking fender flares and install a tasteful set of wheels and tires and it’ll look just fine.