Road Strikers

The Buick Avant, or Small Premium Buick concept which was developed by GM's designers at GM LAB (a kind of open source design experiment) is an undefined concept vehicle which is aimed at luxury car buyers who want something a little smaller. I say the Avant is undefined because instead of their being a final, finished concept there are a series of ideas and designs, any one of which could make up part of the final product. In total Buick came up with six exterior designs and four interior layouts to gather as much feedback as possible. At the start of the Small Premium Buick project the designers looked at rapidly growing markets around the globe, places like China - where Buick already has a strong presence, and tried to develop a car which would suit potential buyers in these countries, and also city dwellers around the world. The idea was to produce a vehicle which would offer premium level features and creature comforts, while also adhering to small overall dimensions. The d...

Buick just can’t seem to let go of the Riviera nameplate. Since its arrival in 1963, up until its demise in 1999, well over a million Rivieras were produced. Then in 2007 it popped up again on a sporty looking coupe concept introduced at that year’s Shanghai Motor Show. Then in 2013 it came back, finding itself attached to a concept car which was unveiled in Shanghai. Yet despite sharing the same name as the 2007 concept, and the same 2-door coupe layout, the 2013 Buick Riviera concept was an all-new car.  “Riviera is a design study of the future expression of Buick design with its elegant athletic shape, sculptural beauty, and precision execution,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president of global design.  “It is a great opportunity to share Buick’s future design language and technology strategy.” The interior of the 2013 Buick Riviera concept features Buick’s signature 360-degree integrated design theme. The luxuriously trimmed in...

To put it mildly, Buick isn’t the most exciting brand at the moment. Its lineup consists of several very dull and uninspiring sedans and SUVs aimed primarily at retirees who need something to ferry them between the golf club and the grocery store. But it wasn’t always like that, and one independent designer, Marc Senger, thinks it’s time for a re-think. The Buick Wildcat concept is a rather adventurous design which takes its influence from the 1954 Buick Wildcat II concept – produced back when GM’s designers worked for their money. The role of the Wildcat would be to act as a halo car and entice younger buyers to the brand. Senger has pitched his car to compete against the likes of the BMW z4 and Audi TT. However whereas these cars rely on 4, 5 and 6 cylinder configurations – in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms – the Buick Wildcat concept would be fitted with a 5.5 litre inline 8 complete with a supercharger, a turbocharger and ...

GM is still trying to figure out exactly what Buick is nowadays, and what they should be building. They want to take them back upmarket, but then again they can't really tread on Cadillac's toes. But on the other hand they've got a lucrative niche selling rebranded Opel models in China under the Buick name. They're even bringing the Opels to North America. But clearly GM have got bigger and better things planned for Buick, at least for now. The Buick Avenir concept is a flagship sedan model designed to reinvigorate the brand, as well as explore the future design direction of the company. The Avenir is the creation of a global team of Buick designers and sculptors who were inspired by historic Buick vehicles. Its name means "Future" in French. "Avenir embodies Buick design, which centers on effortless beauty and presence without pretense,"said Ed Welburn, vice president of General Motors Global Design. "It demonstrates the growing international...