Shanghai Motor Show Preview: Buick Riviera Concept
Autoblog Chinese has the early word on Buick's Shanghai Motor Show concept, and it's got another familiar name attached to it: Riviera. Better still, it's a coupe -- no Dodge Charger-style door growth here. The Riviera is being called a "global" concept that showcases Buick's future design DNA. Penned at GM's Pan Asia Technical Center, the Shanghai show is just the first venue at which it'll be shown. According to AB Chinese's report, it will travel to other international auto shows afterward. Hopefully that schedule will include next year's North American exhibitions, where there will likely be no shortage of people interested in seeing the Riviera nameplate on a modern Buick coupe, concept or otherwise.
The Riviera features a traditional coupe profile with short front and rear overhangs and a tall nose that we sure meets pedestrian safety requirements in a number of markets. Not traditional, however, are the car's oversized gullwing doors, which allow for wide entrance into the Riviera's apparent 2+2 interior layout. We should have a lot more on this car next week as the Shanghai show gets rolling.
We're left scratching our heads as to why the US division insists on using silly names like LaCrosse and Lucerne for its cars, while China manages to see the value in leveraging the traditional American monikers with some history behind them, like Regal, Park Ave, and now Riviera.
[Source: Autoblog Chinese (Translated)]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
JC3 1:11PM (4/14/2007)
That concept car totally blows away my concept of Buick as being a staid grampa car.
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HotRodzNKustoms 1:20PM (4/14/2007)
The Buick concepts are some of the best out there. Now if only they could build them!
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Devin 1:44PM (4/14/2007)
I really want to know what kind of GM platform it is based off of (Please Zeta!!!). This car would probably fit in the GM lineup nicely, since it would be marketed much more upmarket than any Camaro/Trans Am, and would maybe be the curvier version of Caddy's CTS coupe. I don't care how Buick does it, just bring this car to production. FAST.
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devilracer 8:24AM (11/15/2007)
If gm brings this car here I buy one for sure
SilverAero 2:31PM (4/14/2007)
I will be pissed if this gets built for China but not here. Buick is still alive, i just hope that haven't scared it off this continent.
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carlos 2:35PM (4/14/2007)
Buick can do stuff (and eventually sell it) in China, because people actually take them seriously there. Here, we'd just make fun of them.
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G 3:35PM (4/14/2007)
Wow, they really are copying Lexus here. Looks like the next-gen IS350. I guess thats the way to get to the top, copy the current best.
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hotcams 3:42PM (4/14/2007)
BUICK will go the way of Levi's and KFC here in the USA. O and I forgot Action Jackson.
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Will S. 4:24PM (4/14/2007)
#6 -
Copying the current best is exactly how Lexus got to be where they are.
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GhostDoggy 4:24PM (4/14/2007)
G, stating a car company is copying something from another car company is like saying politics exist in all its glory in the US of A. How about something original? For instance, are you suggesting Lexus has never taken a thing in styling or engineering from another car company?
Personally, I could care less. If a company has something original to which they can patent or trademark then it is their fault if their competition copies them, and then beats them at their own game.
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dave 4:57PM (4/14/2007)
definetly not copying LEXUS..u guys are on some serious crack..
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dave 5:01PM (4/14/2007)
http://www.cartype.com/page.cfm?id=903&alph=All&dec=All
same design language as Buck velite..a 2004 concept. Click above if u dont know what im talking about.
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Deezee 7:57PM (4/14/2007)
It would be more exciting if they actually started producing cars that looked like this. Instead of rolling out the catastrophes known as the Lucerne and the lacrosse.
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Phelix 9:00PM (4/14/2007)
GM turns out some of the best concepts you'll ever see. The problem is when the design gets to the bean-counters, who cost-cut the design to mediocrity. Hopefully something like this makes it to market for Buick, though... It's exactly what they need to fix a "broken" brand.
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Reno 9:06PM (4/14/2007)
Even though I like the direction Buick is going in China. This Concept isn't a Riviera. I'm a 28 year old and I own a 95 Riviera and In my opinoin it is one, if not the best looking design in Buicks history, this isn't a evolution or revolution to the 95-2000, 1964-65, or the 1966-68. I like Buick, surprisingly at my age and this car pays more homage to the Regals of 1982-87.
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Merkis 10:42PM (4/14/2007)
Wow, awesome concept!
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G 10:51PM (4/14/2007)
Dumbasses: I'm not defending Lexus, or saying they don't copy (which they obviously do). It seems Buick is setting Lexus as their standard to follow, I think Lutz mentioned this in the past about Cadillac, but it seems even Buick is setting goals high, which is a good thing for America.
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Mr. Red 11:54PM (4/14/2007)
I'm tired of the ill faded conecpt cars, 90% of them look like crap, and the 10% they never produce.
http://www.burnedbytheman.com
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iQuack 12:20AM (4/15/2007)
Almost all concept cars are silly teases that are never produced. Sometimes the concept's name survives on some lame POS, but that's about all.
Show me the metal in the lot with a price sticker on it and I might get excited.
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ruggels 1:42AM (4/15/2007)
almost all unless we're talking about companies who produce oh 75% of their concepts, like say audi.
were gm to start doing that, i think a lot of us would be a lot happier.
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