Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Coupes, Buick
Detroit Preview: North American debut for Buick Riviera concept
click above image for more high-res pics of the Buick Riviera Concept
One of the stylistic highlights of the 2007 Shanghai Motor Show was the Buick Riviera concept. The gullwing coupe was developed by GM's Chinese design team, who did a bang-up job. The Riviera reportedly gives a pretty good preview of the design direction for future Buicks, especially ones sold in China. If so, Buicks will finally have some real character besides those fender portholes. The Riv would make an attractive variant of the Zeta platform, although those gull-wing doors are unlikely to go any further than the concept. North American audiences will finally get a firsthand look at the new Buick when it kicks off its tour on this continent at the Detroit Auto Show.
[Source: Kicking Tires]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
iSpec 12:12PM (12/16/2007)
Eerily familiar ala Genesis Coupe. "Buick, Hyundai beat you to the stage."
Reply
Sam Abuelsamid 12:15PM (12/16/2007)
Actually GM first showed this concept 6 months before the Hyundai at the Shanghai Motor Show last spring
TBlueMax 12:40PM (12/16/2007)
It was close. Both concepts were released within a couple weeks.
Hyundai released sketches of their Genesis concept car in March '07 ahead of the debut of the concept at the New York Auto show in April '07 http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/04/new-york-auto-show-hyundai-starts-over-with-the-genesis/.
On the other side of the world, Buick released info on the Riviera concept in early April '07 http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/14/shanghai-motor-show-preview-buick-riviera-concept/ in advance of the Shanghai motor show later that month http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/20/shanghai-auto-show-buick-riviera-concept-officially-unveiled/.
Aside from a relatively clean, modern design, I wouldn't confuse one for the other.
CastleCharles 6:34PM (12/16/2007)
This reminds me of the concept Buick has been showing since the 80's. The Color, the grill... I know IT IS NOT the same CAR, but does anyone else know what I am talking about? Different names, different years, but Buick had a "concept" with this grill, these curves WAY BACK. Finally, 20 years some (the grills) of that design has kinda made it to the cars. It's all good, but imagine if buicks really started looking like this in 1992. I understand Buick protecting their geriatric following, but even grandpa could have gotten on board with this a few years ago.
why not the LS2LS7? 12:27PM (12/16/2007)
Wow, when Lutz said Buick competes with Lexus, I didn't know it meant they'd be copying them.
Reply
the law 12:31PM (12/16/2007)
the concept was and still is great, but when is the car gunna hit the pavement?
Thats the problem GM has they show a car the hype builds, 2yrs go by and other car maker bring out something similar and kills Gm's chance.
This would be nice as would Saturn-Opel's 4 dr,AWD concept
Reply
len simpson 12:37PM (12/16/2007)
It would make a good Volt,prolly the same architect
Reply
iSpec 12:40PM (12/16/2007)
Hyundai's HCD 1 & 2 were offered in concept in 1992-93 and there are just too many design elements in the Genesis from the HCD's to attribute the Genesis to the GM
http://www.carstyling.ru/en/cars.1993_Hyundai_HCD-II.html
Reply
xxxxxxx 1:26PM (12/16/2007)
ispec,
You might want to take off your sunglasses before you make any comparisons. The HCD1 or 2 dont have anything in common with the Riviera. They actually look like Pontiac sunfire. On the other side the HCD 8 has some similarities porportionally with the riviera. But thats about it.
iSpec 1:57PM (12/16/2007)
You might want brush up on automotive design history. Hyundai's Genesis coupe is a derivation of and evolved Tib and HCD design. Say what you want but GM copied the Tib with the Pontiac Sunfire and their design studio is copying Hyundai again.
MemphisNET 12:57PM (12/16/2007)
Very nice. Hopefully coming to N.A autoshows means a rwd coupe of some kind is coming to a Buick showroom.
I'd love to see a modern Grand National, but it would probably go against what GM is trying to do with Buick.
Reply
Irfan 1:18PM (12/16/2007)
looks nice. its a shame it will look nothing like that when it hits production. they'll probably give it old aztec wheels.
Reply
Timothy Auhll 1:35PM (12/16/2007)
I'm still waiting for the Cadillac 16, hell I'd be happy with a Northstar V-8 in the 16 or the supercharged version that they're putting in the V spec Cadillac's. Knowing GM, I'll probably have to wait for the 2047 Barrett-Jackson auction to buy the Cadillac V16 as a experimental car GM never would build.
Reply
Pokey 1:43PM (12/16/2007)
The front looks a little busy, but the rest looks beautiful. Buick NEEDS to build this!!!!
Reply
J.Crew 1:48PM (12/16/2007)
It is funny how people are commenting on this like it is the first time this car has been posted. This concept has no similarities to any Lexus design conept as some have stated. The only coupe concept Lexus has shown is the LF-A which they can't figure out how to produce due to the poor aero pakage at high speeds - read "unstable". Also - Lexus was supposed to use "L-finesse" as a design language which must translate into tacky add ons with the new IS-F and its Nascar nose, crappy plastic body kit, and horrible non functioning quad tail pipes.
The future of Buick looks bright with designs like this one going forward. A production version would be a great addition to the line up next to the Enclave. It is a clean design with interesting surface detail. GM has been producing some of the best concepts and production models as of late and I can only see this momentum picking up with each new product they launch.
CTS/Malibu - up for NA COTY
BUICK ENCLAVE/Tahoe Hybrid - up for NA TOTY
That is 4 nominations out of a possible 6 total available. Good job to Honda and Mazda for making the list ass well.
Toyota and Lexus are living off of a well earned reputation right now. However, they do not know how to lead by design. They make boring looking and driving cars that are of good quality, but slipping in the overall scheme of things. The pendulum is starting to swing back the other way...
Reply
Moe 2:30PM (12/16/2007)
I guess looks are subjective, but other than the hideous new LX and ES, I think Lexus is doing a fine job with their new cars. For the record, the IS-F's non-functional tailpipes were only on the preproduction model. They're very real on the actual production car.
J. Crew 2:43PM (12/16/2007)
Inside Line regarding the IS-F quad tailpipes during a full test:
"There's also something about the gimmicky styling. The most telling trace of disingenuousness can be found in those stacked quad exhaust "resonators," as Lexus describes them. We discovered that not one of the chromed ovals is directly plumbed to the muffler and are instead part of the rear fascia. They're there just for looks."
Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=123125
Joel 2:10PM (12/16/2007)
If Lexus and Caddy had a baby this would be it. Someone at GM needs to learn to stop copying what works for the other divisions. You don't add a minivan when everyone else at GM is selling the very same minivan. You don't add a hideous suv when everyone else sells the same suv but less ugly. You don't copy Caddie's Science Design just cuz' it is working. Each division needs own styling cues. the Enclave was a great first step. Don't blow it.
Reply
J.Crew 2:32PM (12/16/2007)
Funny thing is that GM does not produce any minivans now. They finally cut that pig out of their model line up and are only purging the last ones through the retail chain right now. I agree that Chevy does not need a version of the Enclave/Acadia/Outlook. Chevy should get an all new minivan of its own though.
Rick Watts 2:18PM (12/16/2007)
I just hope they get it to market quicker than the Camaro. If they don't the styling will be outdated. I guess it will give them something to show on the Buick website for 5 years like they have done with the Camaro on the Chevrolet website. The Camaro will be ready for a body style change by the time it get's to market.
Reply