Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the Buick Invicta Concept

Buick has dusted off the Invicta name, which hasn't been used by the brand since 1959, for its newest concept that debuted today at the Beijing Motor Show. The mid-size sedan previews the look of what U.S. customers will get with the next redesign of the LaCrosse sedan, and draws much of its design inspiration from Buick's most recent concepts like the Riviera and Velite. The Invicta features traditional Buick design cues like its waterfall grille and portholes, relocated on this car to the hood rather than the front fenders, but the rest of its styling is modern and fresh in a decidedly un-Buick way. The high beltline is a common element in many auto designs today, and is used well on the Invicta to give the concept a big presence for a mid-size car. We particular the shape of the lower air intake up front and the "sweepspear" character line along the side of the car. The sweepspear looks a bit like the sheetmetal kink on the Dodge Avenger, but so much better. The interior, meanwhile, appears surprisingly production ready with a wraparound dash and self-contained location for all controls above the sweeping center console.

Power for the concept comes from a turbocharged, direct-inject four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque, which is hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission. Since it's a concept, however, the Invicta's powertrain is pretty immaterial. We're interested in its styling since it's likely what we'll see on the next-gen LaCrosse, which is scheduled to switch over to the Epsilon II platform that's shared with the Chevy Malibu when it debuts as a 2010 model. According to spy shots, things are coming along quite nicely.


[Source: Buick]

General Motors has been enjoying some serious success in China with its range of Buick models, and it hopes to continue that trend with the unveiling of the Invicta concept at the Auto China show in Beijing. We've already seen one teaser shot of the Invicta in profile and this newest image (on the right) gives a faint hint of the front end. We messed with the image in Photoshop to draw out some of the fascia's details, but the only thing that's really obvious is the swooping, Saab-esque headlamps and the kinked beltline originally seen in the profile shot above.

The Auto China show is right around the corner, so look for a full report in just over a week's time. Hit the jump to view the unmolested teaser.

[Source: GM via Carscoop]

Click above to enlarge

Buick gave a sneak peak today of its Invicta concept car that will be revealed next month in China at the Beijing Motor Show. The design will be an evolution of the sleek Riviera Concept, and was a collaboration of efforts between various GM Design Studios around the world to create what Buick hopes will be a vehicle with international appeal in its two largest markets - the United States and China. The Invicta, a name which hasn't been used by the Buick brand since 1963, will also feature retro design cues from Buicks of the past. A short press release can be found after the jump, and look for the full details on the Invicta in just over a month when it makes its official debut in Beijing. We'll, of course, have someone there to relay back all the info on this Sino-American hybrid.

[Source: GM]

Click on the image above to view in high resolution

While our crew in Detroit was busy bringing you all the latest from the 2008 North American International Auto Show, across the pond the Belgians were holding the European Motor Show. And with all the major automakers putting on the ritz in Detroit, smaller manufacturers took center stage in Brussels.

One of the vehicles making its debut in Belgium was the Ivicta S1, a British-made GT that recently underwent some revisions. Whereas the previous version was strictly a two-seater, the revised interior on the new S1 now includes rear seats. A range of Ford-sourced V8s are available, with the top-of-the-line version producing 600 horsepower and capable of propelling the S1 600 to 60 mph in under four seconds. Invicta's engineers have moved the engine rearwards in the bay and sandwiched the fuel tank under the rear seats to improve the S1's balance, as well. The car's body is made from carbon-fiber, bonded to a tubular steel spaceframe chassis that optimizes rigidity and crashworthiness while keeping the car's weight down to 1,380kg.

Invicta originally began making cars in 1925 but closed in 1933, before the original S1 resurrected the name in 2002 at the Birmingham auto show. The company only makes one product, and only builds one per month.

[Source: Invicta via Motor Authority]