Beijing '08: Buick Invicta concept to be 4-door coupe

[GMusa]

www.autoblog.com

Beijing '08: Buick Invicta concept to be 4-door coupe

Posted Apr 14th 2008 3:06PM by Sam Abuelsamid
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Misc. Auto Shows



During a pre-Beijing Motor Show conference call today, Buick provided some more hints about the new Invicta concept that it will reveal this weekend in China. We've had a couple of teases about what to expect and won't actually be seeing any detailed images until Saturday, but what we do know now is that the Invicta (from the Latin for 'Invincible') is a four-door coupe following the current trend started by Mercedes with the sleek and sexy CLS. According to Buick designer Dave Lyons, getting a coupe to look great is easy, but the four-door layout is something that holds more market appeal. The Invicta picks up where last year's Riviera concept left off and extends that design language. It continues with what he called the "Sweep Spear" curve over the rear fender. On the inside, the cooperating design teams in Michigan and Shanghai worked to create an environment that is both functional and a reported work of art, and the driving environment is meant to impart a feeling of calm and quietness to help reduce blood pressure. Also, in spite of the low roof-line, the designers tried not to compromise rear room like in other four-door coupes. Unfortunately, at this point all we can say is, "We'll be the judge of that!" Based on the description given by GM today, the Invicta looks very promising and we will likely see hints of the next generation Lucerne in this car. But until we actually see it, it's all just hyperbole.

[Source: Buick]

[GMusa]

I really do hope this vehicle comes to the States!! Buick needs a decent Sedan..or in the case 4-Door Coupe

[FenwickHockey65]

Hmmm...we shall soon see.

[megeebee]

....................is it Saturday yet?..........


I have to say, I'm very excited about both the new LaCrosse and this new concept.

[SDVite]

A claustrophobic, vision-impairing "4-door coupe" is a niche product and not a mainstay. Buick needs a hot, proper sedan for 5 adults and a sexy 4-seater (4 adults) 2-door, not this in-between, neither-this-nor-that vehicle - or at least not yet.
Love the name!

[Sal Collaziano]

Looks pretty good from what we see.. Buick is doing a nice job lately. I wonder what the lineup will look like 5 or 10 years from now.. I'm guessing very upscale...

[ChevroletRevived]

Can't wait until this breaks!

[thebuickguy]

wish it was a 4 door hardtop but i guess it wouldn't pass safety standards dang government

[Greg Burr]

Originally Posted by SDVite

A claustrophobic, vision-impairing "4-door coupe" is a niche product and not a mainstay. Buick needs a hot, proper sedan for 5 adults and a sexy 4-seater (4 adults) 2-door, not this in-between, neither-this-nor-that vehicle - or at least not yet.
Love the name!

I think you summed up my impression of what Buick should be (to its roots).

[RSW]

Originally Posted by SDVite

A claustrophobic, vision-impairing "4-door coupe" is a niche product and not a mainstay. Buick needs a hot, proper sedan for 5 adults and a sexy 4-seater (4 adults) 2-door, not this in-between, neither-this-nor-that vehicle - or at least not yet.
Love the name!

Detroit has had problems selling big 2-doors so I think a large coupe is almost untenable (although I personally love these). Marketing found Charger had to be 4-door...2-door Gran Prix was cancelled for business reasons...GTO and Monte Carlo did very badly. Essentially all big American coupes are gone - in 2-doors, people seem to want smaller sports cars (or Pony cars, a re-emerging market).

Somehow Benz and BMW can do it, and sometimes a Japanese maker pulls off a successful large coupe, but lately it seems failures in this segment are the rule more than the exception. I don't blame GM for being hesitant about wading into those waters. With a family now, I've ditched my Monte and I know I cannot consider another two-door. Truthfully no one I know wants to buy a medium-to-large 2-door car.

On the other hand, making a medium-to-large sedan look more coupe-like, with nicer lines but without losing the practicality of 4-doors, seems to be the newest trend - being the "best of all worlds". Obviously it is a compromise and at times these types of cars may not look quite as sexy as coupes and they may struggle a bit with rear seat headroom. To me this is absolutely the right direction to go.

Jag XF has gone this way (we'll see how it does) and to me it makes a lot of sense for Buick to try this with the mid-to-large sizer (LaCrosse or Invecta or whatever), and then, also like Jag, try a more traditional sedan for the full- sizer (Lucerne replacement and, in Jag's case, XJ replacement).

Sometimes we have to balance our dreams with marketing realities. Money no object, I'd love to see Buick and Chevy make a 2-door version of just about every car, like the old days. And, in my heart of hearts, Buick shouldn't bother with an SUV. But let's face it they need to be out of the first segment and in the second segment for business reasons.

[Koasterking]

I like the name....Invinsible! Let's see if the car can live up to that name. I'm sure they'll do a good job and this and the next LaCrosse.

[LeSabre]

Invicta? I know they have used this name 40something years ago, but again?

I dunno if GM/Buick could legally use the Invicta name. There is a car maker in England called The Invicta Car Company. So unless this car company does not have the rights to the name here in the States/NA, then GM should be free to use it again & as well as obtain the rights to it, if they have not done so already.

Here is the link to website of the Invicta Car Company.
http://www.invictacar.com/

[escapen]

This angle looks like a Lexus GS profile, and thats a good thing! This is the new lacrosse, this is the new Buick America has been waiting for!

[escapen]

Although though the new Insignia/ Aura destined for the US would be called the Saturn Aura, I think Buick needs to drop the Invicta name after the concept in china and call it the Lacrosse in production. Maybe they could come up with some cool model lines like the Lacrosse Invicta, Lacrosse Electra, and then Lacrosse Super.

[Bravada]

Why the hell LaCrosse? Regal!

Anyhoo, fun to see teleprompter all ready for Ed Welburn's impromptu small talk