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Buick Wildcat EV concept previews the future of the brand

Once again, Buick has revealed a drop-dead stunner of a coupe concept, the Wildcat EV. And just like the Avista that came before it, don't get your hopes up too high for a production model. Buick hasn't said "no," but they haven't said "yes," either. But unlike the Avista, the Wildcat does give us a look at where Buick is going as far as styling, branding and technology. Also, did we mention it's freaking gorgeous? The Wildcat EV started out as a sketch by a Buick designer that caught the eye of the department, simply because it was really cool. The team started developing it further, and eventually the brand gave the go-ahead to bring it to the full-size concept you see here. It is purely a design concept, so although it's an EV by name, it doesn't have any kind of production powertrain or real specs. But it is designed with electric power in mind, as evidenced by the extremely long wheelbase and short overhangs. And this translates into Buick's electric future. The brand plans to be fully electric by 2030, and its first EV will launch in 2024 as a 2025 model. The shape of the coupe is very clean, simple and organic, but with interesting creases and intersections scattered throughout. It has wide haunches and a low, pointy nose. The grille is pushed down and made wide, which accentuates the shape of the car. The badge now sits atop the bumper, too. The greenhouse has blacked-out front pillars to create a wraparound look, and the roof has a gentle slope toward the rear. It incorporates a glass hatch, and the taillights blend into the glass and extend all the way up the rear pillars. While Buick isn't making a commitment either way for the Wildcat EV, these styling cues will appear on future Buick models. So imagine the front and rear fascias, the window treatment and sheetmetal detailing, but on other bodystyles, likely crossovers and SUVs. In fact, Buick said it has two models it will reveal later this year with some styling based on the Wildcat. Before we get too far from design, we should also highlight other cool aspects of the Wildcat EV concept. The wheels are turbine shaped as a throwback to Jet Age design and optimism. Each wheel took two months to produce and finish. The doors on the Wildcat are conventional, except for the gull-wing upper panels. They open up to make ingress and egress easier. And the interior is a gorgeous, mid-century-modern design.

2018 Buick Enclave slims down for spy shots

Most vehicles are refreshed every five years or so. New technology and styling is required to keep up with the latest trends. Although this cycle is common, there are some vehicles, like the Buick Enclave, that seem to stick around far past their expiration date. We now have spy shots of what appears to be the nine-year old Enclave's replacement. Although the vehicle in the photos is completely covered in camouflage, we can make out the new Buick family grill. There are a set of LED running lights up front and what appear to be a location for foglights toward the bottom. The camo covering is cut in places to allow gaps for sensors, presumably for parking and other driver aids. Out back, the rectangular taillights don't appear to be production ready. The whole rear, especially the glass, looks smaller than the outgoing model, though it is difficult to properly tell through the camouflage. The rear bumper has wide cuts for the dual exhaust pipes, and again the camo has cutouts for sensors. The side profile reveals the biggest change with the new Enclave. The current version shares a platform with the Chevrolet Traverse and the original GMC Acadia, some of the largest vehicles on the market. The all-new 2017 Acadia scaled down in order to compete against midsize crossovers and now has more in common with the smaller, Chinese-built Buick Envision. That doesn't mean the Enclave and Acadia are entirely separate. Both the Enclave and upcoming Traverse will ride on a stretched version of the Acadia platform. The general profile remains the same, but it's apparent that the vehicle in these photos is longer than the new GMC. Most other details are speculation. The Enclave will most likely arrive with GM's 3.6 liter V6. With the introduction of the Envision, the Enclave is expected to move upmarket to compete against the Acura MDX and Volvo XC90. Because of the slightly narrower shape, passenger seating is expected to fall to seven. The new crossover will probably lose a bit of weight with the redesign. The new Buick is expected to debut next year as a 2018 model. Look for the reveal of the Chevrolet Traverse replacement as well. Related Video: Featured Gallery Buick Enclave Spy Shots View 20 Photos Spy Photos Buick Crossover

GM applies to trademark Buick's Electra name in Canada

At Auto China 2020 in Beijing, Buick revealed an Electra concept with a design language called Potential Energy created by one of GM's Shanghai-based design studios. A press release about the concept said the "all-electric crossover offers a sneak peek at Buick’s vision for a new intelligent electric future." It's possible that the "intelligent electric future" could include the Electra name, as the Rivian Owners Forum discovered Buick applied to trademark that model name in Canada on December 20. Buick isn't new to the name, having put it on a luxury sedan it produced from 1959 to 1990. What better way to resurrect history with electricity using the name Electra and a design language called Potential Energy? As the Rivian forum also noted, Buick snuck a concept car into General Motors' promotional video for the Ultifi software platform that will connect owners' digital lives across vehicles and locations. For less than two seconds at the end of the vid, a seriously chic fastback sedan speeds through a digital landscape, a Buick tri-shield logo set into what looks like an active rear spoiler. We don't see Buick building this car, but we'd love it if Buick did. What we imagine more likely is a more production-possible evolution of the Electra concept shown in Beijing last year that had Ultium batteries powering two electric motors that shared a combined 583 horsepower among both axles. The sprint to 60 miles per hour was said to take 4.3 seconds, range estimated at about 410 miles. The dihedral doors enclosed a buttonless cockpit with a rectangular, retracting steering wheel, huge curved screen, eConnect software, and an AI-powered assistant for feature control. There was also a skateboard tucked into the rear bumper for last-mile travel to the destination or the half-pipe. We expect Buick to launch at least one crossover in 2024, and another in 2025. One of them will likely compete with the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the production version of the Chrysler Airflow concept. Related video: