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Avista concept shows Buick's performance potential [w/video]

With names like Wildcat and Riviera in its past, Buick knows how to make a good-looking performance machine. It's just been awhile. But the Avista concept revealed Sunday night ahead of the Detroit Auto Show suggests Buick's sporting heritage might be more than relegated to grainy photos. The Avista is a 2+2 sports coupe running a twin-turbocharged V6 cranking out 400 horsepower through the rear wheels. Look familiar? It should, as it reprises many of the design cues from Buick's last show-stealer, the Avenir, which debuted a year ago in Detroit. "The Avista embodies the dynamic soul of Buick," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of global Buick sales, service, and marketing. "It is a modern expression of the brand's heritage of sophisticated performance, communicated with beautiful elegance." The front end features a prominent grille with Buick's newly colored tr-shield as the centerpiece. It's flanked by wings that stretch out horizontally and edgy headlights that portend the appearance of future Buicks. There's an aggressive fascia, chrome-trimmed vents, and it all rolls on 20-inch wheels. The Avista has a 110.7-inch wheelbase (which is the same as the Chevy Camaro), and the tracks measure 63 inches in front and 62.9 inches in back, which Buick says makes for a sporty stance. The B-pillarless cabin conjures the open layout of great boulevard cruisers of days gone by. It's done up in gray leather punctuated with carbon-fiber and aluminum accents. Yep, Buick does know how to do performance. In case you forgot, the Avista is a strong reminder of the past, and it offers hope for the brand's future. Watch the live unveiling in the video below. Buick Introduces Avista Concept Design elegance, performance heritage conveyed in turbocharged 2+2 coupe DETROIT – Ahead of its public debut at the North American International Auto Show, Buick today revealed the Avista concept – a 2+2 coupe that pushes the brand's contemporary design ethos and rekindles its historic performance roots. A sleek, sweeping proportion is the foundation for this vision of a contemporary grand tourer, with a 400-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-6 driving the rear wheels and a driver-focused cockpit offering a comfortable, connected center of control. "The Avista embodies the dynamic soul of Buick," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick Sales, Service and Marketing.

Buick picks top 11 highlights from first 11 decades

Buick has taken the time to highlight some of the company's personal points of pride from the past 110 years. Those include everything from the automaker's very first vehicle, the 1904 Model B, to what Buick claims is the world's first concept car: The 1938 Y Job (above). That one also walked away with the worst name for a design study.
All told, the automaker has sold 43 million vehicles through the end of last year, and those include the lusty 1963 Riviera. That model celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2013, and remains one of the brand's most iconic designs.
Of course, Buick is rightfully proud of its quickest model, too. The 1987 GNX managed a 4.6-second bolt to 60 mph in tests by Car and Driver, and it also took the honor of being one of the automaker's rarest creations at just 547 units. You can check out all 10 in the gallery above.

Buick Envision to go on sale in third quarter of 2015

Following an earlier concept and successive teasers, Buick revealed the new Envision crossover a little over a month ago. The thing is, it was launched in China, for China. The question, then, is whether it will make the jump to the North American market. And the answer is: quite possibly.
According to division sales chief Duncan Aldred in speaking to Edmunds, Buick is looking into the prospect of bringing the Envision to the US: "We can't confirm anything, but clearly it is a very nicely designed and executed product that is very much a Buick," said Aldred.
If and when the compact crossover would appear in US showrooms, it would slot in between the smaller Encore and the larger Enclave. It would likely be offered in front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and mild hybrid configurations. Sources expect it to arrive in the third quarter of 2015 as a competitor to the likes of the Mercedes GLA, Lexus NX and Lincoln MKC.