The Buick Avista is a
concept
Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs.
They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by ...
2-door,
2+2-seater hardtop coupe
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
built by
Buick, first unveiled at the
2016 North American International Auto Show on January 10, 2016.
The exterior, finished in ''superior blue'',
boasts a low-slung flowing
pillarless coupe
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
design with a sloping
fastback roofline. The front fascia is said to have been inspired by the
1954 Buick Wildcat II concept car.
On the inside, the seats are upholstered in mist gray leather, complete with carbon fiber aluminium accents to give the driver's compartment a more sporty appearance. The dashboard features a wide touchscreen previewing a "future version" of Buick's IntelliLink infotainment system. The doors and interior components were
3D-printed
3D printing or additive manufacturing is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer co ...
.
The Avista concept car is related to the
Cadillac ATS-V Coupe and
sixth generation Chevrolet Camaro by sharing the same rear-wheel-drive
Alpha platform. Its chassis utilizes Magnetic Ride Control to provide more precise handling. Power comes from a 3.0-liter
twin-turbo
Twin-turbo (not to be confused with a twincharger setup, which is a combination of a supercharger and a turbocharger) refers to an engine in which two turbochargers work in tandem to compress the intake fuel/air mixture (or intake air, in the case ...
charged V6 engine producing 400 hp, backed by an 8-speed automatic transmission. Its engine comes equipped with
cylinder deactivation Variable displacement is an automobile engine technology that allows the engine displacement to change, usually by deactivating cylinders, for improved fuel economy. The technology is primarily used in large, multi-cylinder engines. Many automobile ...
to improve
fuel efficiency.
The concept car was met with critical acclaim, winning the 2016 EyesOn Design award (also won by the
Buick Avenir in the previous year), as well as being named "Best Future Concept" by ''
The Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...
''. The
fastback coupe
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
concept was applauded for its perfectly proportioned rear-drive stance.
The ''Avista'' nameplate, meaning ''sight'' in Italian, was previously filed for trademark registration by
General Motors on September 22, 2015.
Production consideration
Although the car was merely intended as a design study, GM considered putting the Avista or a similar car into production as a
halo vehicle for Buick, according to a Buick representative.
A production version was expected to retain the platform and engine from the concept.
Its prospects were boosted by the great fanfare generated by its introduction at the Detroit Auto Show.
![Buick Avista Concept - 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Buick_Avista_Concept_-_2.jpg)
However, Buick ultimately decided not to make the Avista. Despite the interest, Buick restated it was a design study and would not be produced. They also decided not to make a sedan version of the Avista to replace the
Buick Regal
The Buick Regal is a line of mid-size cars marketed by Buick since 1973. For nearly its entire production, the Regal has served as the premium mid-size/intermediate offering of the Buick product range. Introduced as a submodel of the Buick Centu ...
.
See also
*
Buick Avenir
References
External links
Buick's Avista official detail website
{{Buick Vehicles
Avista
Avista Corporation is an American energy company which generates and transmits electricity and distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Approximately 1,550 employees provide electricity, natural gas, and other ...
Cars introduced in 2016
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Coupés
Grand tourers