Avenir: Buick is a Beauty, Too

The first car of my Mother's that I remember riding in was a Buick- a big, black 1961 Electra 225 Riviera four-door hardtop. It had a long hood, four portholes, a luxurious button tufted interior, a freestanding clock a'la George Nelson, and a fold down vanity mirror that said "Buick is a beauty, too," And a beauty it was indeed, as were so many large, powerful Buick sedans over the years.

So yesterday's announcement of the new Buick Avenir concept car definitely caught my eye. It's a big, expressive car, with a long hood, a hint of Buick's distinctive coke bottle side sculpturing, a vee-shaped rear deck that pays homage to tthe boattail Riviera, and a roomy interior. 

The name means "future" in French, and I certainly hope it's a glimpse into the future of Buick sedans. Unlike some concept cars like the Cadillac Sixteen, the package looks quite credible and could be built on the new large Omega platform that will also host the upcoming Cadillac CT6. 

It's powered by a direct-injected V6 engine with cylinder deactivation paired with an nine-speed automatic transmission and dual clutch all wheel drive, and rides on 21 inch wheels. Avenir makes use of high technology including a 4G-LTE wireless hotspot, fully reconfigurable glass-panel dash and rear seat video screens with individual USB ports, and while it all imparts a Buck Rogers feel, there's nothing that's too far out to bring to market today. It's loaded with features, but they're all doable.  And inside and out, it looks like a Buick- a big powerful Buick, albeit a contemporary adaptation of one.

In short, I love it! Now all it needs is a vanity mirror that says "Buick is a beauty, too..."

Avenir images courtesy of GM Company.