2004 Buick Lesabre Custom Sedan 4-door 3.8l on 2040-cars

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GM mulling Chevy Cruze hatchback for US, Buick 'Panamera' among other new models

We've spoken at length previously about the fallacy of poor hatchback sales in the US, and with the runaway success of its Chevrolet Cruze sedan, it's somewhat unsurprising to hear that General Motors is rethinking its decision not to sell an overseas five-door variant in North America as it looks to plug a number of holes in its lineup. GM North American President Mark Reuss admitted during a media luncheon this week that not offering the model "... was a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake," says Forbes. With the next-generation model already well-along in development, it's likely that the current Cruze hatch (shown above) won't see US dealers.
Reuss admits not offering the model "was a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake"
In what must have been a far-reaching conversation, Reuss hinted at a number of new products for many GM brands, including "a much more beautiful Panamera" range-topper for Buick (which sounds a bit like the line of reasoning the TriShield brand has been pursuing with its Riviera concepts) and a "Ford Transit Connect-fighter" to supplant the recently announced badge-engineered Chevy City Express from Nissan.

Buick reveals production GL8 Century minivan, and you can't have one

The futuristic GL8 MPV concept Buick showed late last year in China is headed to production. This jazzed-up people-mover appears to have held true to its concept design, with only a few elements of the exterior getting attention before heading to the assembly line.  At first blush, the most significant change from the concept is the exterior paint scheme, which was essentially inverted over several of its surfaces. The glossy silver grille of the concept gave way to a more conventional honeycomb pattern for the production version, but accents in a similar silver finish are now visible along the hood and roofline and the rising wave that peaks just in front of the GL8 Century's C-pillar.  Admittedly, the production car loses some of the wilder elements of the concept's cabin, but perhaps not as much as you might expect based on the interior photo included here. We can only see the rear seats, which give off sort of a baby private jet vibe that is vastly more impressive than what Buick offers in its American SUVs.  The Century will sit atop Buick's GL8 lineup of MPVs (which includes the more-pedestrian GL8 ES and GL8 Legacy) in China when it goes on sale later this year. Related video: 2022 Kia Carnival EX Sliding Minivan Doors | Autoblog Short Cuts

Junkyard Gem: 1990 Buick Reatta Coupe

During the 1980s, General Motors worked hard to woo back American car shoppers who had defected to European luxury brands. Swanky interiors, futuristic electronics and Europe-influenced styling found their way into quite a few GM models during the second half of the decade. Pontiac had the 6000 STE, Oldsmobile offered the Toronado Trofeo, Cadillac sold the Turin-Hamtramck-built Allante, and Buick produced the sporty Reatta two-seater. Just under 22,000 Reattas were built during the 1988 through 1991 model years, and today's Junkyard Find is the fifth example I've found during my junkyard travels. The Reatta was the most expensive 1990 Buick, priced at $28,335 for the coupe and $34,995 for the convertible (or about $65,895 and $81,380 in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars).  For that kind of money, American car shoppers in 1990 could get a BMW 325i in coupe or convertible form for $24,650 or $33,850. They could get a Saab 900 Turbo convertible for $32,995 or an Audi Coupe Quattro for $29,750. Each of those European competitors had sophisticated overhead-cam engines and grippy suspensions, but the Reatta was built on a shortened version of the chassis that went under the Barcalounger-esque Buick Riviera and its engine was the old-timey pushrod Buick V6. The 3.8-liter Buick V6 had been made quite reliable and acceptably smooth by the time this car was built, and it made 165 horsepower (just three fewer than the BMW 325i), but Buick salesmen didn't have much to brag about when showing this engine compartment to a 35-year-old youngster who had just driven a Saab 900 Turbo. The antiquated engine was problem enough, but the lack of a manual transmission served to chase off additional potential buyers. A four-speed automatic was mandatory in every Reatta. Just in case some traditional (i.e. Greatest Generation members) Buick customers might consider this glamorous two-seater, Buick scared them off with the Reatta's video-game-style digital dash and its way-ahead-of-its-time Graphics Control Center touchscreen interface. You can't win! The Graphics Control Center hardware has been grabbed from this dash (the components also fit optioned-up Rivieras and Trofeos of the same era, so junkyard shoppers pull them for resale). Naturally, a Reatta owner would want a hardwired car phone. If you really wanted to be cool in the early 1990s, you bought a Chrysler product with the amazing VisorPhone.