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Buick confirms US-market Envision CUV to be built in China

As expected, the Buick Envision will come to the US market in 2016, and as rumored, it'll be GM's first product imported from the People's Republic. Buick confirmed the news today, while also releasing a number of technical details on the mid-size CUV, which has sold nearly 130,000 units in the Chinese domestic market in the first 11 months of 2015. When it arrives in US dealers next summer, the Envision will feature a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder EcoTec four-cylinder. Good for an estimated 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, the four-pot turbo is paired to a well-received six-speed Hydra-Matic 6T70 transmission. That's the same automatic gearbox that's offered in the turbocharged Regal and Regal GS and the current six-cylinder LaCrosse. The entire affair is underpinned by torque-steer-fighting HiPer strut front suspension, a crossover first for Buick, with a four-link setup in back. According to Buick, the Envision will also get the same Active Twin Clutch all-wheel-drive system being offered on the Cadillac XT5 and the new LaCrosse. Like the Chinese-market Envision, Buick is offering the USDM model with active grille shutters, LED running lights, LED taillights, heated front/rear seats, a heated steering wheel, 19-inch wheels, and a Bose stereo as standard. Buick also lists highlights like Active Noise Cancellation and an eight-inch IntelliLink infotainment system, although it's not clear whether these are standard features. There's no word on which auto show the Envision will debut at. Considering the timing, next month's Detroit Auto Show is a strong contender, although if Buick wanted to really drum up headlines ahead of its on-sale date next summer, it'd formally introduce its newest CUV in April, at the New York Auto Show. Either way, expect to see more of this handsome, Chinese-built CUV soon. Related Video: Buick Envision North American Market Fact Sheet 2015-12-04 The Buick Envision was designed, engineered and tested in Michigan as a world-class luxury crossover to challenge the world's best competition. It was awarded Motor Trend SUV of the Year in China and has 127,085 sales so far this year. When it goes on sale in 2016, it will play an important role in a crossover lineup that currently represents 60 percent of Buick sales in North America. It targets customers shopping between the Encore, the best-selling Buick in eight years, and the Enclave, which has continued to grow its customer base since its 2007 introduction.

March Madness upsets good for auto advertisers

There are no Cinderella teams left in the NCAA men's basketball tournament - the fairytales ended with Georgia State's loss to Xavier over the weekend. And even though the Sweet 16 is composed of elite teams - at the time of writing the lowest-ranked squad is 11th-seeded UCLA, which has most championships of any school in the country - there are still underdogs and surprises, and they are good for NCAA business and advertisers. Last year the March Madness Live app, which allows users to watch games on the go, was downloaded 4.5 million times, a jump of more than 40 percent over 2013. Buick sponsors the iOS version of the app, but more than a million of those downloads were for the Android version, sponsored by Infiniti since 2011. Part of Buick's engagement is a "Boss Button" on the livestream sites that can quickly mask the page with something your boss won't question you over. It also sponsors a trick-shot competition for fans, has a display in Bracket Town during the Final Four, and its cars lead the team buses through the city. Infiniti said last year's tourney increased online searches for the brand by 25 percent in March, and things are going even better this year: it's round-by-round bracket game drew 477,859 total entries in 2014, this year's game has signed up 534,350 already and the tournament has another two weeks to go. The luxury brand is all over the event, promoting the QX60 through to the Final Four, then moving its efforts to the Q50. It sponsors the Coaches vs. Cancer charity and will have an Infiniti Lounge near the Final Four venue in downtown Indianapolis. So for the two automakers keeping their own scores... come on, Wichita State! Six brackets, six chances to win a trip to #FinalFour 2016. Official rules at http://t.co/4b9GyGJ4wP. #RoundByRound https://t.co/ZCsFatVlja - Infiniti USA (@InfinitiUSA) March 19, 2015 News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. Marketing/Advertising Buick Infiniti app sports ncaa march madness

1987 Buick GNX with 8.5 miles sells for ... well, you won't believe it [UPDATE]

UPDATE, FRIDAY, FEB. 15: Blowing past what was believed to be the previous sales record of $165,000, this 8.5-mile 1987 Buick GNX sold for $200,000. It jumped approximately $80,000 in the final 10 minutes. The winning bid went to username PETRO917, who joined Bring a Trailer in February, seemingly specifically to bid on the GNX. The previous story appears below. Automotive grails are expected to cost unfathomable amounts of cash, but this 8.5-mile (EIGHT!) 1987 Buick GNX could reach monetary digits not seen before. With four days still left on the Bring a Trailer auction, the GNX is already up to $100,000. The Grand National, particularly the GNX, is one of those cars that has skyrocketed in value in the past 10 years. It's been earning payouts that put it in a rare class of General Motors vehicles typically occupied by classic Corvettes and Camaros. At the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction in 2015, a 362-mile example sold for a brain-scrambling $165,000, likely the most ever paid for a GNX. Last year, the first GNX ever released to the public (VIN No. 1 and 2 were kept by the company) had 8,200 miles and sold for $126,500. The most expensive GNX ever sold on Bring a Trailer had 28,000 miles and ended at $60,000 in summer 2018. Bidding on this example is already $40K past that, with days to go. To the shock and dismay of many, this ultra-rare performance icon has been driven less than the distance of a half marathon. Its odometer reading makes it possibly the most pristine GNX on the planet. After it was originally sold in Mena, Arkansas, it simply sat on display in a Texas dealership for decades. The seller purchased the car in 2002 and supposedly kept it in a climate-controlled environment. Plastic wrapping over the seats and door panels further the immaculate cleanliness. According to the listing, the only parts that have been replaced are the battery and a relay switch, both of which come with the sale. In a comment on the auction, the owner shared the reason he has decided to sell the car: Collecting is enjoyable only if you can share the collection with other people of similar mind who can also appreciate it. I am at a point in my life when the relationships, not the material possessions, mean the most to me. The time has come for someone else to own a piece of history and share it with those individuals most important in his or her life.