1986 Buick Grand National on 2040-cars

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Weekly Recap: Ford GT inspires guitar, foosball table, sailboat

Ford design vice president Moray Callum had just wrapped up a briefing on the interior of the Ford GT last month, but something seemed out of place. He grinned and pointed behind him, "You might be wondering why I have a boat behind me," he said mischievously. It was there because Ford set its designers on a mission to stretch and showcase their talents: design non-automotive objects inspired by the interior of the GT supercar. Callum received quite a response, too. His team produced a guitar, a foosball table (yeah bro!), a racing sailboat, a Wi-Fi speaker and some furniture. As the veteran design chief explained, "It's a really great exercise both to highlight our designers' talents, but also to really see how our design philosophy can work and how you can use it and get a common response back from a worldwide design team." Guitar View 25 Photos The objects have been on display this week at the Salone del Mobile furniture and fashion design fair in Milan, Italy, where Ford has had a presence for three years. There's also a light exhibition that apparently was inspired by the GT, as well. While this might seem a little far-fetched for the automaker, Ford said exhibitions like the Salone del Mobile give its designers another way to be creative and ultimately produce striking interior style. Ford wants this to be a differentiator, as research shows consumers are placing emphasis on the layout and features inside when they're making a decision about buying a new car. It's a little light hearted – but it's also potentially big business. Other News & Notes Cadillac CT6 platform could be used for Buick General Motors product chief Mark Reuss said the Cadillac CT6 platform could be used for a large Buick, though "not yet," Automotive News reported. The underpinnings can accommodate rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and would give Buick the large flagship it lacks. The report jibes with comments Reuss made at a roundtable with Autoblog and other reporters at the New York Auto Show. When asked if Buick had space for a large car on the CT6 chassis, he replied, "Yeah, I think it does. Yeah, I think we do." Buick has revamped its lineup in recent years with attractive crossovers and small and midsize sedans, but hasn't added the proverbial flagship that's yearned for by enthusiasts. Buick surprised industry observers with the stylish Avenir concept at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year that raised the possibility of a halo sedan.

Buick Electra-X concept teased for Chinese audience

Buick is about to show its largest market, China, how the brand does an electric vehicle specifically for that clientele. The Tri-Shield released two images of the shark nose that will grace its Electra-X concept, a follow up to the Electra concept that debuted at the Auto Beijing in 2020. Instead of the 583-horsepower, high-riding, thick-bodied fanciful sedan of yore, the Electra-X should be a much more production-ready version of what Chinese buyers can expect. Buick China said that "The Electra-X concept takes Buick's innovative thinking and imagination of future electric mobility to the next level. It is designed to provide a safer, smarter and more desirable EV experience, building on Buick's deep understanding and insights of local consumers toward electrification and intelligent driving." This will be a different vehicle than the "groovy" EV concept Buick showed its American audience in February of this year, although there are similarities. Buick China also said of the Electra-X that it is "defined by the brand's all-new design language" that embodies "distinct and forward-looking styling, along with an airy interior." Another design trait will be slim, sloping DRLs, seen on the Chinese and U.S. concept teasers, with slight differences. The Asian market can also expect minimal surfacing, an ornate grille treatment, side mirror cameras, and trim A-pillars. Tech-wise, Buick says the Ultium-based product will come with Super Cruise and its Virtual Cockpit System. The China debut happens next month at 2022 Buick Brand Day. Our groovy EV debuts this summer, the automaker planning to have two electric vehicles in U.S. showrooms by the end of 2023. The Electra-X could give big clues about what's headed our way. Related video:

2024 Buick Encore GX First Drive: Fresh from cosmetic surgery

About a year ago, Buick showed us its stunning Wildcat EV concept. While that sporty coupe might never see the end of a production line, it signaled a new direction for the brand’s design. For 2024, Buick gave its most popular model in North America, the Encore GX small SUV, a fairly substantial visual refresh. While it doesnÂ’t get the WildcatÂ’s electric powertrain, the refreshed ute is the first in the lineup to borrow its design cues. It also finally gets the Avenir trim, the epitome of style and luxury previously applied to other Buick models, along with some tech upgrades. So while weÂ’re still not able to get behind the wheel of an electric Buick, the Â’24 Encore GX Avenir AWD landing in our driveway gave us the chance to see what a nip and a tuck can do to elevate this baby Buick crossover. This new face is easy on the eyes, looking more modern and athletic than the previous version. Gone is the somewhat frumpy and bulbous old fascia. Now, we get a sharp nose emblazoned with an all-new logo — the encore GX is the first production car to sport this fresh take on the Buick shields. Below that is the new grille in all its unbroken mesh glory, surrounded by shiny chrome in this Avenir trim. A pair of swoopy winged LED headlights reside just below the elegantly creased hood. From the side, the Avenir gets big, 19-inch aluminum wheels in a Pearl Nickel finish, with that new logo in the center. It also gets body-color fenders as opposed to the black on some of the other trims. In back, we see the new logo repeated prominently again, with the LED taillights looking almost as if theyÂ’re pointing it out. Below that is the brand name spelled out large. At the bottom is what looks like a black diffuser, but we canÂ’t imagine it does much but make the car look sporty. Inside, the big news is the new dual-display “virtual cockpit”, with two screens under a single sheet of glass. On the right side is the 11-inch infotainment touchscreen, on the left is an 8-inch digital instrument cluster. We like the layout of the infotainment home screen, which is easy to use and configurable. Certain information in the infotainment can be sent to the driverÂ’s display — if you want to keep close tabs on your battery voltage, for instance. Prefer the familiarity of your phone? Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across trim levels. Praise be.