What about Buick?
 

So there are many of us who would have loved to see a 5th Gen Firebird, but with Pontiac dead, we could see it was highly unlikely.

Eliminating Pontiac was a move to reduce redundancy, which makes some sense. With the variety of Camaro models currently, it seems like all voids are filled, and there may be no place for it.

But what about luxury?

Sure, there is Cadillac...but they have a pretty solid plan, it seems, to take advantage of the new Alpha platform. Plus, back when there was a "sports car" type Cadillac, the XLR, it was based off the Corvette instead of the Camaro (which IMO makes sense even though, I hear, it wasn't very good).

That brings me to Buick, and the 6th generation Camaro.

I like where Buick is going...with the whole, "THAT's not a Buick!" marketing push.

So what about taking the Alpha platform, and creating a "sister" car to the Camaro, but under Buick this time? It could be all focused on comfort and luxury...but not to the level of Corvette/Cadillac...but a model with more luxury and sophisticated* design. While the Alpah platform could be used for sedans and coupes, I'm talking about sticking with the pony car coupe style.

So...for the sake of discussion....if this was an idea that could actually happen, and made some sense, what would you as like to see in a Buick "Camaro"?

What would it be called?

Buick GNX?


(*if I didn't love the Camaro design, I wouldn't own one, so don't read this as a criticism).

Alot of people in the G Body community is hoping for a Buick Grand National or GNX based on the alpha platform.

I dont know what role the GN(x) would serve in the performance car lineup at GM, but i do know it would be pretty cool to see the Buick revived as a performance car.

I believe i have read that Buick is pretty popular in china? Perhaps the GN(x) will serve it's purpose much better over there. I imagine so.

There were rumors a while back about Regal moving to Alpha but those have since fizzled out.

Buick will never shed the old peoples car image no matter how hard they try, GM should just kill it

It will not happen until China sales of Buicks dies off AND GM wises up and make Opel and Chevrolet the same not Buicks and Opels.

As for a Camari based Buick? No offend OP but worst idea ever. If this happens it means GM has forgotten every lesson that led to the bankruptcy.

An Alpha based Buick? No issues. But a Buick entry needs to have a unique mission beyond "hey we could probably make money if we did this"

As for the XLR? I worked on it and it was a decent car........except it had 100 Hp less than a corvette and cost $20,000 more. Quite a bit for an underpowered car with a retractable hard top and slightly nicer interior. But this is the lesson GM better have learned.

I would love to have a more "luxurious" Camaro, but rather than creating a whole new vehicle under the Buick nameplate, it would just make more sense to add a luxury package/trim to the Camaro. With all of the different levels we already have, why not just add another?

LTZ or Berlinetta. Sorry, I know Berlinetta will sting a few folks, but it did exist and we can't deny it. But in the old days, that was the role of the Monte Carlo also.

LS, 1LT, 2LT and LTZ. That is what every other Chevy has except Corvette and Camaro.

TRUE^ Agree, I almost bought a ZL1 just because of the ride! It's sooooooo far ahead of SS and LT's..

Buicks sell well in China. The thinking at GM is that an essential element of Buick's cachet in China is that it's an American brand. If it were to become a China-only brand, it would lose its prestige. Thus, Buick must be kept alive here.

An Alpha coupe with Buick-styling cues, a near-luxury interior and engine choices ranging from turbo 4 to TT-V6 would be awesome. The brand badly needs something like that. Buick has some nice sedans and SUVs, but it's an absolute travesty the way that GM has neglected the brand's heritage of sporty, powerful coupes.

Has very little to do with it being an American brand. Otherwise Chevrolet and Ford would be going gangbusters.

In the years long ago in a China far, far away from what we know now, the Emperor drove Buicks. It carries the cache of that ultimate luxury.

Besides, most Buicks are rebadged Opels and GM tried to take Opel to China and it bombed so bad they pulled it inside of the first year.

'Cachet' not 'cache.'

In any case, it's GM's opinion, not mine.

From Bob Lutz:

The Feds basically wanted to get GM down to Cadillac and Chevrolet. They said, "you don't need all these brands. You need one prestige brand, and one mass-market brand." And we said "well we can't get rid of Buick because Buick is important in China, and if Buick becomes an orphan in the United States then the Chinese are no longer gonna be interested in it." And the Feds said "Fair enough, but everything else goes."

http://jalopnik.com/the-feds-killed-...ays-1452735716

Thanks for the correction.............on cachet

No where does it state in your quote that China loves Buick because it is an American brand. Which was my point. So it was your opinion I was discussing, not GM's because Bob Lutz agrees with me.

I've said for years that Buick hurts GM in the US. It keeps Cadillac from going down market to compete with the Audi A3, BMW 2 and the MB CLA.

It keeps Chevrolet from making the best cars it can. For example:

Want a 2.0 T in your Cruze? Nope! Buy the Verano.

Want the Hyper link front and linked H-arm rear suspension on your Impala? Nope! Buy the Lacrosse.

Want a great Malibu with style? Nope! Buy the Regal

And again thank you so much for correcting me on cachet. ;)

A Buick GN on an alpha platform makes perfect sense for the newly rich young chinese..

Again, the thinking at GM is that Buick USA must exist in order for the brand to be viable in China. I'm not sure how there could be any clearer statement of this mentality than Lutz's remark:

And we said "well we can't get rid of Buick because Buick is important in China, and if Buick becomes an orphan in the United States then the Chinese are no longer gonna be interested in it."

You're very welcome. I do my best to eradicate illiteracy.