InvictaMan

Here is a very quickie to show that the Chinese Regal can be easily modified to become a more NA version. The existing hip line can be used to form the sweep spear, making the change doors only. I chose to kick it up a bit, requiring the rear quarter to modify. We certainly could use this wagon here to fill a void. I also like the idea of naming it Invicta over here. Invicta Sports Tourer or Invicta Estate? Regal Sports Tourer

This additional info is floating around out there on several sites. Here's the story at Leftlane... Link Here

Looks like other luxury makers think portholes look good on the hood, only this one is porthole. Take a look at it on Leftlane... Link

As a designer, I would have narrowed it down to about the width of the trim around the tail lights. Blingy, but understated, like a Buick should be. That logo could use a little downsizing as well, kinda SUV sized to me. Still would like to see the red, white and blue back in there.

Hmm, no articulating projector beams for Canada? This looks more like the heads seen through the camo on the pre-production mules. Guess they got Allure instead of Invicta like I heard. That makes me feel better. I would have been very jealous. Loving this car!

Sorry for your loss DF. Losing a family member is never easy and does not leave you for the rest of your life. Which is a good thing, because thinking and talking about them keeps their spirit alive. My Dad died of cancer over twenty-five years ago. I still do things and reach for goals in his memory all the time, I suggest you do the same to honor her. She will be smiling.....

Your imagery is dead on. NC is very much like VA in some areas, very Colonial. Matter of fact, a portrait of Queen Charlotte (Charlotte's namesake) hangs in the ball room of the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, so Colonial comes naturally. And yes, lol, I live in a brick house in Mayberry. Lifestyles and scenery change greatly from west to east. Even dialects and accents. NC is like Cali in that fashion as well. From side to side, like Cali is top to bottom, it is quite a stretch and changes dramatically, offering a full spectrum of possibilities. Guess that's why I'm one of the rare, native Carolinians left, lol. BTW, I'll be spending President's Day weekend in Blowing Rock, the almost exact opposite end of the state from where you are going. Winding roads here I come! Can't wait to hear about your trip. My advise is, be patient. Things and people are much slower here. I get razzed by my Cali friends about how slow I talk all the time.

I'm very partial to the mountains of NC myself. Great driving opportunities if you love winding roads. And the sites are fantastic. I highly recommend Hwy 221 from Blowing Rock (a must see NC spot). It winds it's way up to the Linville Gorge (see below, the Linville River is 1,400 feet down over the edge of that cliff). I used to love making friends turn green on that route, in my 1985 Honda Prelude. For a po' boy's sports car, it handled tight on those curves. My Pilot is far less engaging now, lol. Be interesting to see how a new LaCrosse would take them.

Glad you liked it. I think most of those looks come from the fact that most North Carolinians live in Mayberry and they find it hard to believe that anyone would want to live in a metropolitan area. Not to mention that Raleigh feels incredibly threatened by Charlotte; they've been left to grow on their own with little state resources, and they have done it very well. I've traveled to enough large cities to realize that Charlotte is way above the average. Once they get light rail expanded, it will really be great. Not so many folks live in the Uptown area and folks drive cars there like they do in LA. I have always thought of Charlotte as the Southern version of LA. Small uptown and suburbs that go on for days.

Wow, Raleigh is a long way from the coast of NC. It will be a long drive through areas of mostly agriculture. If you flew into Wilmington you could do the Outer Banks and Charleston for that drive. Charleston rocks if you like historical scenery, great Blues festival. Myrtle Beach is just over an hour from Wilmington. If you want tourists, do MB central. I agree it is not Gulf quality water by any means, and very crowded. It is a Mecca for dining out and outlet shopping. To get away from the crowds, go to North Myrtle Beach (a chain of beaches just north of MB). I personally stay in Cherry Grove each year at the first of June. It is one of the few places with beach houses left on the shore, instead of all condo towers. Outer Banks are great, but the beaches are dark sand, unlike the white sand of SC beaches that appeal to sun bathers. Still, a great sight-seeing location. Kitty Hawk is great, and you can hang glide in the vicinity of the Wright Brother's flight. Do the ferry and view the wild horses that roam one of the islands. Hilton Head is more of an enclave. Wealthy folks go there to get away, not socialze with the public. Beautiful scenery, but little to do. One of President Clinton's favorite vacation spots. I had to go 45 minutes and 15 miles out of my way once while his motorcade was coming in for New Year's. Have fun!

That's an old image. It still has the old trade center with the pyramid roof. It was torn down many years ago. The predominant design theme in uptown architecture is Art Deco. The BOA building has a HUGE, beautiful mural in its lobby that is an Art Deco representation of Charlotte history and lifestyles. I organized a convention in Charlotte for the X-Files Fan Club. The folks were from all over the country and they were astonished by how clean it is and how nice. Charlotte is nothing but suburbs. The city absorbs 90% of the county it resides in, Mecklenburg. So much so that the county and city governments have merged. Great lake community too. Lake Norman. It is huge and interconnects numerous counties. I have a houseboat on the northern end. I'm between Charlotte and the mountains, but I lived in Charlotte for five years. Great place. Here is a good reference: Charlotte's Got A Lot

Aw, you found it. Good spotting!

Here's your new tag line..... Click here "Modern Elegance Redefined"

Now that I think about it, all you have to do is look at the official images they have released to get a feel for where they are going. Uptown. Oh, wait, did I just hear Billy Joel in the background of that Buick commercial?

I'm seriously happy to hear that Buick finally gets it and is changing their advertising to support their drive for a more energetic demographic. I truly think age is not relevant though, it is volume, regardless of age. With the larger demographic of Boomers out there, I think +50 sales are where you wanna be. Vehicles that can span the ages will be the winners. I liked "The Craft of Modern Luxury." Kinda sounds like Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Robin Turney and Samantha might have put a spell on it, but not bad. How about a twist that highlights Buick's revitalization and gives (and I know I am setting myself up for digs on this one) the impression that Buick is actually moving ahead of the segment. "The Evolution of Modern Luxury", "The Marque of Modern Luxury" or simply "Buick: Make Your Marque" and tie it in with an advertising theme that is geared towards innovators that want to make their mark on the world with their statement of style. This builds desirability, since most consumers want everything that they perceive pacesetters want. I can see a campaign built around a group of celebrities that people perceive as luxury style setters. They are driving Buicks in their fashionista worlds, to their corporate jets, even customizing them to set them apart. And I don't mean necessarily in a SEMA kind of way, more upscale, in a Fergie kind of way.

Same here. I visit lots of auto enthusiast sites and the overwhelming response has been extremely positive. You can always pick out the flamers, some are even paid to do this (the internet is a powerful marketing tool), so it is easy to differentiate them from the general masses. At these sites most of the member's screen names are different from here, I've not seen many, if any, of them chatting here, so the comments at C&G would not come into play with their remarks. I say: I'm very happy with Buick's effort. Sure there are things that I would change, but that is the designer in me, but you know, I don't work for Buick. I think they have listened carefully to what folks have suggested and have made great efforts to incorporate those ideas. It has everything and more going for it to be as successful as the Enclave in this volatile market. It certainly is the competitor that GM promised and will change perceptions of the Buick brand. Let's just sit back and see how it goes. Good luck Buick!

Agreed. Maybe we have just been looking at this design too long. When the concept was revealed, it was like "Wow, that's a Buick? That design is revolutionary for the brand and bold." Now with a production model that is almost identical to the concept debuting, some are thinking "This car is too generic and mainstream." Let's hope it gets out there and rocks buyers before it falls into the 300 delima. Somebody hit the brakes and slow down this world, lol.

Been here, read them. My membership might be only two years old, but I read here long before. Maybe it was that passion that enticed me to be less an observer and more a contributor. Personally, my comments weren't directed exclusively at yours, though I don't agree with your Camry observation. The truth of the matter is that the auto industry is so saturated with models that it is tough to not find some similarities. And the market is so volatile right now that stepping out of the mainstream in a dramatic way is not especially smart, ask Acura about that. To appreciate design is to celebrate the subtleties, not the generalities. But I appreciate your observation.

Hey, you know what they say about opinions. Though I may be amazed, I am also thrilled. What I am reading into many of these comments and passion is that Buick has succeeded. There has been more discussion about this brand lately than ever before. If they were still languishing, no one would even take the time to discuss/critique them in this fashion.

LOL, yeah I've been around here long enough to see this aspect. Still amazes me. The truth of the matter is that it is on all sites. I think it used to be referred to as "flame wars." You do everything you can to smear my affection on the internet and I'll do everything I can to smear yours. It's the evolution of marketing I suppose.

And this is a bad thing? This is a company that is reinventing themselves. In doing so, they have studied the cars that the public are gravitating to and captured the best of all of them. I personally think this car has plenty of Buick DNA. The catch in your experiment is that your observers have been so conditioned to certain favored foreign cars that they immediately think of them when they see a quality auto. Meaning that, unfortunately, Buick has been off of their radar due to the fact that they have not actively, seriously competed among those favorites until now. It never ceases to amaze me how folks can criticize a company for lagging behind in desirability and then criticize them again when they do something about it. Sure, there are details that I would like to see done differently, but I applaud Buick for making a car that can be mistaken as cars that seem to be in greater favor. It simply tells me that they have finally arrived. Remember, there was a time when the companies you mentioned were using Buick as their model, it was their new beginning.

Oh, and Brutha Buick, after this I just can't wait for that baby Enclave! :wink:

I was just comparing and if they take the Opel hockey stick off the Regal side and replace it with the sweep spear, the Regal would be an almost perfect stable mate for this design. The front carries much of the same DNA and the back is not worlds away. Smaller, sportier and more affordable without sacrificing too much.

Here's a suggestion. Put the red, white and blue back into the logo and it will look more American, lol. I think it's funny that they do it in China and not in the US.

Well... real wood applique, but it's real and who needs the extra weight of solid wood anyway?