The Buick Electra Orbit Is Out Of This World
The Buick Electra is back … in China.
Buick is rebooting the classic nameplate as an all-electric sub-brand in the country and has revealed a new concept car that could preview a future flagship model.
The Electra Orbit was created at the GM China Advanced Design Center and was inspired by the automaker’s glamorous show cars from the “Space Age” era of the 1950s and 1960s, but with many modern twists.
Buick currently has an all-SUV lineup in the U.S. and no electric models, but the Envision is sourced from China, which accounts for most of the brand’s sales.
IT’S LONG AND LEAN
The Electra Orbit is nearly 20 feet long and features a swept-back body that ends in a dramatic boat tail and rides on 24-inch wheels. Primarily a styling exercise, exact technical specifications haven’t been detailed, but it is envisioned to be both manually driven and autonomous.
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IT’S READY TO FLY
A split wing can be deployed along with an extended rear diffuser to adjust the car’s aerodynamic drag and downforce to switch between efficient and high performance driving modes.
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IT CUTS A SHARP PROFILE
The Electra Orbit features four rotating doors with built-in spotlights to provide passengers with the ultimate red carpet arrival.
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IT’S A BALLER
The interior features a minimalist design with 2+2 seating, a slim door-to-door digital display, a ball-shaped controller on the center console and a “wormhole-inspired interface” for and AI system that hovers over the dashboard.
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IT’S FRUNKY
The front trunk or “frunk” storage compartment is accessed through a centrally split butterfly hood and holds a set of custom-fit luggage.
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IT’S NOT MEANT FOR THIS WORLD
Buick isn’t planning to but the Electra Orbit into production as-is, but says it “is a bold exploration of what Buick can be when we blend heritage inspiration with visionary innovation.”