Walk on Water: Buick Invicta Concept Live from China

It’s been a long wait since the first sketch came out at the New York Auto Show. The Buick Invicta concept was placed beside the Riviera concept, which bowed at last year’s Shanghai Auto Show. The cover of the Invicta was unexpectly unveiled by Beijing’s refreshing evening breeze, which, for a moment, nearly made our correspondent and fellow media forget their cameras.

“I’m really excited not just about the design of the car, but the fact that this brought together two teams in China and the U.S. to develop the design. They worked together like one seamless virtual design team developing that car,” said Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design.

It’s no secret that Buick sells more cars in China than in the States. Shanghai General Motors, GM’s flagship joint venture, posted sales growth of 13.6 percent for the year, with 128,649 units sold in the first quarter. SAIC-GM-Wuling, GM’s mini-vehicle joint venture, had first quarter sales of 182,564 units, which represented year-on-year growth of 3.8 percent.

(Click on the images below to launch a gallery of live Invicta images or through the jump to read the official press release.)

Design & Technology Take Center Stage at GM Premiere Night

Beijing, China – Design and technology were in the spotlight this evening in Beijing at General Motors Premiere Night. On the eve of the opening of Auto China 2008, GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner and GM Vice President, Global Design, Ed Welburn helped introduce several cutting-edge vehicles from the world’s largest automaker.

“For 100 years, GM has relied on exciting design and cutting-edge technology to help define the global auto industry,” said Wagoner. “In this, our centennial year, GM continues to be driven by design and technology, as we work to reinvent both the automobile and the auto industry for a rapidly changing world.”

Driven by Design

Among the vehicles that demonstrated how GM is being driven by design was the Buick Invicta, which was making its global debut at GM Premiere Night. The show car reflects the way General Motors utilizes design and engineering talent around the world to execute a premium vehicle with international appeal. It was co-developed by GM design teams on both sides of the Pacific. The four-door midsize sedan offers a bold direction for future Buicks in the United States and China.

Further demonstrating GM’s commitment to design was the Riviera coupe concept, which made its worldwide debut one year ago at Auto Shanghai 2007. Developed with global design input by GM’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai, the Riviera captures the essence of Buick classics while presenting a thoroughly 21st century design. It was developed to communicate the global design vocabulary of the Buick brand and set the stage for the next generation of Buick midsize luxury cars.

Rounding out the design lineup was a yellow Camaro that is familiar to many moviegoers as Bumblebee from the Hollywood hit “Transformers.” The Camaro is a sports car with a famous pedigree. Its dramatic new design and exciting performance promise to redefine the model for a new generation of fans.

Driven by Technology

Representing GM’s commitment to technology was the Opel Flextreme concept car. The Flextreme leverages GM’s revolutionary new E-Flex architecture. In contrast to conventional vehicles and hybrids, the E-Flex system uses an electric motor powered by a battery to propel the vehicle. An onboard engine, which may be powered by a variety of fuel sources, generates additional electricity to replenish the battery and extend the vehicle’s driving range.

In the Opel Flextreme, a 1.3-liter turbo-diesel onboard engine generates additional electricity. Fully charged, the Flextreme has a 55-kilometer all-electric driving range without using any diesel fuel or emitting any CO2.

This architecture is part of GM’s successful work in the development of new technologies and new vehicles that offer the promise of alleviating the challenges of growing emissions and the motor vehicle’s ongoing dependency on petroleum.

“By bringing these products to China, GM is once again demonstrating our commitment to sharing our latest achievements with our friends and partners in our company’s second-largest market,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group.

All of the vehicles shown at GM Premiere Night will be appearing on the GM family’s stands at Auto China 2008 in Beijing, which runs from April 20 through April 28.