GM China Unveils Retro-Futuristic Buick Electra Orbit Concept
GMChina has pulled the covers off theBuickElectraOrbit, a bold new electric concept that blends 1950s space-age romance with futuristic design andEVarchitecture. Developed by the GM China Advanced Design Center, the Electra Orbit takes inspiration from iconic Buick concepts, spacecraft and jet-age aesthetics meant to push boundaries in proportion, materials and innovation. Measuring nearly six meters in length and more than two meters in width, the concept presents a dramatic silhouette complete with sculptural fenders, 24-inch wheels and scissor-style doors. An aerodynamic rear and deployable drag-reduction devices hint at performance prowess, while a dual-opening frunk reveals bespoke luggage.
Inside, the Electra Orbit continues its cosmic narrative with a 2+2 cabin layout steeped in retro-futurism. A full-width 'Ring' digital display spans from A-pillar to A-pillar, offering an immersive driving interface. The instrument panel and steering wheel adapt depending on drive mode, transitioning between driver-focused and autonomous layouts. At the center sits a wormhole-inspired AI assistant and a spherical console controller. Rich interior details like red clay–inspired tones, custom brocade patterns, crystal elements and a 'Digital Illusion Carpet' fuse heritage craftsmanship with celestial elegance.
Painted in a bespoke neutral metallic hue called 'Space,' the Electra Orbit's exterior was created to reflect the mystery and beauty of the cosmos. According to Stuart Norris, VP of Design for GM China and GM International, the concept showcases 'how bold forms, materials and technologies can be executed in an authentic context.' While only a design exploration, the Electra Orbit points to GM China's ambition to expand Buick's EV identity in a way that combines historical DNA with forward-thinking design.
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Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
China Beats America At Its Own Jet-Age Futurism Game With Wonderful Buick Orbit Concept
China has been Buick's most important market for years now, making up more than 70% of the brand's global sales. Buick offers all sorts of advanced and luxurious models in China like the Century minivan and Electra sedan, with the Chinese market also getting electric and extended-range hybrid powertrains that Buick doesn't offer in America. Earlier this year at the Shanghai Auto Show Buick revealed the Electra GS concept, a large sedan with centaur-inspired design, but now there's a new Buick concept from GM China, and it's an absolute stunner. Called the Electra Orbit, the company says it's "a dreamlike expression of creativity and technological ambition—an artistic exploration that stretches the boundaries of Buick design and hints at what the future could hold." Developed by the GM China Advanced Design Center with a bit of help from the GM Technical Center Korea, Buick says the Orbit takes inspiration from the jet age of the 1950s, drawing from things like sci-fi spaceships and GM's iconic Motorama concept cars. It's a natural next step from GM's current futuristic production designs like the Cadillac Celestiq, and I think the Orbit is the General's best concept in a long time. Read more: These Are What You Wanted As First Cars (And What You Got Instead) Naboo Vibes First of all, the Orbit is huge. While exact dimensions aren't given, Buick says it's over 19 feet long, so about the size of an extended-wheelbase Rolls-Royce Phantom. The wheels are 24-inchers, to give you an idea of proportion. There's a good dash-to-axle ratio, but the hood isn't very long, and the nose dramatically tapers to a point. Eschewing a traditional sedan or hatchback body style, the Orbit's roofline extends far back, also coming to a point and creating a dramatic teardrop profile with a long rear overhang. The Orbit has a nose kind of like one of those giant salamanders. It's nicely sculpted, with prominent fenders creating a lower central hood section that has a thin trim piece running down the center. The headlights are three slim rectangles just above the nose's crease, below which is a subtle cooling intake. There's one crisp line along the midsection, but otherwise the Orbit's surfacing is soft and unadorned, and the neutral metallic paint, aptly named Space, "reflects the hues of the universe, the vastness and mystery of outer space and seamlessly integrating with its environment to underscore Electra Orbit's cosmic theme." It seems like while the windows look pinched, the greenhouse is actually pretty airy. At the back it really gets wild. It doesn't even look like a car, more akin to a spaceship on Naboo in "The Phantom Menace." Continuing on from that spear side detail, the Orbit's rear end comes to a rocket-like tip. On the upper section there's a raised belt with lights outlining the edge, and there are additional lights at the bottom of the diffuser. It's awesome. Active Aerodynamics Abound In an unexpected twist for Buick (and this sort of car in general), the Orbit concept has some pretty extreme active aerodynamics. A panel on each side of the hood opens to cool the brakes, the belt element on the rear end raises up to become a wing, and the front splitter, side skirts and rear bumper all lower and extend to increase downforce and high-speed efficiency. It's like a starfighter entering attack mode. The active aero isn't the only dramatically motorized parts of the car. While no images of this were shown, Buick says it has "a dual, center-pivoting frunk [that] reveals a crafted storage area with custom luggage." It adds that this feature is "an ode to the glamour and romance of travel," and who doesn't love glamour? I think EVs are genuinely a great way for automakers to get fun and experimental with storage space, especially when it comes to luxury cars. A huge sedan with a long hood that opens to reveal custom luggage? That really would rule. There's A Wormhole Inside The Orbit's interior design is inspired by orbit in a literal sense. The whole dashboard is essentially a curved screen that Buick calls the Ring, the door panels and seats have a cocoon-like shape surrounding the occupants, and a line of light runs along the center of the roof, forming a C-shaped spine that bisects the rear seats and flows into the raised center console. Sitting at the top of the dash is a "wormhole-inspired" hologram that's your AI assistant, and the gorgeous ball in the front center armrest acts as the physical controller for infotainment and vehicle functions. Buick says the two-tone color scheme is called Ground, combining a clay-like red with a pearly weight. The seats have a fabulous brocade pattern, and there are lots of nice light elements, crystal trim pieces and fancy materials. A feature called the Digital Illusion Carpet "evokes the pulse of celestial elements," though I'm not exactly sure what that means. But the best part about the Orbit's interior is how you get into it. The front doors are Lamborghini-like front-hinged scissor doors, while the rear doors are also scissors, but rear-hinged ones. There's no B-pillar, so having all four doors open gives the Orbit a totally unique silhouette and an incredible view of the inside. One of Buick's renderings shows the doors shooting beams of light into the sky, which I really hope is an actual feature and not just an artist's flourish. Could Buick Keep Going Upmarket? The Buick Electra Orbit is obviously just a concept car meant to showcase where the brand could go in terms of design, but it wouldn't be totally surprising if Buick starts pushing further upmarket in China. Domestic brands there are getting increasingly more design-forward and tech-laden while remaining affordable, and that applies to luxury models as well. Premium models like offerings from Xiaomi and Zeekr are beating Porsche and Mercedes at their own game, and Chinese automakers have made up the majority of total automaker sales in the country so far this year. But given its recent concepts and the aforementioned new production models, Buick could be in a position to stay competitive and maybe even enter new segments. Regardless of what happens with Buick and its lineup, it's clear that some of GM's best designers are in China, which can only be good for the company's global prospects. (But depending on how the tariffs continue, we may never get the fruits of their labor.) Stuart Norris, vice president of design for GM China and GM International, said "The Electra Orbit concept highlights the creativity and distinctive perspective of GM China's design team. Rooted in local insights and driven by inventive exploration, the project demonstrates how bold forms, materials, and technologies can be executed in an authentic context." Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
This Buick Concept Looks like a 1950s Dream Car, Showing Buick Can Still Design a Stunning Car
The Buick Electra Orbit is a concept car from GM's advanced design studio in China, and takes inspiration from GM's Motorama dream cars from the 1950s. The Electra Orbit has a streamlined shape, smooth surfacing, and active aerodynamics. Inside, there's a full-width display, ornately decorated fabrics, and crystal trim. The United States was riding high in the 1950s. A booming postwar economy saw the automobile become firmly entrenched in American culture as personal car ownership skyrocketed, especially as the initial veins of the national Interstate Highway System began to stretch across the country. Capitalizing on this automotive fervor, General Motors created a series of daring dream cars for its Motorama exhibits to excite the public about the future of personal transportation. The Buick Electra Orbit looks like it would fit right in with those Motorama concepts, except for the fact that this sleek sedan was designed in 2025 by GM's advanced design studio in Shanghai, China. GM's China division readily admits its space-age inspiration, stating that the concept is "a design exploration that marries the romance of the 1950s with futuristic technology and pure-electric architecture." While the Electra Orbit seems to exist only virtually in these artistic renders, it serves as a beacon for what Buicks could look like in the next few decades. GM says the concept is around 19 feet long and roughly 6.5 feet wide, giving it dramatic proportions befitting a flagship sedan. The front end dips down low, while the bodywork wears a streamlined silhouette. The headlights consist of six hockey-stick-shaped LEDs, sitting on either side of an illuminated Buick logo that is displayed on a central spine running up the hood of the car. The fastback roofline gradually slopes downward, ducking under a winglike protrusion that houses the simple taillights. The Electra Orbit rides on massive 24-inch wheels with an old-school dish design, filling the bulging wheel arches. The concept also features active aerodynamics, as shown off in an Instagram video from GM Design. Two discreet panels on the hood duck down to send cool air to the front brakes, while the rear wing element lifts up and splits into two pieces. The front splitter, side skirts, and rear bumper also descend down and forward to form a more efficient aerodynamic profile at speed. Scissor doors swing upward to reveal a spacious cabin, the extra room afforded by the electric powertrain. A digital display sweeps across the length of the dashboard, and the wheel and instrument panel reconfigure depending on whether the owner is actively driving or leaving it up to the autonomous driving system. A holographic projection atop the dashboard, which looks like a planet with orbiting moons, represents the "intelligent AI assistant." The only physical control is a crystal ball that sits embedded in the center console and apparently "offers intuitive physical command of vehicle functions." The cabin is decked out with a mix of fabrics, with a grayish color juxtaposed with a red clay-inspired hue. This is complemented by an ornate brocade pattern and crystal trim accents. The center spine continues inside with an illuminated edge, dipping down from the dashboard and under the center console before reappearing atop the center console and rising between the rear seats in a C shape to meet the concept's roof. The Electra Orbit is obviously a flight of fancy and doesn't preview any production-ready Buicks coming in the near future. Instead, it appears that GM is letting its designers exercise their skills and imagination as they toy with what the automobile could become over the rest of this century. This is just the latest in a line of 2025 concepts from GM's advanced design studios, following the U.K. Corvette and California Corvette concepts, and it's got us dreaming of a world where the Electra Orbit rubs shoulders with those dramatic future Vettes. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Hypebeast
7 days ago
- Hypebeast
GM China Unveils Retro-Futuristic Buick Electra Orbit Concept
Summary GMChina has pulled the covers off theBuickElectraOrbit, a bold new electric concept that blends 1950s space-age romance with futuristic design andEVarchitecture. Developed by the GM China Advanced Design Center, the Electra Orbit takes inspiration from iconic Buick concepts, spacecraft and jet-age aesthetics meant to push boundaries in proportion, materials and innovation. Measuring nearly six meters in length and more than two meters in width, the concept presents a dramatic silhouette complete with sculptural fenders, 24-inch wheels and scissor-style doors. An aerodynamic rear and deployable drag-reduction devices hint at performance prowess, while a dual-opening frunk reveals bespoke luggage. Inside, the Electra Orbit continues its cosmic narrative with a 2+2 cabin layout steeped in retro-futurism. A full-width 'Ring' digital display spans from A-pillar to A-pillar, offering an immersive driving interface. The instrument panel and steering wheel adapt depending on drive mode, transitioning between driver-focused and autonomous layouts. At the center sits a wormhole-inspired AI assistant and a spherical console controller. Rich interior details like red clay–inspired tones, custom brocade patterns, crystal elements and a 'Digital Illusion Carpet' fuse heritage craftsmanship with celestial elegance. Painted in a bespoke neutral metallic hue called 'Space,' the Electra Orbit's exterior was created to reflect the mystery and beauty of the cosmos. According to Stuart Norris, VP of Design for GM China and GM International, the concept showcases 'how bold forms, materials and technologies can be executed in an authentic context.' While only a design exploration, the Electra Orbit points to GM China's ambition to expand Buick's EV identity in a way that combines historical DNA with forward-thinking design.
