Buick is largely forgotten in the US, but in China, it’s a pretty big deal. If you need proof, just look at the company’s latest concept car. The Buick Electra Orbit is a stunning new concept from GM’s Chinese subsidiary that “marries the romance of the 1950s with futuristic technology and pure-electric architecture,” according to the brand.
Developed entirely in-house by the GM China Advanced Design Center, the Electra Orbit is said to take inspiration from space-age spacecraft, jets, and also Buick concepts from the 1950s. The sleek, uninterrupted curves up front and the massive overhang in the rear are reminiscent of those early flying machines, thanks in part to the metallic paint simply known as “Space.”
Photo by: General Motors
Photo by: General Motors
Photo by: General Motors
If the Electra Orbit looks massive, that’s because it is. Measuring in at nearly 19.6 feet (6.0 meters) long and over 6.6 feet (2.0 meters) wide, it’s longer and about as wide as a Chevrolet Suburban. Those shiny, disc-shaped wheels measure 24 inches in diameter. Four scissor doors open away from the center point of the car, promoting a serious sense of occasion on arrival. Out back, the Electra Orbit uses a pair of deployable wings that rise up and out of the bodywork to improve drag and create downforce at speed.
Despite the Orbit’s length, there’s only room for four people inside. Focused purely on the comfort of its occupants, the 2+2 seating layout centers around a “wormhole-inspired interface” that serves as an AI assistant, because everything has to have AI to be relevant these days. Thankfully, there’s also a ball-shaped controller in the center console for those who want to manually control vehicle functions on the massive “Ring” arch-shaped display, which spans from A-pillar to A-pillar.
“Electra Orbit is a bold exploration of what Buick can be when we blend heritage inspiration with visionary innovation,” Stuart Norris, vice president of design for GM China, said in a statement. “By reinterpreting space-age motifs and pushing electric-architecture freedoms, we wanted to create a concept that feels both familiar in its Buick DNA and thrillingly new.”
Photo by: General Motors
GM doesn’t go into much detail about the Orbit’s powertrain, saying only that it rides on the company’s “dedicated EV platform.” It also seems fairly clear there are no plans for production in China or elsewhere.
Designers will instead likely draw inspiration from the Electra Orbit to use on future production cars.
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