Sunday, August 28, 2011

Buick Invicta: LaCrosse-based 4-Door "Coupe"

Adding a high-style and trendy four-door "coupe" might be a good next step in Buick's climb to Lexus-like status. The quality of Buick's current cars is rapidly approaching the big "L" and if you ask me, their styling is already superior. This LaCrosse-based Invicta would just step it up a notch. 

The doors are accessed by "hidden" handles—slim, chromed vertical handles, situated along the window line. Slip your fingers inside the handle, applying just a slight pressure as if to pull the door open and the electronic power mechanism actuates, opening the doors. Closing them would require just a slight pull or tug; the doors would then be softly powered closed. They could also be opened and closed via the electronic key fob. 

A slim, full-length chrome molding, tying the headlights and taillights into the bodyside "sweepspear," adds a touch of old-world class to this new-world automobile.

B T W :

Before I finalized the black Invicta at the top, I was working the design with a two-tone paint job, a classic Charcoal-over-Dark Copper. I'd like to see a return of creative and contemporary two-tone paint jobs. This image lacks many of the details from the final version at the top of this post. You'll notice these changes in the car as well as the background. I'd say an additional two hours of work went into the final, black version, for approximately eight total hours.

6 comments:

  1. Both renderings make the much loved LaCrosse an even more desirable automobile. You pushed the envelope even further with the brilliantly enhanced two-tone effect that's rarely seen today; most Italian and English top tier cars only offer it as an option-- having it on a mid priced sedan will make it more tangible for everyone else.

    Good Job!

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  2. Hello Casey,

    These are beautiful !

    Woody has expressed my own thoughts and feelings perfectly. Vividly !

    And, as always, they have that artandcolour touch: a realism that says ' maybe next month" as opposed to 'some distant day in the far off future. Which makes me want to see them all the more !

    Great work, Casey

    Thanks again for the inspiration.


    Andy
    Malibu

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  3. Thank you, Woody.


    Andy

    Malibu

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  4. and thanks to both of you, lol!

    (it's so nice to have electricity again, after six days without!)

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  5. Well, these ae both wonderful -- but, as you know, I'm still waiting for Buick to build a Riviera (coupe) and a Skylark (convertible) off the LaCrosse platform!

    Paul, NYC

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