According to an insider at – who was not intimately involved in the project nor willing to reveal sources – not only is the Buick Avista dead, but it ruffled some major feathers internally at GM.
The crux of the issue seems to lay with Team Camaro, to which the swoopy Buick concept was a punch in the gut when it was revealed in Detroit. It received several design accolades in the weeks after Detroit and through the New York Auto Show, it was the darling of the media. People saw it and wanted to buy it, but the execs at Buick have said again and again that they can’t comment on future product.
“We don’t comment on future products as you know, but we’ve never suggested that the car does or does not have future plans. Others in the media certainly have, but we haven’t,” Buick brand communications manager, Stuart Fowle, wrote in an email to . “Avista was a project that brought Buick designers together and created a strong sense of community, teamwork, and future design direction.”
It’s quite possible the first time Team Camaro saw the Avista was right there in Cobo Hall, so many were probably caught off guard and didn’t appreciate being kept out of the loop. Couple that with the drooling reactions the masses had in response to the Avista, and you can begin to imagine Team Camaro seething over stolen thunder.
For what it’s worth, our source says mentioning Avista and Camaro anywhere near the GM design guys is analogous to farting in church.
Not only is the Avista slick and stylish, but it was shown shortly after the evolutionary styling of the sixth-generation Camaro debuted to a somewhat lukewarm response. On top of that, you could imagine if the Avista did make it to market, price points would certainly overlap with fully kitted Camaros.
There would also be a severe conflict of clients, because the Avista and Camaro SS would ostensibly share a well-to-do demographic. Between the two cars, Avista is ostensibly the one that appeals to an aging population with cash to dispose.
What do you think of these insider stories? Which side are you on?
