by Buick unveiled a futuristic concept in Beijing
Although Buick no longer sells cars in the US that were once popular, the brand remains highly influential in China. At the Beijing Auto Show, the company introduced a new concept showcasing the brand’s future design. If these ideas come to life, we will see a Buick in the shape of a whale, featuring rotating seats, active aerodynamic wheels, and a partition that allows you to isolate yourself from annoying passengers.
Official name and design features
The official name of the concept is Buick Electra Zenith Mobile Space Smart Body. This is a translucent, drop-shaped object that is part of the Electra sub-brand. As you might guess from the shape, it won’t be appearing in dealerships anytime soon. And that’s probably for the best, as some of its features look very ambitious, while others are just plain strange.
The front end uses a so-called “floating wing-shield” design, inspired by traditional Eastern embroidery. The body is a giant transparent, drop-shaped shell with laser engraving that mimics feathers.
Interactive lighting and aerodynamics
The front features an AI projection screen that lights up when a person approaches. It seems conventional headlights have become boring to everyone. For a concept like this, it’s entirely justified.
The rear features matching light signatures, active aerodynamic wheels, and a U-shaped active spoiler that looks more decorative than functional. The active wheels raise questions: does changing their shape actually improve efficiency, or is it just a nice animation for the presentation?
Social space or isolation
The concept’s interior raises the most questions. Inspired by traditional Chinese fans and folding screens, the central tunnel unfolds into a crystal fan-shaped table. It can rotate, fold, or stand vertically as a partition between passengers. Buick has essentially invented a feature for those who want to passive-aggressively isolate themselves from their friends or family.
The four seats rotate almost 360 degrees. This allows all passengers to sit facing each other and use the table for important meetings. Want to build relationships — feel free, want to put up a partition — that’s also possible. The situation with the reclining seats is even more interesting.
The front seats recline so far back that rear passengers can put their feet on the headrests. Buick openly demonstrates this in advertising. This brings a smile, as it’s unlikely anyone dreams of sitting in a seat that just served as a footrest for someone else.
The advertisement also includes several shots with a humpback whale. The meaning of this has likely been lost in translation. It’s a beautiful animal, but it hardly seems like an adjective suitable for the Zenith Mobile Space Smart Body concept.
Practical technologies of the future
From a practical standpoint, Buick states that the concept envisions high-level autonomous driving, solid-state batteries, steer-by-wire chassis, and vector torque from four motors. If anything from what’s seen makes it to mass production, it will be these technologies, not the rotating seats or the table-partition.
Overall, the Buick Electra Zenith Mobile Space Smart Body concept looks like a bold experiment combining futuristic design with traditional Eastern motifs. Although many ideas seem unusual, they demonstrate Buick’s drive for innovation in China, where the brand has a strong position. Whether these solutions will see mass production — time will tell, but it is already clear that Buick is ready to experiment with form and functionality, even if some solutions bring a smile. This indicates that the Chinese market demands unconventional approaches from automakers, and Buick is trying to meet these expectations by creating cars that resemble mobile spaces more than traditional vehicles.
