#NAIAS: Is The Buick Avenir Concept's DESIGN Shouting "I HEART BENTLEY" ?

One of the most interesting General Motors concepts in YEARS debuted at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS). That wouldn't have been the all-new Chevrolet Bolt or anything from Cadillac, which was too busy showing off the likes of the ATS-V and CTS-V.

It was the Buick Avenir Concept.

(NAIAS) Detroit Auto Show

Looking more deserving of a Cadillac badge, it was a mix of elegance and timeless design. But, the more I looked at it, the more I saw something familiar. I saw a lot of Bentley Flying Spur in there.

While it's not "dead on" — how could it be as the concept is MUCH more exaggerated — I think it's pretty clear some creative license was taken from the Bentley. Check out the overall greenhouse and especially that embellished C-pillar/fender on the Buick. Compare that with the C-Pillar and fender of the Flying Spur. Note the prominent front grille?

The BIG place the Avenir differs from just about everything on the road is its rear decklid that seems to remind me of a vintage Corvette or the Bugatti 16C Galibier that never made it to production.

Aside from that, I wanted to ask YOU, the AutoSpies faithful: is the Buick Avenir Concept's DESIGN shouting "I HEART BENTLEY?"

As we noted when we saw the press release and studio shots, the Avenir seems to be taking a page from Chrysler's playbook — to be more specific, the 300. By emulating more luxurious models, there's a good chunk of consumers that will buy-in for that more high-end look. Remember when the 300 came out? Those things were FLYING out of showrooms because of its luxurious vibe.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.


**The 2015 Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS) photo galleries are sponsored by Lexus.


(NAIAS) Detroit Auto Show