Buick Electra Orbit Concept Looks Like It Drove Out of a Retro Sci-Fi Movie!

In America, Buick barely registers anymore. Most folks think of it as the brand your grandparents drove, not the one building dream machines. But in China, it is still a heavy hitter. And if you want proof, just take a look at the company’s latest concept: the Electra Orbit.

This thing is wild. Buick calls it a design that “marries the romance of the 1950s with futuristic technology and pure-electric architecture.” Translation? It’s part retro cruiser, part spaceship, and very much not your average crossover.

The Electra Orbit was penned entirely at GM’s China Advanced Design Center, and you can see the influences everywhere. The nose is smooth and uninterrupted, the rear stretches out with massive overhangs, and the whole thing gleams in a paint color known only as “Space.” It’s meant to echo vintage aircraft, early spacecraft, and even Buick’s own mid-century show cars.

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And yes, it’s big. At nearly 20 feet long and more than six and a half feet wide, the Orbit takes up about as much space as a Chevy Suburban. The 24-inch disc wheels look like they’ve been ripped straight off a jet turbine. Four scissor doors swing open from the center like a mechanical stage show, and at the rear, a pair of deployable wings pop out to smooth airflow and add downforce.

Inside, it’s just as theatrical. The cabin seats four in a 2+2 layout, with everything angled toward comfort and spectacle. Front and center is a “wormhole-inspired interface,” Buick’s way of saying there’s an AI assistant baked into the car. For anyone tired of talking to their car, there’s also a crystal-like ball controller that lets you physically command the enormous arching screen stretching from pillar to pillar.

“Electra Orbit is a bold exploration of what Buick can be when we blend heritage inspiration with visionary innovation,” says Stuart Norris, GM China’s VP of design. He’s not wrong- this feels both futuristic and unmistakably Buick.

As for performance, Buick’s keeping it vague. All we know is that the Orbit sits on GM’s dedicated EV platform. Don’t hold your breath for production, though. This one’s a pure design exercise, meant to inspire elements for future models rather than hit showrooms.

Which is a shame, really. Because for a brand many Americans have written off, the Electra Orbit proves Buick can still dream big- and build a car that looks like it drove straight out of a retro sci-fi blockbuster.