The Buick Bengal was a concept roadster built by Buick and unveiled at the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was meant to make the marque look younger, and it was packed with ideas that never reached production.
Buick Bengal at a glance
| Type | concept roadster |
|---|---|
| Shown | 2001 North American International Auto Show, Detroit |
| Engine | supercharged 3.4 L V6 |
| Power | 250 hp (186 kW) |
| Transmission | six-speed manual, mounted ahead of the engine |
| Seats | two, plus two more under the rear decklid |
| Voice system | Quiet Servant by Visteon, over 100 commands |
| Instruments | a single flat panel instead of gauges |
| Production | never built; the 2004 Velite took its place |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Bengal. No free photographs of the car are available on Wikimedia Commons.
History of the Buick Bengal
The Bengal was Buick’s attempt to rejuvenate the range and make it appeal to younger buyers. Instead of a large sedan it was a small, low roadster, and it was engineered with unusual freedom because no production version was planned.
Under the skin sat a supercharged 3.4-litre V6 producing 250 hp (186 kW), driving through a six-speed manual gearbox. The transmission was mounted ahead of the engine rather than behind it, which allowed the front wheels to be pushed further forward and improved the handling balance.
The body was that of a two-seat roadster, but the rear decklid could be lifted to reveal two extra seats — making the Bengal a 2+2 when it needed to be. The most talked-about feature, however, was the voice control system. Named Quiet Servant and developed by Visteon, it recognised more than 100 spoken commands and could work the headlights, wipers, roof, heater, navigation, seat adjustment and cruise control.
The dashboard carried no conventional gauges at all. Information was displayed only on demand, on a single flat screen in the middle of the fascia. In 2001 Buick said it wanted to put the Bengal into production, but the plans were shelved; in 2004 the company showed the Velite, a more realistic roadster design, instead.
The Bengal therefore remains a pure show car. It is remembered less for its shape than for the way it pointed at the technologies — voice control and reconfigurable displays — that later became ordinary on production cars.
Design and features
- Supercharged V6: 3.4 litres and 250 hp, with a six-speed manual.
- Ahead-of-engine gearbox: the transmission sat in front of the engine to move the wheels forward.
- Hidden rear seats: the decklid lifted to reveal two occasional seats.
- Quiet Servant: Visteon voice control with over 100 commands.
- No gauges: one flat screen displayed information only when asked.
Buick Bengal versions
- Bengal (2001): the only example built, a running concept roadster.
- Velite (2004): the later, more realistic Buick roadster concept that replaced it in the plans.
The Bengal belongs to the same show-car tradition as the Blackhawk and the Centieme, both built around the same time. More Buicks are in the Buick collection.
Sources
- Buick Bengal, English Wikipedia: show debut, engine, voice system, production plans
