GMC Teases Its Radical Next-Gen Design From England

It’s not entirely uncommon for American auto brands to source inspiration from other regions. Cadillac, for example, looked to the Nürburgring when it developed its first V-Series vehicles, while the history of the Ford GT supercar is interminably linked to Le Mans, France. Jeep Wranglers do well in Japan, Buicks turn numbers in China, and even the humble Ford Ranger is a global phenomenon. But one uniquely American automaker is about to take advice from foreigners for the first time in ages. GMC’s latest concept, due for a debut later this year, is a joint effort between the company’s design teams in the UK and in Michigan.

A Radical Design That May Preview A Future Denali

Teased alongside a sleek Corvette design study, the GMC concept is the work of the company’s new Advanced Design Studio in Royal Leamington Spa, UK. While revealing very little, GMC is previewing a show car that’s clearly more modern and minimalist than its current lineup, with a sleek design belying its truckish history (and present, for that matter). There’s hardly any chrome in the elements we can see, replaced instead by robust metallic ingots that are embossed with coordinates. Look those up in your atlas, and you’ll find they correspond to GM’s new location just outside Birmingham and its classic engineering and design center in Warren, Michigan, with architecture by the legendary Eero Saarinen.

The Finnish pioneer of mid-century design may have inspired the organic, modernist appearance of the concept’s bar-shaped, horizontal headlight elements, as well as the taillights that jut out into the cargo area. Combined with the sleek, stainless finish and the square wheel openings barely visible in the photos, the GMC teaser almost looks like a Tesla Cybertruck with the edges rounded off, although we think the concept will be an SUV or rover-style vehicle. The interior, accessible via what looks like a hatch panel, furthers the suspicion, and the captain’s chair looks very comfortable – we might be looking at some kind of futuristic GMC Denali product.

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The Sophisticated GMC Concept Debuts Later This Year

The only detail GM would confirm about the concept is that it will make its formal debut later in 2025, perhaps at the Frankfurt Motor Show in May, the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, or the Doha Motor Show in October. Given the GMC concept’s English roots, we wonder if it’ll arrive at Goodwood – which celebrates the 75th anniversary of Formula 1 – to support Cadillac’s 2026 open-wheel racing program.

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Based on what little we see, the GMC looks far more futuristic than any of the division’s previous concept vehicles like the 2005 Graphyte, meaning GM’s truck division might be turning over a new leaf concerning its designs. We just don’t yet know whether that means futuristic powertrains, unique offerings that share little with Chevrolet or Cadillac vehicles, or unconventional truck styling. It’s unlikely the automaker will provide any other details on its UK- and US-designed show car, so we might have to wait for its debut to learn more.

Source: General Motors