You may be surprised to learn that this sleek, sexy coupe is actually the brand-new Buick Avista. According to a report from The Verge, the new design was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) earlier this week to a warm reception by auto journalists. The new Avista coupe is sure to make a lasting impression on anyone who has the chance to give it a spin.

Buick is not well known for producing coupes, but the new Avista pays a srious tribute to the design, which dates back to the early 1900s. According to Liz Wetzel, the director of interior design at Buick, “The Avista was purely a design exploration exercise. We used this project to take sculptural beauty and think about Buick and where it’s been in the past. The Buick Y-Job was the very first automotive show car. Buick used to use technology and beautiful sculpture together.”

NAIAS is a massive showcase for some of the continent’s biggest automakers to show off their latest designs. According to Milton Pedraza, the CEO of the Luxury Institute, the trend in luxury cars is leaning heavily toward aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, and low environmental impact. Some of the cars at the auto show, Pedraza says, appear to draw from classic designs but are actually some of the most modern and state-of-the-art blueprints available.

The Avista was first conceived by a team of Buick designers, and management quickly approved the designs as soon as they were presented. According to Holt Ware, the director of exterior design for Buick, “From teams in the studio, it happened because they wanted to see themselves in a vehicle. They didn’t all want to see themselves in a three-row SUV or a crossover. If you’re in a production studio, you have to justify your resources, because everyone runs on a budget.”

The Buick officials both expressed their surprise following the overwhelmingly positive response to the Avista at the NAIAS. The design is based off of GM’s Alpha platform, and holds a V-6 with 400 horsepower under the hood. While it remains uncertain if the car will ever make it to production, attendees at the auto show were stunned to see just what Buick designers were capable of.

A press release from Buick describing the new Avista’s revolutionary design can be found here.