GM Concept Studio Unveils New Vehicle

Amid much techno music and multimedia hoopla, General Motors executives Wednesday rolled out the first concept car designed at 5350 Industrial Concepts, the new North Hollywood design studio established to help the auto giant stay in touch with West Coast consumer trends.

The Chevrolet Borrego, a futuristic 5-speed pickup truck, sports car and sport utility vehicle mix, is among a number of recent GM concepts for “trendier-looking, cooler-looking vehicles” that resonate with young buyers, said GM spokesman Scott Taylor.

Designers at the new studio, which is near Cahuenga Boulevard in a converted bakery, said working in L.A.’s car-crazy atmosphere is helping them bring a more updated look to vehicles at GM, which in recent years has been known for playing it safe aesthetically.

“We’re here to tap into the racing enthusiasts who customize their cars, the crazy people on Melrose, the bizarre people in Venice,” said Franz Von Holzhausen, a lead designer on the Borrego project. “What kind of better experience is there to be surrounded by people who enjoy your product?”

Wesley Brown, an analyst at Thousand Oaks market research firm Nextrend, said cars like the Borrego are part of an industrywide trend toward marketing “lifestyle vehicles” that match specific consumer interests and self-images. With its diverse population, California is the perfect place to test these out, he said.

“If you can provide a product that fits these lifestyles, you’ll have a hit,” he said.

Plans for the North Hollywood design studio, which employs about 30 people, were announced at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. GM hadn’t had a design presence in Southern California since 1996, when it closed its studio in Newbury Park in Ventura County.

GM officials have not indicated if or when the Borrego will be mass-produced.