Photo: Abimelec Design / Facebook
In a different, parallel universe, perhaps “Olds is the New New,” but in ours the Oldsmobile brand was retired to greener pastures by its parent General Motors. That happened way back in 2004, so what’s up with this 2021 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Hybrid SUV we see here?
Well, pixel master Abimelec Arellano (aka abimelecdesign for his social media followers) has a neat “What-If” series going on alongside Hagerty. It’s the renowned collectible vehicles specialty insurance company’s version of keeping in touch with the younger audiences, just for the record. Not the Marvel Studios similarly named “What If...?” upcoming animated anthology series created for the equally novel Disney+ streaming service.
Now that we have that straight, we have to acknowledge both the success of this cool virtual reality series (remember the fantastic Camaro-looking new Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme?) and of the Oldsmobile brand, which is still very much one of the automotive heroes of the gone but not forgotten category.
As such, we can easily imagine the appeal for customers if Oldsmobile was given the chance to live on into this new decade. Logically, a strong lineup would have needed some hefty SUV support, because let’s face it, they’re all the rage these days.
And, to make sure the Olds’ (Motor Vehicle Company, which was established back in 1897) would properly stand out in any crowd, the virtual artist hasn’t just taken the underpinnings of the fifth generation Chevrolet Tahoe and called it a day.
Instead, this virtual 2021 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight (also the fifth iteration, according to the alternate timeline) makes use of a hybrid powertrain to keep the adventurous crowd pleased and ready for comfortable excursions. It’s all about hitting the right vibe here, so the SUV is naturally equipped with chunky tires, body color-matching rim paintjobs and a little (but very special) roof element.
That’s right, this modern Oldsmobile SUV directly references the quirky 1964-1977 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. The station wagon body style has fallen out of favor ever since, but it seems the odd skylight for the rear passengers is making a strong comeback... at least in the virtual world.
Now that we have that straight, we have to acknowledge both the success of this cool virtual reality series (remember the fantastic Camaro-looking new Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme?) and of the Oldsmobile brand, which is still very much one of the automotive heroes of the gone but not forgotten category.
As such, we can easily imagine the appeal for customers if Oldsmobile was given the chance to live on into this new decade. Logically, a strong lineup would have needed some hefty SUV support, because let’s face it, they’re all the rage these days.
And, to make sure the Olds’ (Motor Vehicle Company, which was established back in 1897) would properly stand out in any crowd, the virtual artist hasn’t just taken the underpinnings of the fifth generation Chevrolet Tahoe and called it a day.
Instead, this virtual 2021 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight (also the fifth iteration, according to the alternate timeline) makes use of a hybrid powertrain to keep the adventurous crowd pleased and ready for comfortable excursions. It’s all about hitting the right vibe here, so the SUV is naturally equipped with chunky tires, body color-matching rim paintjobs and a little (but very special) roof element.
That’s right, this modern Oldsmobile SUV directly references the quirky 1964-1977 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. The station wagon body style has fallen out of favor ever since, but it seems the odd skylight for the rear passengers is making a strong comeback... at least in the virtual world.
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