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Concept Ford Fusion: Ford 427 Idea
By Matthew C. Keegan
Several years before an all new model goes into production, clay mock ups are produced to give management an idea of where the design team is headed. Those designs are then refined and tweaked, and soon enter the auto show circuit as a concept car. If customer reaction is good, then the automaker will likely continue to the next phase, eventually bringing out a new car derived from the concept.
One of the most lauded cars of our day is the Ford Fusion, a five passenger midsize sedan based on the Ford 427 concept of the early 2000s. Making its debut at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the square shaped 427 looks remarkably like the first generation production version of the Fusion sold for the 2006-2009 model years.
Concerning the 427 concept, Ford had this to say to say in 2003: "This is a car that you take home, park in your driveway, sit back and let your neighbor eat his heart out," said J Mays, Ford Motor Company vice president, Design. "The 427 concept is unmistakably Ford and 100 percent American. It demonstrates that a sedan from a U.S. manufacturer can once again be exciting, sexy, sophisticated and powerful."
Leaner, Cleaner Fusion
The difference, however, is that the Ford design team took a well received concept and relaxed some of its sharp edges while retaining its overall body theme. Ford desperately needed to offer a capable midsize model - the hottest selling car segment - and they couldn't afford to miss the mark with the Fusion.
Both the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord were dominating a segment once led by the Ford Taurus, which had over the years turned ugly. Eventually, the Taurus would be redone or replaced and has since moved upmarket as Ford's full size sedan.
To be sure, the 427 concept couldn't be built today. That is, the concept which included a potent V-10 engine producing 590 horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque. Even if that particular engine found its way into a larger version of the car, say a full size replacement for the ancient Crown Victoria, subsequent gas price fluctuations and a trend toward lighter and more efficient cars would have killed the model quickly. In their wisdom, Ford recognized that the design cues should stay while the engineering would need to be tamed.
Well Tamed Fusion
You can still find a high powered Ford if you want one, but the automaker reserves that power for the Mustang and its line of F-Series line of pickup trucks. Today's Fusion is powered strictly by I4 and V6 engines, with a hybrid model introduced for 2010. The original styling of the 427 concept can still be seen in the second generation model, though the grille, roof pillars, side panels, and trunk lid have certainly gone through their own metamorphis.
Resources:
Autoblog: What if... Ford had made all the Right Moves
Ford 427 Concept Aims to Rekindle America's Love Affair with the Sedan
Several years before an all new model goes into production, clay mock ups are produced to give management an idea of where the design team is headed. Those designs are then refined and tweaked, and soon enter the auto show circuit as a concept car. If customer reaction is good, then the automaker will likely continue to the next phase, eventually bringing out a new car derived from the concept.
One of the most lauded cars of our day is the Ford Fusion, a five passenger midsize sedan based on the Ford 427 concept of the early 2000s. Making its debut at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the square shaped 427 looks remarkably like the first generation production version of the Fusion sold for the 2006-2009 model years.
Concerning the 427 concept, Ford had this to say to say in 2003: "This is a car that you take home, park in your driveway, sit back and let your neighbor eat his heart out," said J Mays, Ford Motor Company vice president, Design. "The 427 concept is unmistakably Ford and 100 percent American. It demonstrates that a sedan from a U.S. manufacturer can once again be exciting, sexy, sophisticated and powerful."
Leaner, Cleaner Fusion
The difference, however, is that the Ford design team took a well received concept and relaxed some of its sharp edges while retaining its overall body theme. Ford desperately needed to offer a capable midsize model - the hottest selling car segment - and they couldn't afford to miss the mark with the Fusion.
Both the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord were dominating a segment once led by the Ford Taurus, which had over the years turned ugly. Eventually, the Taurus would be redone or replaced and has since moved upmarket as Ford's full size sedan.
To be sure, the 427 concept couldn't be built today. That is, the concept which included a potent V-10 engine producing 590 horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque. Even if that particular engine found its way into a larger version of the car, say a full size replacement for the ancient Crown Victoria, subsequent gas price fluctuations and a trend toward lighter and more efficient cars would have killed the model quickly. In their wisdom, Ford recognized that the design cues should stay while the engineering would need to be tamed.
Well Tamed Fusion
You can still find a high powered Ford if you want one, but the automaker reserves that power for the Mustang and its line of F-Series line of pickup trucks. Today's Fusion is powered strictly by I4 and V6 engines, with a hybrid model introduced for 2010. The original styling of the 427 concept can still be seen in the second generation model, though the grille, roof pillars, side panels, and trunk lid have certainly gone through their own metamorphis.
Resources:
Autoblog: What if... Ford had made all the Right Moves
Ford 427 Concept Aims to Rekindle America's Love Affair with the Sedan
