“If she doesn’t scare the hell out of you a little, then she is not the one.” – Unknown
Lately I have started to notice a thing or two about one of my favorite car brands, Ford Motor Company. It seems that since the great auto-pocalypse, almost everything Ford touches is golden. Every model has the confidence, affluent swagger and chiseled good looks of a Kennedy.
Ford Fusion
In my search for a car, I checked out some British Ford Dealers online and noticed two things. First, the Ford’s of Europe are cooler than the Ford’s in America. In the US, we are not offered the Ka, the B-Max, the C-Max or the Kuga. Second, the whole face of Ford has changed. Gone are the utilitarian transports that severely lacked in design, and in its place is a series of crisp, stylish and truly modern automobiles. Ford has morphed into something like the love child of Honda and Aston Martin. Each model is reliable, exciting, technologically advanced, and just pretty to look at. Ford is making buying a car exciting again.
Ford Fusion
The Ford of old was never overly attractive. Sure, some models like the first generation T-Bird were stunning, and I am still fascinated by the 1960’s era Mustang, but one only has to look at a 1970’s Ford Fairmont to understand the word appliance. That has all changed, lately there is a new theme in the looks of all Fords, whether they are from the US, the UK or the new exports into China. There is a determination about them, a look of business. Gone are the fatty shapes of recent cars, like the oval inspired Taurus. There is feeling of weight, of mass in every car, right down to the diminutive Fiesta and KA. The weight may not be actually present, but the spirit is there. Try closing the door, or even sitting next to a 2015 Taurus, it is like an armored car or an Escalade. The Taurus, for its price and market segment is massive, formidable, but still enjoyable.
Ford Taurus
My favorite of the group is probably the Ford Fusion. The car wears the new “Aston Martin” styled grill the same way Jack Kennedy wore a Brooks Brother suit, with confidence. The car seems more expensive than it is, and if the roofline and stance were a few inches lower, you would have a hard time telling it apart from an Aston Martin Rapide. From the sneering front, to the cute c-pillar, down to the hexagon shape of the rear, the car is almost cutting edge. The way the rise of the trunk almost seems to pull on the taillights and exhaust giving the car a sense of purpose, a feeling of speed that makes the car more than interesting… it makes it relevant. Ford uses the Fusion as the base for the Lincoln MKZ, and in spite of the $15,000 dollar difference, the Lincoln has nothing over the Fusion in terms of design.
Ford Focus
Ford Focus
The Focus and Fiesta, B-Max, EcoSport and C-Max all have the same determined chiseled Ford looks. There is something interesting happening on every panel. The attention grabbing way the rear lights on the Focus wrap up into the backlight, the eyebrows and the “Bond Bug” wedge shape on the Fiesta…these are cars who have passed from the hands of artists, not just the grip of bean counters. And when it comes to style and image, nothing compares to the new Mustang.
Ford Fiesta
The Mustang is simply astounding. The car makes me drool. Every angle is more perfect than the previous, and the overall effect is the same you would get from a $250,000 Aston Martin, sheer perfection. The new Mustang is cool…epic. There is the resemblance to the previous model, but it has undergone a year’s worth of steroid abuse. The front is mean, like someone in desperate need of anger management sessions, and even the tail screams speed. The whole car threatens power…I pulled up next to one in my Miata, and I just naturally slunk lower in my seat. The Mustang is intimidating in the same way a ripped grunter would be at the gym.
Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Mustang is stunning on the outside, but simply beautiful on the inside, having one of the most attractive interiors on a muscle car. Just compare it to the Challenger or Camaro, and you will instantly recognize the differences. The switches are something from a Spyker or Pagani. The dash harks back to the 1960’s models, and doesn’t have the massive “bedroom dresser” feel to the upper dash of the Challenger. The dual hoods make it feel like a fighter jet, and even the headrests in the standard seating remind me of the Ferrari Daytona. Everything in this car has a reference to a classic.
Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
Ford has created the perfect hot hatch in the Focus, and a massively impressive little dervish in the Fiesta. It builds the most stylish and advanced compact sedan with the Fusion, and the best of the muscle cars with the new Mustang. Add to that the array of SUV, crossovers, hybrids, transit vans, trucks and commercial vehicles and I can’t think of another automaker I would buy from.
Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang Interior
For me, the choice would be a 2015 Mustang GT Fastback Coupe, with the 6 speed manual transmission, and 435 horse, equipped with the Line-Lock and Launch Control feature. Epic doesn’t cover it.
Article Courtesy of Chris Raymond
Photos Courtesy of Ford Motor Company, netcarshow.com, bangshift.com