New York International Auto Show to Host Ford’s Concept Cars

Anthony Fontanelle
March 23, 2007

Motor shows have always been one of the foremost gatherings that auto makers take advantage of so as to showcase the advances they have made in the design and performance of their vehicles. More often than not, a motor show is characterized by an influx of concept vehicles.

This type of vehicles is designed using cutting edge design concepts, advanced engine technology and would also come loaded with futuristic features. These vehicles are only used to showcase the technologies developed by car manufacturers.

The features shown on these vehicles will only be used on production vehicles after some time. The reason for this is that the features on concept vehicles are significantly expensive to produce. This means that further development is needed to bring down the cost of production of features used on concept vehicles for them to be made available for mass produced vehicles.

The upcoming New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), dubbed as the biggest event of its kind, will be hosting concept vehicles from United States’ second largest car manufacturer, Ford. This year, the Ford Motor Company will be showcasing three concept vehicles - two from Ford and one from Lincoln. All of these three concept vehicles are showing the path that Ford Motor Company is willing to take in the near future.

The first of the three concept vehicles is the Ford Airstream. The design of the concept vehicle is largely influenced by the film “2001: A Space Odyssey” which is a masterpiece done by Stanley Kubrick. The futuristic design of the vehicle is evident in its aluminum finish and radically designed windows and extended windshield. The vehicle is not only futuristic in terms of its exterior looks but also in the way it is powered. The Ford Airstream is a plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cell vehicle. This means that aside from the fuel cell, the vehicle is also equipped with a powerful battery pack which provides added power. The vehicle is an electric vehicle in a sense that it runs on electric power alone thus no harmful emission is released.

Another concept vehicle that Ford will be unveiling at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan is the flex fuel vehicle that is the Ford Interceptor. The concept is loosely based on the Ford Mustang and provides just as much power as its cousin. The vehicle runs on E85 which is a combination of 85 percent bio-ethanol and 15 percent conventional gasoline. The bio-ethanol burning engine can produce as much as 400 horsepower. That amount of power could only be stopped by highly efficient brake components like EBC brake pads. To match the power of the vehicle, Ford gives the Interceptor advanced safety features like their patented four-point “belts and suspenders”. For passengers on the second row of seats, the Ford Interceptor provides inflatable safety belts.

Aside from the two concept vehicles from Ford, one of its divisions, Lincoln, also developed a concept vehicle. Lincoln’s MKR Concept is a four-door coupe packed with a long list of luxury features. What the Lincoln MKR brings to the table is the uniqueness of their luxury trims like the leather which is chemical free. The powerplant of the concept is a 3.5-liter V6 engine with twin turbocharger and direct injection feature. The engine runs on gasoline and can produce as much as 415 brake horsepower.

Source:  Amazines.com