Poor Editor Derek. I would hound him all the way to the grave for calling the Ford Fusion a game changer, but let’s face it: he is likely to outlive me by some thirty or forty years. Perhaps I will leave a note in my will instructing my son to keep bothering Derek, and also to talk up my estate auction a little bit.
So here’s the Ford Fusion for NASCAR’s 2013 season. It shares absolutely nothing several important aesthetic ideals with the new street car. Click the jump for another photo and a few quotes from Ford regarding the new design, which to be fair does look like the biggest departure from common-template stock cars in some time.
The new NASCAR Fusion is said to employ multiple styling cues around the car to convey an identification with its non-racing counterpart. Although the changes look slight to non-racers, they are significant enough that the car will be tested for a full season before being released. As we have noted in the past, there is quite a bit of applied technology in NASCAR. An undeveloped silhouette would find itself miles behind the competition at the checkered flag. Literally.
Find out more at a completely impartial website.
Why does it say Ecoboost?
Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.
You didn’t hear about Nascar’s switch to direct injected 2.0 liter turbos? It’s going to be Ecoboost vs. Ecotech. Or maybe it is just a pretend sticker like the one that says Fusion.
I am also guessing that Dale Jr’s green Chevy does not actually run on Amp and MtnDew.
So, NASCAR is actually pulling their head out of the sand? It’s a start, I’d much prefer something along the lines of an Aussie Supercar though.
When I tuned in a race last year and saw the whole “dance-partners” “bump-drafting” thing going on….well, I just thought thye’ve really jumped the shark now…even more so than stuff like the Lucky-Dog and the Competition Yellow. Sorry NASCAR, too little too late.
It’s a pretty sharp looking car actually. I know it isn’t a “stock car” by any stretch, but it looks better than the current crop of COTs that use technology from the ’50s and ’60s.
This series will continue to exist as racertainment that is just a little more believable than pro wrasslin’, but a lot more boring.
I would be inclined to watch if this was an actual car with a direct injected, turbo charged engine, but hey, they just got up to snuff on fuel injection this year!
Yeah imagine if Stock Car racing actually involved near stock manufacturers vehicles. Crazy thought. I would actually watch.
Yeah, and not even “real” fuel-injection. The 2012 NASCAR system is TBI (throttle-body), not port injection. Just like the system on a 1992 GMC Safari with the 4.3, or my mother-in-law’s 1991 Grand-Am with the Iron Duke. Way to leap into the 1990s, NASCAR!
Wait, wait. NASCAR? With FUEL INJECTION?! The last refuge of the carburetor has just lost out to the greenies. First ethanol, now this. Sad.
Oh right, blah, blah, blah, no tuning involved and improved fuel economy. Still, sad.
I’ll still watch however in lieu of the Vikings losing every game…
This is part of a new direction for NASCAR and Grand Am. They’ve developed a working relationship with Windshear Inc in Concord, NC. Windshear has a 180mph rolling road wind tunnel that NASCAR use equalize the aerodynamic performance between various bodywork designs by measuring drag, downforce, crosswind sensitivity, etc. NASCAR is trying to provide value for the manufacturers, but, like the new fuel-injection rules, the aero balancing is being pushed through by the manufacturers. The new Chevy DP is actually a rework of an old LMP Evo project Chevrolet were working on years ago, and the Big 3 have consistently refused to run certain premium performance models without styling leeway.
As far as motorsport is concerned, the new aerodynamic rules are completely unsubstantial, and they do nothing to move NASCAR away from its spec technical regulations. However, the new aero rules do give the sport a face lift, and they create the appearance that the NASCAR is returning to its “stock car” roots.
I think NASCAR should have a Classic series of NASCAR. 60’s aero, max 430cid engines with pushrods and unlimited carb. Too fast for the tires you say? That will separate the men from the faux pretty boy racers…
I would even watch that.
It won’t happen because of things like this:
http://www.you tube.com/watch?v=wySxP-tWZQU
Take the extra spaces out between you + tube
Insurance companies have an issue with things like that.
I think the “stock car” vies with “student athlete” as the biggest oxymoron in sports.
what does a stock car need with painted on fog lights?
@stryker: Marketing.
For a Sprint Cup car it looks great; it has actual resemblence to the production model. I doubt, however, that Boss Hog France and his good ole boy minions will allow it. Unfortunately, it will probably end up looking like a typical Impargerusionry by the time they get through with it.
Actually Boss Hog and company are on board with this. They know they screwed up big time with the current car.
The Aussie Supercars look even closer to the real thing. But line up the real thing and a Supercar and they really aren’t all that close.
I wish there was a website for NASCAR updates ever since motorsport.com went down the drain.
What would they update? Driver 4’s new hairstyle and marketing team?
That car will look mighty fine when a Roush driver triumphantly finishes the season in 2nd or 3rd place again this year.
It looks like a Lumina. Ugly and GM. I would avoid it for that reason alone.
Looks good, I really like the actual “stock car”. Definitely zoomed to the top of my list for cars to consider this fall.
…..one of the last cars sold late Sunday at the Barret Jackson extravaganza was an (alleged) 2013 Mustang Sprint Car zero-miles prototype. It sold for peanuts, less than the cost of a NASCAR Roush motor alone, the bargain of the sale………although what you could do with it is a bit of a mystery. There is nowhere to race a car with no classification, but what a helluva “track day” car! More to the point, has NASCAR abandoned their Camaro/ Mustang/Challenger idea? Are we entering the Cruze/Fuzion/Dart/(still)Camry era, Mclaren fuel injection and all? What’s next veee-sixes? At least they won’t need restrictor plates.
Aston Martin called and they want their grille back.
Ford picked up the phone and said, “We wasted a lot of money on you… we’re keeping the grille.”
Ford still owns a few percent of A-M.
Next T-bird?
Separated at birth: ’13 Ford Fusion NASCAR – Lightning McQueen?
One could argue that the demise of the big American manufacturers to world competition had its roots in “the NASCAR”. Once innovation in technology was replaced with personality based reactionary racing, the big three suffered boldly from a severe lack of innovation and bias in to their own superiority. Thankfully looks like Ford is making baby-steps-to-victory in taking the NASCAR back to relevancy.
I’m not going to waste time and space for a diatribe against NASCAR. It is what it is now, with more viewers and spectators than it’s ever had, especially during the “golden years”.
However, that is a handsome car – and even more so in profile. It’s screaming out for a TWO DOOR COUPE!!!
Ford, if you care about your legacy going forward from this point, give us a frikken two door coupe based on the 2013 Fusion, please.
I promise, I will buy it NEW if you make it.