2013 Fusion Futura Coupe, Lincoln MKZ

 

2013 Ford Fusion Futura coupe—An even sleeker next-generation Fusion, this 2-door coupe revives the Futura nameplate. Available in all the same trim and powertrain versions as the sedan, the Futura boasts an interior with four bucket seats and a full length console. Also available in an identical looking 3-door hatchback version.

2013 Lincoln MKZ Glassroof sedan—My attempt to "productionize" the MKZ concept. I changed the greenhouse to a 4-window instead of the concept's 6-windows. I lengthened the trunk and rendered the glass a bit flatter so the section over the front seats can slide back over the rear window, a la Porsche's Targa model these days. I resculpted the trunk and rear fenders to square them up a bit. Still an oddly proportioned car, but I think that might be a good thing. I've always thought that if a design is universally loved at first sight, it's too comfortable, too familiar. The cabin-centric shape of this new Lincoln just might be the next big thing in fully contemporary vehicles.

1961 Plymouth Fury Design Tweak

Refining One of Virgil Exner's Last Masterpieces

For this week's design tweak, I chose a 1961 Plymouth Fury 2 door hardtop. While I find the original Exner design stunning, its contemporary buying public didn't agree. Many automotive hacks wracked their brains trying to colorfully describe this car—The Car that Ate Tokyo—a riff on the Japanese horror flicks of the day, comes to mind, and they still do to this day in classic car magazines. The "pinched" grille and dramatic headlight placement seems to be the car's main issues, although the suddenly finless body was referred to as a "plucked chicken" by Exner himself. My main issues are with the details. There are fussy chrome doodads, fussy side sculpturing and an abundance of shiny chrome slathered in the front. Ironically, Lexus is just now introducing its new "spindle" grille across its entire lineup, and it's almost exactly the same shape as this '61 Plymouth. See the BTW sidebar at the end of this post. Let me describe how I "fixed" it to my own tastes.

T H E   C H O P — First I "radiused" the rear wheel wells. This means I opened up the fenders to reveal the entire wheel and tire. The original had a very low wheel opening which didn't really relate to the front wheel well and made the rear end look like it was dragging. I think this change did the most for "lightening" the look of the car. I resculpted the sides, continuing the front fender shoulder all the way to the back of the car instead of ending it at the front door. I also eliminated the ornate trim behind the front doors, and lowered the entire car about 3 inches so it sat closer to the ground hugging the tires more. At the front, I blackened-out the grille, which simplified the look of it, and made the dramatic "swoosh" around the protruding headlights work better. I added a satin chrome "header" above the now-black grille, with P-L-Y-M-O-U-T-H letterspaced across it. This serves to "rationalize" the grille shape, giving more prominence to the horizontal aspects of it, rather than the angularity of the opening. The front bumper was simplified too, deleting the rather baroque center section with its five raised ridges, and I raised it a few inches so it wasn't so close to the ground.

The original photo of the '61 Fury. Note the odd way the front fender shoulder sculpturing stops at the front door cutline, though the chrome trim continues. Also, just behind the front door is a set of chrome hash marks that seem really out of place, though they do serve as a start for a small sliver of white paint, matching the two-toned roof. The rear of the car seems to drag, a combination of the now-finless rear fenders and very low wheel well opening.

BTW: 

Exner has the last laugh after all, as Lexus introduces its brand new "Spindle" grille on its entire lineup. I call it an updated '61 Plymouth grille!

Blasts from the Past: Early Chops

Chopped in the "early days" when I was posting my work at Autoweek's Combustion Chamber forum, 2005, this large hybrid Buick would have revived their classic "Electra" nameplate. And, really, wouldn't that be an awesome name for a plug-in electric car? Electronic "aero-spats," or fender skirts, could tilt open a few inches in the front to assist in brake cooling, tilt open in the back for braking assistance creating more drag, or remain closed for maximum aerodynamics. They would also be powered "out and up" for tire changing.

My Caducatillac, a high-end Cadillac "pickup truck" with a bespoke custom Ducati motorcycle "holder" in the back. Pushing a button would open the rear tailgate and set in motion a conveyor belt of sorts to "park" or "retrieve" the motorcycle and lock it in place. This is based on the early 2000's Caddy concept car, the Imaj, and was chopped in 2006 or so.

Another Buick, this time a large, rear wheel drive Lucerne 225 luxury sedan. Evoking the vaunted Electra 225 nameplate, this would be a petrol- and diesel-powered formal sedan. A modern take on GM's formal roofed late '70s and early '80s sedans, this sedan would have all the bells and whistles in a more subtle styling package than contemporary Cadillacs.

 

Mercedes is about to introduce a compact-sized 4-door "coupe" to its lineup, based on the corporation's newest A Class. In 2006-07, I created this tiny sport sedan from a C Class. I bet they end up looking fairly similar. I shortened the C Class sedan's hood and wheel-to-dash proportions to simulate a front-wheel drive platform.

 

Chopped back in 2008, with this Scion xB Cabriolet, I just wanted to see if I could inject some fun, and better proportions to the second generation box. Could be a Mini Cab competitor at a lower price point.