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Ford Interceptor Concept Sedan Celebrates Modern American Muscle with 'Built Ford Tough' Attitude Review

January 2007
Filed under: FORD Car News | FORD Headlines

Ford Interceptor Concept Sedan

January 18, 2007 -- Grab a handful of Ford muscle car magic, combine it with the sporty elegance of the iconic sedans of the 1960s and infuse it with a heavy dose of “Built Ford Tough” attitude, and you’ve got an all-American concept sedan that Ford calls the Interceptor.

“This concept celebrates the best of American muscle, showing customers what ‘modern muscle’ is all about,” says Peter Horbury, executive director, Design, The Americas. “The Interceptor concept is much like a Marine in dress uniform. He looks smart and elegant, but you can see the raw power that lies beneath.”
The Interceptor’s got all the goods, with a powerful exterior design bathed in deep blue and accented by a high beltline and substantial, even brutish, surfaces and sections that define the concept’s contemporary look.

Signature Ford touches include the horizontal three-bar grille, which has been structurally integrated into the bumper beam, as well as “squircles” – or professionally square circle-shaped graphics – inside and out.

In keeping with the trend toward rear-drive large sedans, the Interceptor rides on a Mustang-based chassis with stunning proportions that include a short front overhang, long rear overhang and extended dash-to-axle ratio.

“The Ford Interceptor concept is a pure sedan that speaks to performance car lovers everywhere,” says Freeman Thomas, director, North American Strategic Design. “These people might need more space, but they still appreciate the power and attitude that cars like this represent,”

Ford Interceptor Concept Sedan

As a nod to performance purists, the ultimate muscle lies under the powered clamshell “shaker” hood, which caps a thoroughly detailed engine compartment that houses a 5.0-liter V-8 Cammer engine that is capable of running on E85 Ethanol.

The Interceptor’s Cammer is based on the same modular engine that powered Ford Racing’s FR500C Mustang racer to the top of the Grand Am Cup’s GS class, achieving five victories on its way to the Drivers, Manufacturers and Team Championships in its first season of competition in 2005.

The Interceptor concept’s Cammer engine is mated to a manual six-speed transmission. The car, equipped with 22-inch wheels, also features a solid rear axle for more hard-core performance feel.

Inside, the Ford Interceptor concept is sleek and thoroughly modern, finished in contrasting black leather and metal finishes.

The dash, headliner and thick steering wheel are leather-wrapped, as are the concept’s four low-back bucket seats, wrapped in thick black belt leather with exposed-edge seams and contrasting caramel stitching. The seats are accented with Ford GT-inspired squircle grommets, finished with Titan Metal painted inserts. Squircle accents are repeated in the concept’s door trims, floor, console and instrument panel.

Other clever touches include retractable headrests that deploy from the roof when the car is parked. They adjust fore and aft, as well as up and down, for each occupant. Audio control panel and climate controls also are stowable. The gated six-speed shifter is exposed, just waiting to be thrown into gear.

“The Interceptor concept is a sedan – but with the heart and soul of a performance car,“ says Thomas. “This car is about restraint – and not clouding the driving experience with too much technology. There aren’t a lot of layers between the driver and the road with this car.”

Ford Interceptor Concept Sedan

The Interceptor concept incorporates Ford’s patented four-point “belt and suspenders” safety belt design in all four seats, and inflatable seat belts in the rear.

The four-point belt showcases a possible next-generation safety belt that is more comfortable and easier to use than traditional three-point belts, according to consumer research. Additionally, inflatable belts have been included in the rear seat of the concept to help better protect occupants in a variety of crashes.

While current three-point safety belts are extremely effective in reducing the risk of injury in a crash, Ford Motor Company is researching these two potential safety belt technologies as possible ways to further reduce injury risk in vehicle crashes.

“Our customer target for this powerful masculine sedan was a man with a family,” says Horbury. “He’s essentially a good guy, but a bit mischevious. He loves power and performance. But ultimately, he’s responsible. When he has his family on board, he values new safety technology, as well as a powerful engine.”

Source: Ford Motor Company

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