Autoblog

The production version of the Ford Fairlane concept is named the Flex, and the Blue Oval will pull the wraps off this key new vehicle at the New York Auto Show in two weeks. The Flex joins a Ford crossover lineup that includes the newly restyled and renamed Taurus X and, of course, the Edge. The Flex, however, is essentially Ford's minivan replacement. Unlike the Edge, it features three-row seating and opposite-opening side doors (basically big suicide doors, just like the ones seen on the Fairlane). Of course, the "minivan" look is radioactive these days unless you're the Chrysler Group, and Ford thinks it's got a winner in the Flex, which will appeal to families who want minivan utility and space, but not the stodgy appearance. The other domestics are ready with competition -- GM with its GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, and Buick Enclave, and Chrysler with the new Town & Country and Dodge Caravan (and the Pacifica, lest we forget).

According to Dow Jones Newswires, dealers who've seen the crossover are very enthused and Ford's looking to hit a sales volume of 100,000 units for the family-friendly hauler starting in 2008. Naturally, the Flex will spawn a Lincoln version as well (it won't be at NY), and if it finds the same level of popularity and acceptance as the Fusion and Edge, well, this whole Way Forward thing is going to start looking pretty good. We eagerly await seeing the Flex in person, and will report back once we've climbed all over it at the Javits Center.

UPDATE: The whole French Doors/Suicide Doors thing is in question, as the Detroit News says the Flex has regular doors. We've contacted Ford, requesting a clarification. We'll let you know what they say.

UPDATE 2: Pointed out in the comments: Multiple Blue Oval News commenters emphatically state, "No!" on the French/Suicide doors, and that community is usually a reliable source of information. This is basically confirmed in Bold Moves episode 15 (thanks to commenter Martin for reminding us). For its part, Ford must be enjoying this, as the response we got from acompany spokesperson was, " All I can say is that one of them is wrong." Indeed, and it looks like the wrong one is Dow Jones. Too bad.

Thanks for the tip, JuanTan!

[Source: Dow Jones Newswires via CNN Money]

It's mostly a 1962 VW Bus. Except for the engine, which is now a 355 small-block. And the aluminum seats. And the 7-inch chop. Oh, and the trademark VW flower vase on the dash was carved from billet aluminum. All that and more makes it one of Hot Rod Magazine's Top 10 Hot Rods of 2006. The photo is linked to a full detailing of the sinister beast.

The other nine top-rated Hot Rods can be viewed by following the 'read' link below, including HRM's Hot Rod of the Year. If you like ungodly amounts of horsepower, you'll probably agree with their choices. If you don't, you might prefer this link instead.

[Source: Hot Rod Magazine via Jalopnik]

Despite what everyone thought was the plan, the production version of the upcoming Ford Fairlane family wagon will not debut at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in early January. Ford claims it was never scheduled to debut in Detroit, though Bob Thibodeau, a local Detroit Ford dealer and senior cochairman of NAIAS, told the Detroit Free Press he had it down on his official list.

What's the reason for the Fairlane's no-show? Officially Ford is saying that the Detroit show doesn't correspond with the vehicle's manufacturing schedule. That very well may be the case, as it doesn't appear producing the Fairlane is going to be the simple conversion of the concept we thought it would be. Word is that Ford's showing a version of the Fairlane at its Showroom of the Future event at Cobo Hall that's less boxy than the concept Fairlane that kicked off this whole thing. This new Fairlane is a wild card, as we've not seen a spy photo or heard any rumblings about it until now. We'll be sure to let you know as soon as it pops up on our radar again.

[Source: Detroit Free Press via Kicking Tires]

Say goodbye to the Ford minivans.The Detroit News is reporting that the Fairlane concept has been green lighted and will debut in production form during next year's auto show circuit. With its minivan sales in steady decline since 2000, FoMoCo has apparently decided to face the problem head-on by attacking that market segment with the new vehicle.

The Fairlane (in concept form, at least) is an attractive take on the current crossover segment, offering minivan-like carrying capacity without the frumpy stigma those vehicles carry in tow. Its large, wagon-like profile evokes SUVs while its low step-in height is more carlike. Sliding doors are ditched in favor of full-sized, rear-hinged "suicide" doors that provide easy access to the passenger cabin when fully opened. Outside, crisp lines and Ford's three-bar corporate face set the tone stylewise.

The interior offers flexible seating that can be reconfigured to accommodate different types of cargo. Fairlane's dashboard and many of the other cabin materials are pure concept car stuff, but given that Ford has done nice work with the cabins of the Five Hundred, Freestyle, and Edge, there's no reason to believe that the interior of the production Fairlane won't be up to snuff.

Now, the paper also reports that there are several aspects of the car that are still up in the air, such as the name (note to Ford: "Fairlane" is just fine) and the final styling direction. Still, news of its approval is an important development. A well-executed Fairlane should easily surpass the numbers being put up by the current minivans, and could help alleviate the pain caused by slower-selling SUVs, especially if it takes an extended period of time for those numbers to start ticking back upward.

Most importantly, this decision demonstrates that the Way Forward plan is not just empty corporate rhetoric and that "Bold Moves" is more than a throwaway tagline. If these are the kinds of maneuvers -- leaving stagnant market segments, approving compelling new products -- that can expect to see from Ford from now on, then there is reason to believe that good things are in store.

[Source: The Detroit News]