BlackHorse Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 See that's the whole thing. You say, "the damn thing IS ugly". Naturally, I assume -you- mean to say, "I think it's ugly"; with 928s4, it's not so easy to tell. He could very well believe that somehow he has been appointed one of the gods of automotive styling, and that what he says goes. I didn't get the feeling he had proclaimed himself to be the end all and be all of automotive styling. His post was a little flamboyant, true, but then it wouldn't have made much sense to create a thread, the purpose of which was to express his dislike of the Flex's appearance and then just say "I think it's ugly". lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smok Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 (edited) If he saw this, I understand his opinion: Edited October 28, 2007 by smok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 (edited) The Flex is a product not driven by market demand but by market justification for a concept vehicle. It's a car that managers wanted, not consumers. Mark Fields has to be convinced by the product planners to green light the production version. I'm not convinced this product has a bright outlook but I hope I'm wrong. Part of me likes it, particularly as a Lincoln owner who really digs the new-age design and luxury appointments. But part of me regrets that the design hasn't been executed better. It will definitely be a design far better serviced by certain colors and trim details. I look forward to seeing it out there, but it's not something I'd be in the maket for, it's targeting a very specific customer, for that its market reach is much narrower than the Lambdas and Pacificas. Edited October 28, 2007 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLPRacing Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 If he saw this, I understand his opinion: I base my appearance opinions on test mules too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnV Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 The design is polarizing - which is what Ford needs as current designs have been accused of being too conservative. I've seen the new Chrysler Minivans on the road and they look so anonymous now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Funny how Flex is a much wider vehicle but Ford couldn't build a big enough, wide enough D3 to replace the Town Car... Maybe an ultra luxurious Flex based Lincoln as a quasi Town Car replacement, is that possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 I really like the Flex's bod design, very taught and crisp metal. When it pulls next to you, it will strike a statement of quality and modernity. It's different than GM's very curvaceious Lambdas, but the Flex looks more progressive to me. The Flex does have a strange looking profile largely because of its square roof and horizontal beltline. Ford has always struggled to get proportions right (witness the 500). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Funny how Flex is a much wider vehicle but Ford couldn't build a big enough, wide enough D3 to replace the Town Car...Maybe an ultra luxurious Flex based Lincoln as a quasi Town Car replacement, is that possible? Lincoln gets a version of Flex, but it will be curvy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smok Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 The Flex is a product not driven by market demand by by market justification for a concept vehicle. It's a car that managers wanted, not consumers. Mark Fields has to be convinced by the product planners to green light the production version. I'm not convinced this product has a bright outlook but I hope I'm wrong. Part of me likes it, particularly as a Lincoln owner who really digs the new-age design and luxury appointments. But part of me regrets that the design hasn't been executed better. It will definitely be a design far better serviced by certain colors and trim details. I look forward to seeing it out there, but it's not something I'd be in the maket for, it's targeting a very specific customer, for that its market reach is much narrower than the Lambdas and Pacificas. My wife says she would have the flex over a minivan. Maybe they are up to something...I hope. The pricing is critical as well. No one will pay premuim for a Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 My wife says she would have the flex over a minivan. Maybe they are up to something...I hope.The pricing is critical as well. No one will pay premuim for a Ford. The Flex will definitely be one of those vehicles that will only look attractive at the upper price points. Otherwise it will look pretty cheesy unless fully decorated and finished. Ford is learning to avoid the stripper mentality with its CUVs so it will be interesting to see what they do with it, especially with the Taurus X right under it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Lincoln gets a version of Flex, but it will be curvy! Curvy as in CX-9? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHorse Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 My wife says she would have the flex over a minivan. Maybe they are up to something...I hope.The pricing is critical as well. No one will pay premuim for a Ford. I don't know what you consider a premium but in the Ford lineup this will be one of the more expensive vehicles. It will cost more then an Edge which puts most versions of it well over 30 grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Maybe Ford needs some vehicles to lift its pricing identity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 WOW -- Welcome .. can i call you troll? Troll. Not so fast - I wouldn't say he/she is a troll yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 No, the people that buy this will be people trading their Scion xBs in for something a bit bigger. I don't think they will. See, the Scion Box is a small trend vehicle that is meant for image. Imagine a boxy ricer compact. The Flex is.... what is the Flex meant for again ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 If he saw this, I understand his opinion: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 I don't think they will. See, the Scion Box is a small trend vehicle that is meant for image. Imagine a boxy ricer compact. The Flex is.... what is the Flex meant for again ?? Exactly...it is the answer to a question never asked. And the Flex's base price should be around $28,700. 29K for a box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Curvy as in CX-9? Curvy as in MKS. Don't expect a Buick Enclave, but not too far off. I don't think people realize just how costly it is to engineer a curvy vehicle, it's not just a matter of changing out the molds, there is a whole different fit and finish challenge. GM has the resources to do it so that's why you see bolder designs while Ford plays a much more conservative approach. Ford designs are focusing on cost efficient quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 About a month ago, while in Dearborn visiting family, I followed behind a production ready, top-of-the-line Flex motoring, appropriately, down Ford Road. It was a grayish-silver in color and was quite striking. What I found most interesting was the reaction of the people in nearby cars. They actually turned their heads to see what the hell this van was. When was the last time a Ford vehicle caused people to stop and take notice? Peter Horbury has repeatedly said that future Ford designs are meant to polarize. It sounds like he's succeeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHorse Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 What I found most interesting was the reaction of the people in nearby cars. They actually turned their heads to see what the hell this van was. When was the last time a Ford vehicle caused people to stop and take notice? It's like a bad train wreck, you have to watch. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 (edited) I think it may be a car that people will fall in love with on the road, but it won't be for everybody. I'll reserve judgment for my own eyes, and I still haven't seen one in the flesh despite living in the vicinity! This a painfully slow release! When is it coming btw? It's a car you will be noticed in, and I think that's particularly valuable to the Minivan and SUV sector who don't have much option beyond the standard and innocuous choices. After all, if you are spending north of $30,000 for a vehicle, don't you want it to stand out? That's part of the aspirational goal of the modern suburban audience. Traditionally, you could never get that in a Ford until Edge. Edited October 29, 2007 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 The Flex is.... what is the Flex meant for again ?? For all you asking about the Flex, its a replacement for the Minivan/Large crossover. It will appeal to people who hate minivans (like me and most other late 20 and 30somethings that grew up with Minivans) and offer something less "truck/SUV" like like the lambdas are. Its not for people who want sliders or need them since they have children over the age of 8-10 years old that know better not to fling doors open into other cars. Ford doesn't have huge expectations for this...they are only looking at 50K Flex's and another 25K Lincoln models a year. I have this feeling that Ford might be under estimating the Flex production numbers, because that works out to roughly 4200 cars a month sold. But hey if they can sell that many without much in the way of discounts...I'm sure they'll make a handsome profit off them. Anyways, the xB styling has change this year...and the Flex looks nothing like it except its a 2 box design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 This a painfully slow release! When is it coming btw? Painfully slow? The Fairlane concept came out at the NAIAS in 2005 (based on the CD3 Platform at the time) and the Flex production model was at NAIAS in 2007 and the Flex will be on the market come next summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHorse Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 When was the last time a Ford vehicle caused people to stop and take notice? Also, with respect to that, gee lets see, the 05 Mustang, the GT, the redesigned 94 Mustang, Ford Lightning, I always thought the IMSA Probe was pretty cool. See these cars caused people to take notice because they are cool, not because the evoke looks of shock and dismay. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Painfully slow? The Fairlane concept came out at the NAIAS in 2005 (based on the CD3 Platform at the time) and the Flex production model was at NAIAS in 2007 and the Flex will be on the market come next summer! That's 1.5 years from the production launch, that's not slow to you? Overall, that's nearly 4 years since the concept to production, GAH I forgot just how long it's been in the works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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