Fans, Media React To ’13 Fusion NASCAR Reveal
JAN. 26, 2012
There is always a moment after an automaker lifts up the sheet (or raises the curtain or drives on to the stage) when everyone holds their breath. The thought “Do they like it?” races through the minds of all of the men and women who invested countless hours on the new product.
For the Ford team that rolled out the 2013 Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup car this week, the feedback from the public was immediate and resounding: “Hell, yes. We love it!”
Yahoo! Sports contributing writer Lana Bandoim struck the consensus tone in her fan reaction roundup. Race fans want to see stock cars that look more like what they see at their local dealerships:
“I think it is an improvement over the previous Sprint Cup car and is an indication that stock cars may be making a comeback,” Bandoim wrote. “Considering the focus on sponsorships, it is not surprising that NASCAR has finally brought back the spotlight on ‘brand identity’ to the cars.”
Autoweek noted that the ’13 Fusion Sprint Cup car mirrors the styling cues of the 2013 production vehicle that was introduced earlier in January at the North American International Auto Show.
“Ford designers addressed three main issues to make the Sprint Cup Fusion mirror the production Fusion. First was making the overall proportions of the race car reflect those of the production Fusion. Also included are brand and design cues in the side of the vehicle and an identifiable grille with the distinctive look of a Ford.”
While the new Ford entry in the top NASCAR series is still a tad larger than its production brethren, Inside Line also endorses the renewed emphasis on the badge.
“Size matters, and the present-generation NASCAR racecar is bigger than the production Fusion. Still, the new Fusion racecar is much more brand-distinctive than the ones Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne and others drove last year.”
Fans chimed in on message boards around the Internet. The Ford Racing page on Facebook hummed with happy Blue Oval fans excited about seeing the new model in less than 13 months at Daytona. A small sampling of their comments (we withheld their names in case any of them work for other manufacturers):
“Just wait till the Woods Bros. & Trevor get their hands on one of these! YIKES !!!”
“Beautiful car, great job, Stock looks stock again.”
“(J)ust plain awesome”
“Finally stock cars that look like cars on the showroom floor!”
Finally, that crazy gang over at Jalopnik.com came through with a headline that drew smiles in Dearborn, Concord, and many points around the Blue Oval world:
We could not agree more.
