Ford Fusion: NASCAR's Next Game-Changer

by Jack Baruth

Published: January 24th, 2012

Poor Editor Derek. I would hound him all the way to the grave for calling the Ford Fusion a game changer, but let’s face it: he is likely to outlive me by some thirty or forty years. Perhaps I will leave a note in my will instructing my son to keep bothering Derek, and also to talk up my estate auction a little bit.

So here’s the Ford Fusion for NASCAR’s 2013 season. It shares ~~absolutely nothing~~ several important aesthetic ideals with the new street car. Click the jump for another photo and a few quotes from Ford regarding the new design, which to be fair does look like the biggest departure from common-template stock cars in some time.

The new NASCAR Fusion is said to employ multiple styling cues around the car to convey an identification with its non-racing counterpart. Although the changes look slight to non-racers, they are significant enough that the car will be tested for a full season before being released. As we have noted in the past, there is quite a bit of applied technology in NASCAR. An undeveloped silhouette would find itself miles behind the competition at the checkered flag. Literally.

Find out more at a completely impartial website.

Jack Baruth

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Dolorean on Jan 25, 2012

One could argue that the demise of the big American manufacturers to world competition had its roots in "the NASCAR". Once innovation in technology was replaced with personality based reactionary racing, the big three suffered boldly from a severe lack of innovation and bias in to their own superiority. Thankfully looks like Ford is making baby-steps-to-victory in taking the NASCAR back to relevancy.

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Monty on Jan 25, 2012

I'm not going to waste time and space for a diatribe against NASCAR. It is what it is now, with more viewers and spectators than it's ever had, especially during the "golden years". However, that is a handsome car - and even more so in profile. It's screaming out for a TWO DOOR COUPE!!! Ford, if you care about your legacy going forward from this point, give us a frikken two door coupe based on the 2013 Fusion, please. I promise, I will buy it NEW if you make it.

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