2007 Ford Interceptor Concept

With the recent spat of new, stylish and rear-wheel drive full-size sedans flooding the market from Chrysler and General Motors, Ford has found themselves on the outside looking in. After years of being the only domestic game in town with their Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis four-doors, the folks at Dearborn have come to realize that these aging platforms can no longer compete with the modern engineering found in competitor’s showrooms.

After the unsuccessful attempt to replace the Taurus with the Five Hundred, Ford was hesitant to take another chance in such a short period of time. However, they did decide to test the waters with the 2007 Ford Interceptor Concept. This vehicle represents a stunning departure for the company, and it manages to combine styling cues from the abandoned Lincoln Mark IX prototype along with a hyper-aggressive, almost hot-rod thickness. The front of the car is a gently curving, Mack-truck mass of stainless steel bars and rectangular headlights. This chunky design continues with a high beltline that accentuates a tight, rear-ward sloping roofline, and large wheel wells that are carved out of muscular flanks.
The 2007 Ford Interceptor Concept is based on the Mustang platform, which is interesting given that the sedan looks and feels like it has a much larger presence than the pony car it shares its chassis with. The concept is powered by a 5.0 liter V8, which Ford calls the ‘Cammer’. This engine is used in Ford’s Grand Am Cup entries, and has been available as an aftermarket option for hot-rod builders for several years now. In the Interceptor it makes 400 horsepower, and uses E85 ethanol as its primary fuel source. The Cammer is a carbureted engine, which means that there is no way it will see the street. However, the horsepower numbers it generates in the Interceptor are a good indication of what the final model would most likely be fitted with. An even greater throwback to days gone by than the carburetor is the solid-rear axle, which is installed instead of an independent rear suspension. A six-speed manual transmission is also present in the concept, a somewhat confusing touch given the fact that the Interceptor ostensibly represents the future of the Ford large sedan.

The inside of the vehicle takes retro styling to a whole new level, with a chrome-ringed rectangle stretching from the driver’s door all the way over to the passenger side. The steering wheel is a rounded square, and set into the dash in two other parallelogram-style inserts, just above the wheel, are the driver’s gauges. The seats are flat and bear attachments for four-point seatbelts instead of what you would normally find inside today’s vehicles. The effect however is quite pleasing, and the 2007 Ford Interceptor Concept manages to make the interior feel wide, comfortable and new.

Ford has stated that they do not intend to produce the Interceptor and offer it for sale, but that many of the styling cues such as the retro-square taillights and interior could very well find their way into future Ford products. While the car is obviously a bit too extreme to ever make it to market, there is no real reason why Ford could not produce a car that is very similar to its design. This is especially relevant when considering the fact that the company is fast becoming an also-ran in the full-size sedan market. With no real replacement in sight for the Crown Victoria, and with the lack of success that even Lincoln has faced when it comes to selling the Vic-based Town Car to anyone other than taxi and limo services, Ford should really seize the opportunity that they have with the Mustang platform.




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June 25, 2008, 9:00 am