NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Ford Unveils Next Cup Car
Ford’s next NASCAR Sprint Cup car will be based on the 2013 Fusion sedan...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted January 09, 2012   Charlotte, NC
Ford Motor Co. shows off its 2013 Fusion sedan which will see action in the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)
Ford Motor Co. has taken the wraps off its 2013 Fusion sedan, the car the automaker will race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next year and for the near future.

In 2013, NASCAR will introduce its next-generation Sprint Cup car, which according to series officials and automakers will look much more like a production car than the current ones do.

Given that, Ford’s 2013 production Fusion will present a much different face for the automaker than the current model, which debuted in 2006. Thus, expect the new Fusion Sprint Cup car to have lines that more closely mimic the new street model.

The new Fusion, which is being introduced this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is a fairly bold departure stylistically from the model it’s replacing.

“The previous Fusion was an easy purchase for a customer to rationalize,” said Chris Hamilton, Ford’s chief exterior designer for the 2013 Fusion. “Our design goal for the new car was to give the mainstream sedan buyer a top-drawer visual experience, adding some emotional appeal to an already sensible choice.”

According to Ford, there were five specific design elements behind the new car:

Silhouette innovation: Fusion’s sleek profile sets it apart from the powertrain/cabin/trunk “three-box” designs synonymous with midsize sedans.

Perceived efficiency: Fusion character lines sweeping to the rear and thin roof pillars suggest the car is nimble and light on its feet.

Refined surface language: Fusion demonstrates that a tasteful, well-executed design does not require add-ons or visual clutter.

Technical graphics: Fusion’s functional design elements such as headlamps, LED tail lamps and polished exhaust tips communicate enhanced technological capability.

New face: Fusion signals the next evolution in Ford global design language for midsize cars and smaller.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.

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