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2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR revealed

By Tim Beissmann
FIND DEALS

The 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup race car has been revealed ahead of its race debut at the Daytona 500 in February 2013.

The launch of the Sprint Cup car coincides with the unveiling of the 2013 Ford Fusion production car (to be called the Ford Mondeo in Australia), and the increased resemblance between road car and race car is no coincidence.

Ford Racing director Jamie Allison explained his team was determined to bring back brand identity to the sport.

“We wanted Fusion to be the car that helped return ‘stock car’ to NASCAR,” Allison said. “It is going to re-engage them [the fans] with the sport better because there is just something natural about seeing race cars that look like cars in their driveways.”

Ford is clearly hoping the old “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” adage still holds true. NASCAR is the number one spectator sport in the US and is broadcast into more than 150 countries around the world. Unlike the previous Fusion NASCAR, which was styled to look like the North American production car, the new Fusion NASCAR is based on Ford’s new global design and will be far more relevant to motorsport fans and new-car customers around the world.

Ford Racing NASCAR Operations Manager Andy Slankard said the new 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR was very different to race car designs of the past, where some race teams have actually designed and built their cars.

“We started going back to our design community and nosed around with guys that have been with the company the longest and we can’t remember the last time designers have been involved with helping NASCAR,” Slankard said.

“This time, we have had the luxury of support from the Ford Design Centre to give us these sleek shapes and new look. Only designers could do that, not a bunch of engineers or race car guys.”

The new Ford Fusion NASCAR will be tested throughout 2012 in preparation for its racing debut early next year.

  • Zoom

    Is it FWD For Teh Win (FTW!!!!!) ?

  • Horse

    This where V8 Supercars is heading. So sad

    • Horse

      I love the echoboost signage on the car as well. On a car runnign a 4 Barrel Carby lol

      • birdie

        get with the program, their going fuel injection

  • birdie

    marcus ambroes should do very well in this ,looks even better as a coupe

  • Yon_iori

    looks like aston martin 

  • Yon_iori

    looks like aston martin 

  • Kampfer

    Nice looking car (the real one, not the Nascar…).

    Funny that they parked the Nascar so that all “Goodyear” is on the right way up…

  • Kampfer

    Nice looking car (the real one, not the Nascar…).

    Funny that they parked the Nascar so that all “Goodyear” is on the right way up…

    • Car Bore

      Look at most manufacturers shots of their cars. The little centre cap on the wheel is normally the correct way up.

  • 440 R/T Charger

    I love Nascar.

  • Showtime

    Aston Martin called, they want their grill back

    • schah7

      Hey NOT a problem “Showtime” as Ford is Shareholder of Aston Martin.
      Ford have Aston Martin
      Chev have Corvette.
      LOL.!

  • Peanut

    Ford Australia should enter a Falcon into Nascar and blow Fusion into the weeds.
    Is the Fusion Nascar FWD?

    • Justin Scott

       NASCARs are all pretty much the same. The “Fusion” part of it is all stickers – headlights, taillights, grilles, foglights.

      Given this, the only difference entering a Falcon would make would be to those stickers, not the car itself.

      All NASCAR are RWD, no matter how they start life on the road.

  • m1n1s1n

    This a bit like the Toyota Camry Nascar,

    They have no relative connection to the factory car in any way, shape or form!

    Lame!

    • Anonymous

      Rednecks dont know any better, look at all the V8 stupidcars fans.

      • birdie

        why don’t you go back to your sandpit and play with your little tonk toys where you belong !

      • birdie

        why don’t you go back to your sandpit and play with your little tonk toys where you belong !

        • Anonymous

          Wow, I didn’t realise trailer park dwellers knew how to use the interwebs! Maybe I should re-evaluate my stereotypical beliefs – are you very close to your cousin and have dental hygiene issues?

    • Ezz

      I’m struggling to think of a race format that does resemble real road cars (where there is more than one brand racing). Underneath, inside, mechanically. You need to go back to 1960′s and 70′s?

      To me, racing is about the actual driving skill and when all things are equal, the driver’s skill is what counts most. The cars or brand are secondary.

      Also, keeping things to a budget so even the less funded teams can compete if their driver and team are up to it.

      It certainly has nothing to do with rednecks not knowing any better. F1 has their fair share of collared up toffs that don’t know any better, too.

      ****

      • Ramjet

        British Touring Car Championship still runs race tuned production vehicles with about 10 different brands racing and is enjoyable to watch with constant overtaking and door to door tussles. Bring back this type racing in Australia and let Falcons and Commodores race against the Europeans, Yanks and Japanese.

        • Anonymous

          The British touring cars are quite highly modified but its much more relevant than the V8 stupidcars.  Even the V8 utes are quite standard, only the Holden is using a 44mm inlet restrictor to make power levels comparable as the Ford is still running the old 5.4lt V8

        • Anonymous

          The British touring cars are quite highly modified but its much more relevant than the V8 stupidcars.  Even the V8 utes are quite standard, only the Holden is using a 44mm inlet restrictor to make power levels comparable as the Ford is still running the old 5.4lt V8