Ford Synus concept

Unfortunate name, but nice concept

http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2005/detroit/preview/ford-synus/index.html

Just what we need in Detroit.

It’s a kind of sad view on the future though. Right now I think an image like this would scare off costumers rather than attract them. Although people probably like the idea of a car that offers a safe environment, I don’t think this is what they want. The exterior of this car had no positive references that I can think of. Sure it looks safe, but so does a tank (or a bank vault), that doesn’t mean I would want do drive around in one, or live in an environment where everything had this gray, sad feeling.

The thing they did get right is the interior. It really is peaceful and relaxing. Just what I think people in big cities need. If the world you live in is hectic, chaotic or in Ford’s vision: violent, having your own relaxing “bubble” (your car) is a good thing.

Still the concept in all gives me a bad feeling. I imagine some scared to death people trying to have a business meeting inside the car(with the seats arranged into “a conversation pit”), while gangs are fighting the police/army, or whatever, on the outside.

Sure if this is what Ford thinks of the future, I guess the concept is spot on. Personally, I find it all a bit sad.

Good pick Yo.

I like the detailing on this car. It has great proportions, and all the lines seem to flow well along the side and back.

Jada: I have good news and bad news. Bad news is that this concept is clearly driven at the paranoid state of many american car buyers. A recent market study by Daimler Chrysler showed that some people were obcessed with the idea that other people should see whats in the back of their car. Hence, the SYNus has high mounted rear side windows and no rear window.

Good news is that mid and large sized SUVs, the vehicles that are in the market now that answer this user concern are on the decline. Sales in Nov. were down 15% compared to '03. I think the sales of the big SUVs have peaked!

There’s one thing I feel is missing in my posting: people like saftey, however they don’t like to be reminded of the need for it. This concept is a constant reminder of the fact that you’d have to be living in a war zone to need the thing.

I don’t know, maybe I’m just to european to understand this car :wink:

I have often thought that Ford have always been good at going to quickly with new trends, over doing them without evolving a trend sensibly and just plan getting it wrong. The SYNUS is no different.

Although The interior has some good looking and interesting details to it, The exterior is another example of American design using muscle over style. It is just plain ugly.

Jada was right saying that “its a sad view of the future”

It reminds me of that horrific Audi in the new I, Robot. I don’t think many people would be very happy driving around in a mini-armored car, unless they were paranoid or had a real reason for it (in which case they might be better off with a real armored car, like a military humvee).

Yes, it looks safe…but I doubt that (if something similar is ever produced) it will be quite as durable as consumers may expect. Looking at the back, it resembles a safe…but unless you’re going to make it out of 1/2" steel plate, it will be flexible and ruin the tactile association people have with safes (if you think that’s wrong, imagine what you’d think of a safe made of black, matte cookie-tray material).

IMO the bank vault rear latch is one of the most idiotic devices to be attached to a car since the tent that pops out of the Pontiac Aztek.

Remember the “6000 SUX” from the movie Robocop?

i’d buy that for a dollar!

I believe with alittle changes and toning down the theme abit a good idea can develop for developing countries. This looks to be a good design for effiecently manufactured vehicle with minimal tooling costs. It would be good as a multipassenger vehicle powered by diesel/hybrid combination.

really unfortunate name. it does read like ‘sinus’…but:

sin·u·ous (sny-s)
adj.
Characterized by many curves or turns; winding: a sinuous stream.

that thing was a vault…i don’t see the sinuous connection. or was there suppoed to be some kind of irony?
Having said that the exterior was a Wells Fargo edition of a Scion.
But i really do think the interior was quite amazing…really beautiful graphic breakups and shapes…except for the ‘pimp my ride’ 40 inch TV screen and the tacky orange strip lighting.

I think there was alot of room for real innovation and they went a bit too much for a gimmicky crowd pleaser.

The best part of this concept I didn’t know about from this thread. I saw the car on Motorweek and it has armored plates that rise out of the body and cover the front & side windows. Now that is what I call a ghetto cruiser.

paint the fenders black and you’ve got a mini-Brinks armored car.

just add gun ports

well a sinus is an internal cavity, it seems like someone tried to stretch the thesaurus a bit too far.

The research shows not that people care about actual safety, just percieved safety- which is in part why the SUV market boomed, while research showed they actually aren’t at all any safer than any other car, less so in many cases.

Whatever happened to enjoying the view- I’d hate to be in a city with these things driving around, they’d devestate pedestrians, bikers, parked cars. Nice that the rear bumper is recessed since you’d never hit anything with those fancy cameras.

That warm inviting interior reminds me of the another definition of sinus: a fistula leading to a pus filled cavity. Not that I dislike the inside design, there are some nice touches, but it is rather fleshy…

Ugh, I dislike this entire concept and its heavy handed execution.