Ekliptix
12-04-2002, 10:40 PM
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Motor Trend
Design and engineering firm bonspeed has joined with Saleen Performance to produce a special-edition Thunderbird set to debut at select Saleen Ford dealers beginning in Spring 2003.
The vehicle was originally designed for Ford at the bonspeed design studio to debut at the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. Steve Saleen of Saleen Performance saw the drawings and decided the design had an ideal blend of a competition-prepared look and hot rod attitude, perfect for the Saleen brand. The partnership between the two companies is the first co-branded Saleen vehicle ever produced.
"At bonspeed, we felt the time was right to celebrate the heritage of the Thunderbird by creating a design that emits a sense of style and speed while retaining the classic edge and attitude of a hot rod," says designer and bonspeed President, Brad Fanshaw. "Ensuring that the classic Thunderbird silhouette is retained was important, yet we styled the exterior to purvey a feel of speed and then modified the interior to accentuate the raw sense of a hot rod."
Exterior re-styling includes reshaping and extending the car's nose three inches and replacing the T-Birds stock egg crate grille with a sleek billet aluminum grille, specially fabricated for the car. A specially designed hard-tonneau "Speedster Cover" protects the soft top and dual split-wing rear spoilers spirit the design cues of hot rods and racing prototypes from the 1960s. The vehicles forward edge also encompasses twin roll bars, positioned behind each seat coated in a black crinkle finish.
To further reinforce the hot rod look, bonspeed restyled and extended the cars lower rocker panels. The rear fascia also has been re-styled with an aerodynamic rear diffuser panel that seamlessly surrounds the special Thunderbird's Borla stainless steel exhaust system. Additionally, the Saleen-bonspeed Edition Thunderbird wears a custom set of bonspeed 19-inch front and rear forged alloy wheels, fitted with Pirellis high-performance PZero radials.
Inside, bonspeed encased the interior in the finest leather, with pearlescent black and charcoal gray hides covering most of the surfaces, with accent areas covered in pearl black and leather with the look of brushed metal-tones. The special Thunderbird's sculptured Recaro seats, stitched in a unique bonspeed design by master craftsman Ron Mangus, incorporate headrests that echo the dual roll bars. The center console armrest is reshaped to make it sleeker and lower its profile, the console and lower dash also sport leather surrounds, and deep black pile carpet creates a stunningly dramatic contrast to the interiors leather surfaces. A Sony audio system completes the interior of the vehicle.
The Saleen-bonspeed Edition Thunderbird sports a 3.9-liter V-8 with Saleen Series IV twin-screw supercharger, cast aluminum manifold, and water-to-air intercooler, and promises around 365 horsepower and 390 lb ft of torque. The production version will feature a Saleen PowerFlash engine management system, and can be mated to either a five-speed automatic gearbox or an optional Saleen six-speed manual version.
Orders for the sleek Saleen-bonspeed Edition Thunderbird are currently being taken with first customer deliveries slated for Spring 2003. The special-edition Thunderbird will be available through Saleen-certified Ford dealers across the country, and though it is too early to say for sure, it has been whispered that pricing could be near $70,000.
Additional information about bonspeed, its designs, and products can be obtained by calling 714/666-1999, or by visiting www.bonspeed.com
http://www.motortrend.com/motor/features/news/112-021127_bonspeed-rear_z.jpg
Motor Trend
Design and engineering firm bonspeed has joined with Saleen Performance to produce a special-edition Thunderbird set to debut at select Saleen Ford dealers beginning in Spring 2003.
The vehicle was originally designed for Ford at the bonspeed design studio to debut at the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. Steve Saleen of Saleen Performance saw the drawings and decided the design had an ideal blend of a competition-prepared look and hot rod attitude, perfect for the Saleen brand. The partnership between the two companies is the first co-branded Saleen vehicle ever produced.
"At bonspeed, we felt the time was right to celebrate the heritage of the Thunderbird by creating a design that emits a sense of style and speed while retaining the classic edge and attitude of a hot rod," says designer and bonspeed President, Brad Fanshaw. "Ensuring that the classic Thunderbird silhouette is retained was important, yet we styled the exterior to purvey a feel of speed and then modified the interior to accentuate the raw sense of a hot rod."
Exterior re-styling includes reshaping and extending the car's nose three inches and replacing the T-Birds stock egg crate grille with a sleek billet aluminum grille, specially fabricated for the car. A specially designed hard-tonneau "Speedster Cover" protects the soft top and dual split-wing rear spoilers spirit the design cues of hot rods and racing prototypes from the 1960s. The vehicles forward edge also encompasses twin roll bars, positioned behind each seat coated in a black crinkle finish.
To further reinforce the hot rod look, bonspeed restyled and extended the cars lower rocker panels. The rear fascia also has been re-styled with an aerodynamic rear diffuser panel that seamlessly surrounds the special Thunderbird's Borla stainless steel exhaust system. Additionally, the Saleen-bonspeed Edition Thunderbird wears a custom set of bonspeed 19-inch front and rear forged alloy wheels, fitted with Pirellis high-performance PZero radials.
Inside, bonspeed encased the interior in the finest leather, with pearlescent black and charcoal gray hides covering most of the surfaces, with accent areas covered in pearl black and leather with the look of brushed metal-tones. The special Thunderbird's sculptured Recaro seats, stitched in a unique bonspeed design by master craftsman Ron Mangus, incorporate headrests that echo the dual roll bars. The center console armrest is reshaped to make it sleeker and lower its profile, the console and lower dash also sport leather surrounds, and deep black pile carpet creates a stunningly dramatic contrast to the interiors leather surfaces. A Sony audio system completes the interior of the vehicle.
The Saleen-bonspeed Edition Thunderbird sports a 3.9-liter V-8 with Saleen Series IV twin-screw supercharger, cast aluminum manifold, and water-to-air intercooler, and promises around 365 horsepower and 390 lb ft of torque. The production version will feature a Saleen PowerFlash engine management system, and can be mated to either a five-speed automatic gearbox or an optional Saleen six-speed manual version.
Orders for the sleek Saleen-bonspeed Edition Thunderbird are currently being taken with first customer deliveries slated for Spring 2003. The special-edition Thunderbird will be available through Saleen-certified Ford dealers across the country, and though it is too early to say for sure, it has been whispered that pricing could be near $70,000.
Additional information about bonspeed, its designs, and products can be obtained by calling 714/666-1999, or by visiting www.bonspeed.com