tHERE WAS A TIME WERE SUV AND CAR HAD A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE. IN FACT, BEFORE SUVs became so popular in today's automotive landscape, a COMMON UTILITARIAN VEHICLE back in the day was THE LONG FORGOTTEN station-WAGON.
through my lens at the time, this was ONE OF THE MOST BRUTE INTERPRETATIONS OF the iconic station-WAGON shape. UNLIKE MOST OTHER MANUFACTURERS, THE FORD FLEX, although considered an SUV, had an APPROACH to design which WAS FAR MORE REMINISCING OF A TYPICAL station-WAGON INSTEAD OF An OVERGROWN hatch-back. it's proportions were massive, mostly squared and bulky with lightly curved bevels along the edges. the long and bulky shape of this wagon made it the perfect candidate to develop a fast and stable high-speed performance vehicle.
during the development of this build it was important to maximize rigidity and reduce the weight to a minimum. the factory unibody is rebuilt to full tube-frame chassis keeping only enough to accommodate a pilot and co-pilot. the original long wheel-base is also shorten just enough to aid in lower speed handling while maintaining good high speed stability. the result is a light and strong chassis with good torsional rigidity and the ability to attach a lightweight shell to define the final shape and cover the inner-workings of the machine.
it was important to maintain the original character throughout the body panels. the proportions are pushed and pulled but some of it's iconic features including the unique front facia and block-like profile are kept up-front during the design process.
the sideline here plays an important part in the overall feel for the silhouette. this line is bent in multiple directions including a slight tilt in the z-axis front to back to provide a stronger sense of direction, and a progressive outwards push in the x-axis towards both the rear-quarter and the front-quarter. the latter allows the fenders to cover the wider wheelbase both front and back and visually provides a better proportional balance in relation to it's length.
Most importantly, at the core of this built, THE MAIN FOCUS in THIS PROJECT WAS to EXPLORe THE LS POWERTRAIN AND IT'S ABILITY TO EXCITE THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE. countless hours were spent researching and developing a powertrain that could be easily and reliably modified and adapted. for this reason, the block is PAIRED WITH An aftermarket TREMEC magnum TRANSMISSION and a winters championship independent quick-change rear differential for a complete and customizable torque EXPRESSION.
in essence, this build is simple. driven by excitement. formed by curiosity.
