[Cohiba]

I looked at Fords new auto, the SYNUS which is “designed for a population moving out of the suburbs and back into big cities.” And “was inspired by bank vaults and armored cars.”

Good paragraphs were…

“Inspired by bank vaults and armored cars, the SYNUS is serious about security. When parked and placed in "secure" mode, SYNUS deploys protective shutters over the windshield and side glass. Small windows on the flanks and roof are non-opening and bullet-resistant. The rear hatch has no window at all.”

And…

“In contrast to the cold, perhaps cruel, world outside the vehicle, Chief designer Joe Baker conceived the interior of the SYNUS as a warm, welcoming private sanctuary.”

I have lived in cities, and never thought that I needed a vehicle like this? Am I a naive fool who or is the urban jungle really a place ransacked by cruelty and danger?

Link to the website is… http://media.ford.com/newsroom/featu...?release=19662

[TheBadgerHunter]

I don't care. When the balance tips too far other far more potent forces like stupidity and greed balance everything out.

Lemmings I tells ya, lemmings.

[demograph68]

The ghetto car.ª

[spacefreak]

That name has to go. It's horrible, especially for allergy sufferers like myself.

I don't think this is a sign that Americans are becoming afraid. It looks like a concept aimed at a small niche - drug dealers, gang lords, and corporate/political leaders. You know, the people who buy armored cars today.

This looks like it provides those security-minded folks with a little more living area along with some additional amenities.

[Link]

That thing HAS to be BS, or maybe an inside joke. How would they move an armored-truck-weight vehicle with a 2 liter engine?

[t6hawk]

Well that is a fugly Ford. Who'd have thought they could get any uglier? I don't know anyone who'd be stupid enough to get one. They'd be labelled as a scared pathetic individual. You'd have thought that the people of the USA would have said, enough of this fear BS is enough, by now. I could see armored vehicles for military purposes but not for every day commuting.

[Link]

Originally posted by t6hawk:
Well that is a fugly Ford. Who'd have thought they could get any uglier? I don't know anyone who'd be stupid enough to get one. They'd be labelled as a scared pathetic individual. You'd have thought that the people of the USA would have said, enough of this fear BS is enough, by now. I could see armored vehicles for military purposes but not for every day commuting.

Hey now, before you start flaming, 99% of people I'd ask (here in the US) about that would agree about it being stupid.

Of course, only about 1% of my friends areof the 59 million that voted for a certain president currently in office.

[macaddict0001]

Originally posted by Link:
That thing HAS to be BS, or maybe an inside joke. How would they move an armored-truck-weight vehicle with a 2 liter engine?

really really slowly and with a 20 speed transmission.

But kind of off topic americans are way too afraid. as of september 11. sure it was a tragedy and all but more americans die of heart attacks each month and americans aren't exactly easy on the calories.

[Superchicken]

I find this quite funny... I'd be more afraid of my kid getting beat up if I dropped him off to school in that

Dang that thing is ugly...

[Zimphire]

Originally posted by macaddict0001:
But kind of off topic americans are way too afraid. as of september 11. sure it was a tragedy and all but more americans die of heart attacks each month and americans aren't exactly easy on the calories.

I keep getting told we are afraid. But everyone I know here goes about their daily lives without fear. I'd like to meet one of these Americans that are way too afraid. From what I have seen, they are few and far between.

[TailsToo]

Honda already makes a car like this one....

[mrtew]

Well if you don't want to lock yourself in a safe, then here is the exact opposite kind of car you might be interested in! It's beautiful!!!
http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-200...y-Roadster.htm

[voyageur]

Then there are these. for the timid who wish to be intimidating.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Well if they are putting it into production they must think here is a market for it.

[scottiB]

Guys, it's a concept car. It has no more chance of going to production than the Pontiac Firebird turbine cars of the 50s. Or the SSR.

[PacHead]

Originally posted by scottiB:
Guys, it's a concept car. It has no more chance of going to production than the Pontiac Firebird turbine cars of the 50s. Or the SSR.

Yep, anybody who thought that was a real production car is a first rate dumbass.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by scottiB:
Guys, it's a concept car. It has no more chance of going to production than the Pontiac Firebird turbine cars of the 50s. Or the SSR.

Since it say "Concept car" in the second sentence I hope nobody thought otherwise.

Either-way, they must think there is a demand for an idea like this.

[PacHead]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
Either-way, they must think there is a demand for an idea like this.

Concept cars have nothing to do with demand. Do you know anything about concept cars at all ? You are obviously a product of the Canadian education system.

[Zimphire]

Originally posted by PacHead:
Concept cars have nothing to do with demand.

Exactly

Do you know anything about concept cars at all ? You are obviously a product of the Canadian education system.

Nothing wrong with the Canadian education system. SWF obsession bot just "wants to believe"

Don't confuse him with the facts.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

I guess only in the US do they have high school courses on concept cars and market/demand

[PacHead]

Originally posted by Zimphire:

Exactly

Nothing wrong with the Canadian education system. SWF obsession bot just "wants to believe"

Don't confuse him with the facts.

My comment was a byproduct and a direct result of this ignorant comment.

The American education system at work

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...18#post2355515

[Zimphire]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
I guess only in the US do they have high school courses on concept cars and market/demand

Actually that would fall under the "Economics" category. And yes, market and demand are taught.

It's also common knowledge that car companies make concept cars to "fish" for response. If no response is given, it is ditched.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally posted by Link:
That thing HAS to be BS, or maybe an inside joke. How would they move an armored-truck-weight vehicle with a 2 liter engine?

You'd be surprised. in 1995, I was walking past some government offices in Rome and I saw an armor plated Fiat 126.

I kid you not. It caught my eye (and made me laugh) because at the time, I drove a somewhat larger armored Mercedes Benz for the US Army in Germany.

[Zimphire]

Originally posted by PacHead:
My comment was a byproduct and a direct result of this ignorant comment.
[/url]

Ah, typical

I say we all get funds together and send SWF to therapy.

[BasketofPuppies]

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
I kid you not. It caught my eye (and made me laugh) because at the time, I drove a somewhat larger armored Mercedes Benz for the US Army in Germany.

Why would the U.S. Army use German cars? For both security and economics, isn't it policy to use American suppliers only whenever possible?

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
Why would the U.S. Army use German cars? For both security and economics, isn't it policy to use American suppliers only whenever possible?

Three very sensible reasons. First, if you are an American general and a potential terrorist target in Germany, it is best not to look like an American general and a potential terrorist target in Germany. That means it is a good idea to be driven in a German car and blend in, not an American car and stand out.

Second, Mercedes builds the only ground-up purpose made hard car. They are simply better than conventional cars that are converted. That is probably partly why the one I drove was in such good condition, depite its age. It also gives the advantage that the maintenance shop was local. A $300,000 hard car isn't the kind of thing you take to your local Midas.

Third, US European Command does its own contracts. Their fleet of civilian vehicles were largely purchased in-country. For years, the standard unit transportation motor pool vehicle in EUCOM was the Volkswagen van, German specifications.

A fourth reason I just thought of: Generals stationed in Germany needed an armored vehicle that could cope with the speeds on the Autobahn. I had that hard car up to 140 miles per hour. A Cadillac or Lincoln of the same era as the hard car I drove wouldn't have had the handling for those speeds. It would have been dangerous as well as a "shoot me" advertisement.

[Sherwin]

No reason to panic. It's just another gem from the hard-put-for-ideas marketing people who can no longer tell you how fast a vehicle is. In another example of this, Rover have recently noticed the SUV craze and actually called on of their cars an "on-roader" to hype up the fact that it's got chunky bumpers.

[Kilbey]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
I guess only in the US do they have high school courses on concept cars and market/demand

Where would I go to learn about car design and engineering in Canada? Would I visit one of the car manufacturers based in Canada?

BACK ON TOPIC:

I worked in the concept car field for a few years.

We built some of the most outrageous things you ever saw. 6-wheeled vehicles, all glass doors, convertible trucks, you name it.

All these things are is for publicity. And bad publicity is better than no publicity.

I would guess that about 5% of any of the radical ideas out of a concept car shop was actually ever built or used on a production car.

This car is simply Ford's answer to the H2. They might make something that looks like it, but not nearly anything like the concept car they are showing.

Lastly, this American is not becoming too afraid. I went from a SUV to a Cavalier last Summer. I would have went smaller but it is that smallest car made in the USA by GM right now.

[Millennium]

Dude... it's like the bastard love-child of the Batmobile and an SUV.

Ahem. This is a concept car, and as such is extremely unlikely to ever be mass-produced. Showing off concept cars at trade shows is fairly common practice in the automotive industry, as a measure of penile length... I mean, technical prowess.

[Zimphire]

Originally posted by Kilbey:
Where would I go to learn about car design and engineering in Canada? Would I visit one of the car manufacturers based in Canada?

[Millennium]

To expand on my last post a bit, I really don't think this is about fear so much as (as I hinted before) the "Batmobile factor". People will see this thing and think it's cool, more than that thinking it will keep them safe in the urban jungle.

At the very least, I think it's cool.

[wdlove]

For the most part I see not fear. Everyone goes about their daily lives. Unusual to be at war with another nation with no affect on our own.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

I think the car would look cool in a movie.

[demograph68]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
I think the car would look cool in a movie.

I think this mother is BADASS!

[d4nth3m4n]

this car isn't an SVU at all. it's based on a Ford Fiesta. that's a little ass car. this is a little ass car.

134HP? that's no suv.

[d4nth3m4n]

Originally posted by PacHead:
Concept cars have nothing to do with demand. Do you know anything about concept cars at all ? You are obviously a product of the Canadian education system.

nicely done.

[milhous]

let's just hope the car stays and remains and a concept. these concepts keep getting more and more hideous!

[macaddict0001]

Originally posted by PacHead:
Concept cars have nothing to do with demand. Do you know anything about concept cars at all ? You are obviously a product of the Canadian education system.

The canadian education system is fine. And its free(of course you pay taxes) and if you don't like it you can send your kid to a private school. But if we're going about insulting other peoples government systems we might as well point out the american medical system.

[greenamp]

Yet more forward thinking innovation from the company that brought us the Ford Freestyle.

[BasketofPuppies]

Originally posted by macaddict0001:
But if we're going about insulting other peoples government systems we might as well point out the american medical system.

I have great faith in the Canadian health care system that causes ridiculously long lines and goes bankrupt.

Poor Americans with our government health care systems that only cover the elderly and people who can't afford health insurance, leaving our taxes at reasonable levels and giving us choices.

Of course, Canadians can pay for private health insurance if they don't like the system their government offers them. In addition to the high taxes they pay for the government system.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
I have great faith in the Canadian health care system that causes ridiculously long lines and goes bankrupt.

Poor Americans with our government health care systems that only cover the elderly and people who can't afford health insurance, leaving our taxes at reasonable levels and giving us choices.

Of course, Canadians can pay for private health insurance if they don't like the system their government offers them. In addition to the high taxes they pay for the government system.

Don't forget 300 billion of your Taxes on war in just 3 years.

Money well spent.

[BasketofPuppies]

Star Wars Guy can't defend the Canadian health care system so he attacks something different about the United States.

[greenamp]

Wataf? ::checks door sign to see if he is in the lounge. yep he is::

[Link]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
Don't forget 300 billion of your Taxes on war in just 3 years.

Money well spent.

Tell me about it.

[TheBadgerHunter]

Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
I have great faith in the Canadian health care system that causes ridiculously long lines and goes bankrupt.

Poor Americans with our government health care systems that only cover the elderly and people who can't afford health insurance, leaving our taxes at reasonable levels and giving us choices.

Of course, Canadians can pay for private health insurance if they don't like the system their government offers them. In addition to the high taxes they pay for the government system.

Goes bankrupt? I'd hardly call it a perfect system but it is far superior. Our taxes are not that high either. In general ours is superior to yours or ANY privatized system.

[amsalpemkcus]

Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
I have great faith in the Canadian health care system that causes ridiculously long lines and goes bankrupt.

Guess which is the only country in the developed world that is without universal health care?

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
Star Wars Guy can't defend the Canadian health care system so he attacks something different about the United States.

Ok here is a defence, people don't DIE because they can't afford private life insurance in Canada.

better?

[Kilbey]

IBL.

For shame. I was hoping we could talk about concept cars.

[macaddict0001]

Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
I have great faith in the Canadian health care system that causes ridiculously long lines and goes bankrupt.

Poor Americans with our government health care systems that only cover the elderly and people who can't afford health insurance, leaving our taxes at reasonable levels and giving us choices.

Of course, Canadians can pay for private health insurance if they don't like the system their government offers them. In addition to the high taxes they pay for the government system.

You are obviously a naive american because the american system has longer lines as they take people in in order of seriousness of illness. so if you have a broken arm you are going to be waiting a long time. While in the canadian system unless its an emergency you are taken in the order you arrive in. Not only that but our taxes are good.

[amsalpemkcus]

Originally posted by Kilbey:
IBL.

For shame. I was hoping we could talk about concept cars.

I agree.