Ford Supercharged Thunderbird Concept
The supercharged Ford Thunderbird concept is powered by a 3.9-liter
390 horsepower supercharged V-8 engine. It was designed to gauge consumer
interest in a performance-tuned version of Ford’s iconic two-seat
sports roadster. The Supercharged Thunderbird concept was a joint development
of Ford’s Living Legends Design Studio and the FPG as a potential
addition to FPG’s future product portfolio.
“The Supercharged Ford Thunderbird concept combines America’s
ultimate dream car with an enthusiast’s ultimate dream engine under
the hood,” says Mike Zevalkink, Ford Motor Company executive director,
Ford Performance Group. “Thunderbird offered us an excellent basis
to leverage product excitement even further with our performance expertise.”
Ford’s supercharged Thunderbird concept is joined on the company’s
2003 LA Auto Show display by two other customized Thunderbird cars. The
Thunderbird Chip Foose edition, first shown at the 2002 SEMA Show, features
a “cut-down” speedster windscreen, custom interior and other
major restyling modifications. The Thunderbird Roy Brizio edition, also
shown at the 2002 SEMA Show, includes unique front, side and rear styling
enhancements in a dark green metallic paint color.
Plentiful Power
With 390 horsepower on tap, the Ford Thunderbird 3.9-liter
supercharged V-8 engine transforms the vehicle’s character from a
grand touring car into a performance-minded sports roadster. The supercharger
setup offers peak horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 390 foot pounds of peak
torque at 3,500 rpm, giving the Thunderbird concept car impressive power
and acceleration capabilities.
Ford’s powertrain engineers began the supercharged concept’s
transformation with a stock 3.9-liter DOHC modular V-8 engine from the
standard Thunderbird. Then, all-new aluminum headers were fitted along
with a Roots type supercharger to provide the necessary thrust.
“Achieving 390 horsepower from a relatively modest 3.9 liters is
a testament to this engine’s efficient use of technology,” says
Dave Szczupak, Ford Motor Company vice president, Powertrain Operations.
“The raw power of this most powerful Thunderbird ever is intoxicating
to sample, but our designers have made the Supercharged Ford Thunderbird
just as exciting visually as it is to drive.”
The design team, working in concert with the FPG, gave the supercharged
Thunderbird concept an equally appealing underhood appearance to match
its powerful exterior design. Details like a polished high-flow intake
pipe and Gloss Red cam covers with carbon fiber coil covers accentuate
the engine design. The ‘Thunderbird’ script is inscribed across
the cam covers.
A carbon fiber radiator cover housing integral supercharger air filters
completes the display.
Powerful Design
The production Thunderbird is bold, confident and free, with
classic design cues translated into a contemporary design language. The
Supercharged Thunderbird concept design is more aggressive, refined and
powerful, entirely in concert with the powerplant under its hood.
Designers at the Ford Living Legends design studio massaged nearly every
body panel on the concept vehicle to provide just the right visual presence
for Ford’s most powerful Thunderbird ever. The hood, front fenders
and front and rear bumpers are unique, as are the seat and trim materials
in the interior.
An all-new power dome hood provides visual differentiation and functional
engine cooling for the supercharged engine. Chrome was liberally applied
to the 16 forward-facing surfaces on the hood’s twin air extractors,
with the engine’s Gloss Red cam covers visible through slots in the
louvers.
A new, more prominent grille is finished in the same chrome as the hood’s
twin air extractor louvers. Air intakes have been placed in the grille
openings used for driving lights on the production Thunderbird. Chromed
air intakes also grace each front fender, but are larger in size than
the production vehicle, with all-new, cut-down rear view mirrors in color-keyed
housings.
Reworked front and rear bumpers complement the one-inch lower suspension,
while 18-inch tires on custom, 16-spoke aluminum wheels anchor the vehicle
to the road, both visually and functionally. A lockable, two-piece hard
tonneau cover conceals the soft, black convertible top underneath.
At the rear, twin exhaust ports exit on either side of the license plate
surround, seamlessly integrated into the rear bumper. Rear backup lamps
have been moved from the taillights and now reside directly above the
exhausts, inset into the license plate housing.
The exterior, painted cool Machine Silver, complements the Supercharged
Thunderbird concept’s all-leather, chamois-tinted interior. The Supercharged
Thunderbird concept also features generous use of polished and brushed
chrome on horizontal ribs surrounding the interior, while the center stack
is adorned with Machine Silver inserts.
Although New-Cars.com checks with auto manufacturers and their representatives
to confirm the accuracy of the data, it makes no guarantee or warranty,
either expressed or implied with respect to the data presented here. All
specifications, prices and equipment are subject to change without notice.
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