Growing up in New York, my mother always told me to never go down to 4th Avenue in Brooklyn because a man in a van would snatch me up. That being the case, I have a feeling that she won't like Ford's 2013 SEMA show display much. In addition to the Mustangs, Focuses, and FusionsFord has announced that there will be 10 custom 2014 Ford Transit Connects taking over its SEMA show display.
0:00 / 0:00
Though 10 Transit Connect vans and wagons will be on display at the show, Ford is only teasing nine of them. Those hoping Ford will fit the Transit Connect with the Fiesta ST's 197-hp 1.6-liter turbo-4 and six-speed manual, I'll save you some trouble: none of the nine vehicles here are the Transit Connect ST. While that very well could be the last SEMA Transit Connect concept, we're not holding our breath.
Instead, most of the nine Transit Connect concepts are all slammed, shod with big wheels and tires, and loaded with electronics. Some of these vans look pretty sharp. For example, there's the Strange Motion Transit Connect Wagon. This slammed Transit Connect is designed to support a BMX team, and can haul six bikes and six people. Functionalandcool.
Another functionally cool Transit Connect concept is by Blood & Grease. A clothing company, the Blood & Grease Transit Connect functions as a pop-up shop. The lowered black-graphic'd van is designed to roll up to a location and sell clothing. The inside of the Transit Connect is outfitted with a custom inventory system, in addition to the requisite upgraded sound system.
The Project SunnySide Transit Connect functions in much the same way as the Blood & Grease concept, this time dolling out cookies and cake. The Project SunnySide van is designed to be a modern ice cream delivery truck.
The custom vans are rounded out by the:
MobsteelFord TransitConnect: A "rolling business card" for the Detroit Steel Wheel Company.
PentechFord Transit Connect:A mobile video game demonstration van.
K-Daddyz Kustomz Ford Transit Connect:A mobile vehicle graphic and pinstriping studio.
eJudged Ford Transit Connect:A mobile command station for car show judging.
CGS Motorsports Ford Transit Connect:A car-modification support vehicle at the drag strip.
LGE/CTS Motorsports Ford Transit Connect:A cross-country-capable Transit Connect outfitted for "business owners and upper-middle class working families."
Which van is your favorite? Sound off below.
For all the latest news, photos, videos, and much more direct from the2013 SEMA auto show floor, don't forget toCLICK OVER to our 2013 SEMA show coverage page.
Source: Ford
I generally like writing—especially when it’s about cars—but I hate writing about myself. So instead of blathering on about where I was born (New York City, in case you were wondering) or what type of cars I like (all of ’em, as long as it has a certain sense of soul or purpose), I’ll answer the one question I probably get most, right after what’s your favorite car (see above): How’d you get that job? Luck. Well, mostly. Hard work, too. Lots of it. I sort of fell into my major of journalism/mass communication at St. Bonaventure University and generally liked it a lot. In order to complete my degree senior year, we had to spend our last two semesters on some sort of project. Seeing as I loved cars and already spent a good portion of my time reading about cars on sites such as Motor Trend, I opted to create a car blog. I started a Tumblr, came up with a car-related name (The Stig’s American Cousin), signed up for media access on a bunch of manufacturer’s websites, and started writing. I did everything from cover new trim levels to reviewing my friends’ cars. I even wrote a really bad April Fool’s Day post about the next Subaru Impreza WRX being Toyota-Corolla-based. It was fun, and because it was fun, it never felt like work. Sometime after my blog had gotten off the ground, I noticed that Motor Trend was hiring for what’s now our Daily News Team. I sent in my résumé and a link to my blog. I got the job, and two weeks after graduation I made the move from New York to California. I’ve been happily plugging away at a keyboard—and driving some seriously awesome hardware—ever since.
Read More
