BOLD RIDE
Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.
Not many people can say they own an actual concept car. But when this piece of auto show history from Ford rolls across the auction block later this month, perhaps just about anyone can.
On the high side, that equates to the starting price of a 2016 Ford Explorer. It begs the question–which would you rather have?
In its early days, the Ford Explorer was marketed as the brush-bashing, gravel road-taming, school-run-shuffling SUV for the masses—and it certainly sold in masses. But it didn’t take long for Ford to realize most of its Explorers would never experience gravel or brush…that is, beyond an overly downtrodden parking lot.
The Urban Explorer was inspired to cater to that on-road crowd, which was highly populated by Generation X-ers, their dogs, and their 2.5 children.
Though it retained its all-wheel drive capability, the Urban Explorer sat low to the ground on a dropped suspension and chic 20-inch five-spoke wheels. Ford dressed the SUV to the nines with sculpted bumpers at both ends, blacked-out exterior lighting, wide fender flares, and a subtle rear spoiler, all accented in a flashy Lime Green paint. The best part? That dual-tip integrated center exhaust.
Things are equally “flash” on the inside as well. In fact, the interior is said to be made out of glow-in-the-dark material. Lime Green accents find their way into the door cards and quad bucket seats. Most everything else is a deep black, including the center console, which spans both rows of seats.
Propulsion is managed by a mainstay of the Explorer family, the 4.0-liter Ford V6, which summons 205 horsepower and puts it to the ground through a five-speed automatic.
Let us know which Explorer you’d rather have–a brand-new 2016 model or a one-off 2001 concept?
Photo Credit: Teddy Pieper
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