Scott was doing his work about a block away from the Alamo at the Luminaria arts festival in San Antonio this weekend. At first we didn't even realize it was the same guy we've featured on Jalopnik before, but the quality was the serious giveaway.

It isn't until you see the work up close that you really appreciate the attention to detail and the strange talent Wade has. He quickly makes these images appear in the windows using only his fingers, a couple of brushes and a photo of his subject. Given the huge size of the windows it makes sense Wade chose the Flex, which is like a gigantic version of his Mini Cooper.

The Hyundai Genesis will have stiff competition for 2009 North American Car Of The Year from the Ford Flex and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, but is probably just happy to be nominated.

The Truck Of The Year is a standoff between the 2009 Ford F-150, 2009 Dodge Ram and the diesel Mercedes ML320 BlueTec. Both diesels are the first diesels in the award's 16-year history to make the final cut.

For those keeping score at home, the best vehicles in North America for 2009 according to the motoring press are either American trucks/crossovers, German diesels or a Korean luxury car. Noticeably absent from this list is a Japanese car or truck, especially given the Japanese have won TOTY four times and COTY three times.

Last year the Chevrolet Malibu and Mazda CX-9 were last years winners in the car and truck categories, respectively.

[Source: Automotive News sub. req.]

FORD FLEX HITS SAFETY PINNACLE WITH 5-STAR RATINGS

- Flex earns U.S. government's top 5-star crash ratings for all four front- and side-impact tests - adding to Ford's leading number of 5-star vehicles.

- The daringly designed and fuel-efficient seven-passenger crossover continues to draw praise and customer interest.

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 5, 2008 - The 2009 Ford Flex has earned five-star frontal- and side-impact crashworthiness ratings, the highest possible scores, in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests.

The results for Ford's newest full-size crossover are better than the Toyota Highlander's and include class-leading four-star rollover ratings for both the front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions.

"The 5-star ratings for the Flex are evidence of Ford's overall safety commitment. In fact, we have produced more 5-star-rated vehicles than any other automaker," said Susan Cischke, Ford's senior vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. "The Flex offers it all: a head-turning design, top safety ratings, unsurpassed highway fuel efficiency in its segment, power, spaciousness, comfort and great features."

Flex safety standard

Flex, which went on sale this summer, has a full array of standard safety equipment.

This includes dual front air bags, headliner mounted side curtain air bags, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, Ford-exclusive AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) and tire pressure monitoring system.

Flex gets some of its core strength from the use of lightweight aluminum-coated boron steel - one of the strongest weld-able materials - in the body structure. The use of high-strength steel in the B-pillars is only part of the Flex's robust safety profile. Ford engineers also located the side door intrusion beams to help manage and absorb energy during side impact crashes.

"Flex safety is built on a solid foundation - the platform of the 5-star rated Ford Taurus and Taurus X," said Gary Boes, Flex chief engineer.

How the Crash Ratings Work

NHTSA's frontal collision ratings are determined by placing crash-test dummies in the driver's seat and front-passenger seat and securing them with the vehicle's safety belts. Vehicles are then crashed into a fixed barrier at 35 mph, which is equivalent to a head-on collision between two similar vehicles that are moving at 35 mph. The 5-star rating attained by Flex indicates a 10 percent or less chance of serious injury to a belted occupant in the front seat.

Side-impact crash testing represents an intersection-type collision with a 3,015 pound barrier moving at 38.5 mph into the Flex, with crash test dummies buckled into the driver and rear passenger seats. Flex's five-star rating, the highest possible, indicates a 5 percent or less chance of serious injury.

"Safety is a top purchase consideration, second only to fuel efficiency, so Flex's top safety ratings and highway fuel economy are a winning combination," said Catherine Pearce, Flex marketing manager.

Even More Technology Works in Customers' Favor

Flex also can help drivers avoid problems on the road.

The new SIRIUS® Travel Link™ feature, praised for helping motorists find the cheapest gas, also can help route them around congested, potentially dangerous conditions using the vehicle's navigation system with real-time traffic information, available in select markets.

SYNC®, Ford's hands-free connectivity system for Bluetooth-enabled phones and digital music players, helps drivers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel to reduce distractions.

DEARBORN, Mich., July 28, 2008 - The Ford Flex is making news and turning heads wherever it goes, including at Yahoo.com. Flex was the seventh most-popular search on Sunday - and the only vehicle in the top 10 of most-searched topics, including entertainment and sports information as well as recipes.

"The Flex's daring design is making an impact all over the country," said Usha Raghavachari, Flex Marketing Communications Manager. "As more cars arrive at dealers and in to the hands of customers, we are seeing a huge rise in interest online, both in terms of traffic to our own website and through search engines such as Yahoo.com."

With its daring and distinctive exterior and well-appointed interior, Flex makes a bold statement. In addition, the seven-passenger Flex's fuel economy of up to 24 mpg on the highway makes it a strong choice in these times of high gas prices. If you add the available SIRIUS Travel Link, Flex will even find you the cheapest gas and direct you straight to the location - another great way to save a few dollars every fill-up.

Ford PR Flack:"We wanted to give the Flex what we call a 'wow' factor."
Random Auto Journalist: "Wow, can I quote you on that?"

I don't know when it happened, but at some point in its history, reviewing cars became the domain of the boring, the middle aged and the overweight. It also lost its way, becoming yet another tool for the industry to market its products (something akin to long-form, text-based advertising), rather than a critical method for helping consumers make informed decisions. It's now commonplace to see PR-speak quoted in place of actual insight.

Which brings us to the wow factor. Picked up by your typical auto journalist (though this being the jean shorts and Oakley Eye Jackets breed rather than the slightly more common blue button down and khakis variety) it causes both Ray and I to choke on our lunches, desperately trying to maintain some semblance of polite facial expression. Full Disclosure: a member of the Ford PR team offered to cut up my free lunch for me, I declined, but out of embarrassment, not integrity.

It's not that the Flex isn't good looking. It genuinely is, to our minds it's the best designed Ford since the GT, completely banishing memories of the depressingly bland Taurus X, the car the Flex is based on under its slick skin.

And it does have a wow factor, even if it makes me cringe writing that. The Flex's look at once captures everything good and romantic about American cars while eschewing the bad and the boring. You don't look at it and think SUV or minivan; you look at it and think, "Wow, that's a pretty nice looking car." In person, it also looks surprisingly small. Like the Taurus X it sits somewhere between a wagon and SUV in height and is surprisingly large once you climb inside.

No, our problem isn't necessarily with the use of the word 'wow,' it's with the lack of critical thinking that takes place in the average car reviewer's mind. The Flex is ostensibly the vehicle Ford should have built in 2005 instead of the bland Freestyle-cum-Taurus X, but at the time, it lacked the chutzpah to do so. Pressed, a Ford representative will admit this, but pressed further, they'll also admit that they don't know what they're going to do with the Taurus X now (they'll keep selling it as a cheaper alternative for a couple of years before quietly killing it off). And we just don't see much wow in any of that.

But style aside, is a rebodied Taurus X the right car for right now? We're not sure. As a people carrier it's equal parts brilliant and flawed. Brilliant: the doors that wrap around the lower sill, making ingress easy for the old, the feeble and the short; the four sunroofs; Sync; Ford's new SatNav system, which just became the best on the market; the driving position that's the perfect compromise between sedan and SUV; the incredibly quiet interior. Flawed: the third row seats are tiny, much smaller than a Buick Enclave's; the doors don't slide; Ford's 3.5-liter V6 mated to this 6-speed auto is still the worst combination on sale today, delivering neither performance nor economy.

It's equally flawed when considered as an emotional purchase. According to Ray, it drives exactly like a Taurus X, which is to say depressingly adequately, which doesn't compensate for the fuel consumption, 16/22 for the AWD version is too SUV-like to wow us. Nor does the stylish exterior keep its promises inside. While the front seat passengers are treated to a reasonably swanky dash of higher quality than that available in the Taurus X — I couldn't remove any trim pieces with my fingers alone. Full Disclosure: this is a hobby of mine — from the front seats back the interior is exactly like that of the donor car.

There's also some quality issues inside. While the primary dash surfaces are covered in decent plastic, secondary surfaces on the transmission tunnel are very low rent. Worst of all, start feeling around and sharp plastic edges abound. In the couple of minutes Ray and I spent looking, we found edges sharp enough to cut behind the center console's fascia, on the door trim and especially in the sunroof surrounds, reach up there with care kiddies.

What this all comes down to is a vehicle that we wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in, but not one we'd want to own or drive on a regular basis. For the $42,000 as-tested price, we'd expect a little more wow than that.

Sorry Lincoln, according to J, despite rumors — and concepts to the contrary — you won't be getting a chance to go to the Flextreme. Neither will Mercury.

Also, our previous comments on the future of the Taurus X still appear to remain valid as we're told to expect "X" will stick around for a couple more model years — but beyond that, the future for the Flex's older brother originally named "Taurus Little" was unclear.

Prior to this relationship, Ford and Sony had a limited relationship that included factory-installed Sony Xplode speakers in a variety of Ford Focus models.

The big kicker with this release is that the first 150 people to check out the Ford Flex with Sony equipment will receive digital download samplers, or in other words, free MP3s. The Flex will be on display today from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern.

FORD FLEX WITH SONY AUDIO SYSTEMS MAKES ITS DEBUT IN NEW YORK AT THE SONY STYLE STORE

* Ford reveals first Sony-branded audio system in the new Ford Flex being shown at the Sony Style store on Madison Avenue today from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.
* Sony Music will be handing out 150 Sony digital download samplers to customers coming to see the Ford Flex
* Ford has signed a long-term agreement with Sony Electronics for Sony-branded audio systems in Ford and Mercury vehicles in North America

New York, March 18 - Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] and Sony Electronics are showing the first fruits of their new relationship in North America in the form of the new Ford Flex with Sony audio. The Flex appears at the flagship Sony Style store on Madison Avenue between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. today, where the first 150 customers will have the chance to get their hands on a Sony BMG MusicPass digital download card sampler.

This will be the first time the Sony audio system has been featured in the innovative new Ford Flex full-size utility.

Set to launch in summer, Flex is a daring new vehicle in the full-size crossover segment and will further build momentum for Ford crossovers, which already include Ford Escape and Edge.

Flex will feature a host of new technologies in addition to the Sony audio system. These include SIRIUS Satellite Radio with Travel Link™ as well as the award-winning SYNC system, which has been further enhanced for the Ford Flex.

"We have enjoyed a very successful partnership at Ford of Europe with Sony-branded audio," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development. "Customers tell us that good audio systems are high on their list of priorities. Sony-branded audio and a host of other signature technologies will help differentiate Ford products in the marketplace."

"Ford and Sony are two of the world's most well-known brands," said Don Courvisier, vice president and general manager for the Automotive Entertainment Solutions Group at Sony Electronics in the United States and Europe. "This arrangement is a natural fit given our success together in Europe."

This is the third collaboration between Sony and Ford in North America. Ford and Sony offered a limited-edition Focus Sedan in 2000, outfitted with Sony Xplod® audio equipment. More recently, Ford offered "Sound Designed by Sony" in the Ford Focus in North America.

In Europe, Sony-branded audio systems are offered in the Mondeo, Focus, C-Max, S-Max and Galaxy models.

Even though we were a little bit lukewarm over the design when we first saw the production version, on the streets the Flex actually looks pretty cool. Since we were being treated to a ride 'chauffeur style', the back seats are our area of expertise. The seats are firm and they travel on tracks so you can go all the way from huge legroom in the middle row and a reasonable amount in the wayback, or comfy legroom for all. The surfaces are firm, with nice perforated leather and remind us of minivan seats - readily foldable - but we did get a kick out of the Star Wars robot trooper inspired headrests. And the sunroofs - all of them - were quite a sky-sight to behold. All in all, we were pleasantly surprised and look forward to spending some time with it on our own terms.

Details are still lacking, but C&D is reporting that the Flex will debut first and the Lincoln will follow approximately a year later. No word on a name, either, so we'll just start call it some generic alphanumeric name like FLZ. [Car & Driver

FORD DESIGN PARTNERS 'FLEX' THEIR MUSCLES, CUSTOMIZING SEGMENT-BUSTING NEW PRODUCT

* Two top customizers treat the all-new 2009 Ford Flex sheet metal as their canvas, highlighting the vehicle's diverse aftermarket appeal and potential.
* A Chip Foose-designed Flex defines suburban luxury.
* Funkmaster Flex showcases urban luxury with his modified Flex2.

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 30 - Courtesy of customizing legends Chip Foose and Funkmaster Flex, the 2009 Ford Flex sports two distinct new looks at this year's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas.

Ahead of Flex's arrival in dealerships next summer, Ford tapped the duo to help customers start dreaming about the customization options this all-new vehicle brings.

"The Ford Flex elicits emotional responses from people unlike any vehicle in recent memory, yet customers have distinct interpretations of how the Flex can fit into their lifestyle," says Kate Pearce, Ford Flex marketing plans manager. "Bringing Flex to SEMA before the production vehicle's launch gives us an opportunity to explore the endless possibilities within the world of customization - and to help further broaden the vehicle's strong appeal."

Funkmaster Flex and Foose each have taken a unique approach in customizing their vehicle, yet both remain true to the Flex's core design while providing their take on the latest luxury trends. Foose focuses on what he sees in suburban styling, while Funkmaster Flex brings the hottest in urban influence to his project.

Flex2 designed by Funkmaster Flex

Hip Hop guru of car customization Funkmaster Flex brings his vision of urban luxury to Ford's newest crossover with the Flex2. His signature two-tone paint scheme is integrated cleverly into the Flex2 through a House of Kolor Kandy custom paint job that features a Brandywine body color and a unique faux-brushed aluminum roof. Flex2's exterior design is further enhanced by custom 3dCarbon accents including fender vents, upper and lower grilles and a rear upper spoiler.

The all-black leather interior features Katzkin custom seat covers with alligator print inserts and stainless steel color stitching on the seats and interior trim. To keep the party going inside the vehicle, Funkmaster Flex added two Invision headrest-mounted DVD systems in the first and second rows, along with a JL Audio 12-inch subwoofer and amplifier to enhance the tunes.

Flex2 rolls on custom 22-inch NC Forged wheels and Cooper Zeon XST tires. With a 1-inch lowered suspension and Borla dual rolled exhaust tips, Flex2 is an urban legend in the making.

"I know what this vehicle is going to be in the urban market: It's going to be killer!" says Funkmaster Flex. "Whether you're flossin' with your friends, going to the club or riding around with your girl, the Ford Flex is the next urban street vehicle, and Flex2 is my interpretation of the ultimate in street luxury."

2009 Ford Flex designed by Chip Foose

Star of Overhaulin' and the hottest custom car designer on the scene, Foose gave the Flex a look of contemporary suburban luxury that accentuates its already stand-out good looks.

Riding on Foose Design 22-inch wheels and Eibach springs customized for a lower appearance, the Foose Flex exterior features a custom-mixed, tow-tone blue and cream pearl paint job.

Inside, this color scheme continues with three-tone blue, gray and tan premium leather surfaces by Katzkin Leather.

Custom front and rear fascias and rocker panels are complemented by a custom wrap-around chrome beltline. Additional exterior details include painted appliqué door handles and a relocated license plate. With custom upper and lower grilles and bold FORD lettering across the front and rear, the Foose Flex reflects the right amount of expressive luxury appeal.

"When Ford called, I was quite excited to be one of the first to get my hands on the Flex," says Foose. "I didn't want the individual pieces I added to be the most eye-catching parts. I wanted it to look as if it came from Ford's design studio."

Ford Flex

The 2009 Ford Flex is set to redefine the modern American journey when it goes on sale in summer 2008. This vehicle sets a higher standard for style, features, functionality and comfort in the industry's fastest-growing crossover segment.

The 2009 Flex will come straight from the factory with several key features and technologies, including:

* Two-tone roof - An all-black greenhouse - a Ford first - that visually integrates the body with the available two-tone roof. Customers can pair a White Suede or Silver roof option with one of Flex's 10 available exterior colors or choose a body-color roof.
* High-tech lighting - Available HID headlamps and LED taillamps, plus 7-color programmable ambient lighting in the console, footwells and cupholders.
* Available refrigerator - Unlike competitors' systems that merely keep cold beverages cool, the Flex's compressor-driven refrigerator can cool up to seven 12-ounce cans, four half-liter bottles or two 20-ounce bottles from room temperature to 41 degrees in approximately two-and-a-half hours. That's 40 percent faster than a standard home refrigerator.
* Multi-Panel Vista Roof™ - It not only brightens the interior, it gives Flex occupants seated in each row their own skylight.
* EasyFuel™ System - Flex's capless fuel filler saves time by doing away with unscrewing and replacing a fuel-filler cap and provides a better seal, cutting down the emissions of smog-forming vapors.
* Ford SYNC™, Ford's industry-exclusive, voice-activated hands-free in-car communications and entertainment system. This available system fully integrates mobile phones and digital media players into the vehicle.

The SYNC in-car communications system was developed in collaboration with Microsoft and will be offered exclusively on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles this year.
* Big wheels - Standard 18-inch or available 19-inch bright aluminum wheels that plant the crossover firmly on the road.
* Ford's exclusive second-generation door-entry keypad - Housed within the vehicle's black B pillars, the flat-panel, backlit keypad eliminates the need for door-mounted buttons and gives customers the ability to unlock doors, disarm the alarm system and disable the auto-lock function by entering a five-digit code.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 260,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.

Ford Flex [Nancito]

Related:
Spy Photos: Ford Flex in the Flexosphere; Popular Mechanics Catches Ford Flex With the Long Lens; New York Auto Show: Ford Does The Minivan Muscle Flex Live!; New York Auto Show Preview: Ford Flex To Show Pecs In The Big Apple; Flex Your Minivan Muscle, Ford! [internal]