“NELLY” FLEX UNVEILED AT SEMA SHOW

Nelly's Customized 2009 Ford Flex to be Unveiled at SEMA Show

LAS VEGAS, Nev., Nov. 4, 2008 – Grammy Award-winning artist Nelly will see his brand new customized 2009 Ford Flex for the first time today when the vehicle is unveiled on the Ford stand at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas.

The 34-year-old rapper, singer and actor says Ford’s newest crossover caught his eye for the first time in July when it was on display at a Ford-sponsored event in Atlanta.

“When I saw it, I said ‘Yo, that’s hot! How can I get one of those?’” he recalled. “I thought it was a real unique vehicle.”

Later that night, Nelly shared his excitement about the car with his good friend, hip hop DJ Funkmaster Flex, who has a customized Flex of his own. That’s when the metaphorical wheels started turning.

"I've been partnering with Ford on some amazing vehicles since 2005," said Funkmaster Flex. When Nelly reached out on wanting a custom Flex of his own, I knew it was going to be 'on and poppin.' From our initial meeting with him at my warehouse in the Bronx to follow-up conversations that we had about this vehicle, there was no doubt that we could deliver something that would ultimately be true to Nelly and his own style".

"When it comes to a vehicle looking sweet, this crossover is beyond sweet," said Flex of the crossover. "This vehicle is one where you can be hot coming off the dealership lot—which is a plus, but when you know that you can customize it afterwards and turn a car that's a 10 into a 20—that's super hot." It was even more exciting for me to be able to work with Nelly and introduce him to the Ford team of designers to create a vehicle all his own. It was definitely an experience."

Usha Raghavachari, Ford's Crossover Marketing Communications Manager, attended the initial event in Atlanta and says she was delighted to see how enthusiastic Nelly was about the Flex.

“He is a huge hip hop star who transcends the traditional audience. The fact that he is attracted to Flex is testament to its head-turning design,” she said.

Nelly says he was thrilled about the idea of “building” his own Flex.

“I’m what they call a ‘premiere stuntastic stuntman,’ and so you know when it comes to cars, I’m pretty inclined to go overboard,” he said. “I wanted to really turn the vehicle into mine. You can do so much with it, and I think that’s the best thing about it.”

After meeting with Nelly and getting a feel for his taste, Ford Designer Melvin Betancourt began sketching.

“Just from talking with Nelly, we knew that he wanted a custom-color blue car with a white roof, a great sound system, 22-inch wheels, an exhaust system with a little bit of a rumble on it, and a personalized interior,” said Betancourt, who worked with Catalyst Industrial Marking, Inc. to build the vehicle. “He wanted our input on the other elements of the customization.”

One of the first ideas they had, says Betancourt, was to design a custom appliqué for the roof.

“We created an art form that we feel reflects Nelly’s personality,” he said. “It’s a bird, which is a symbol of freedom — the ability to do whatever you want in life — and it has a very modern feel to it, which is very Flex.”

The wheels had to stand out. So the team chose NC Forged “6 Spoke” 3-piece aluminum, 22-inch wheels with NC floating center caps.

“Wheels are usually either all-chrome or all-painted. We did custom chrome rims with a brushed aluminum center, which is very unusual,” he said. “We also wanted a wild, crazy offset on the wheels, so we went with a 4½-inch rim in the back and a 3-inch rim in the front, which creates a staggered look.”

Betancourt says the inspiration for the interior of the vehicle came largely from the exterior.

“The outside of the car reflects his personality, so it was a matter of bringing the some of the same elements inside,” he said.

The team selected a black Tuscany leather interior with Katzkin® seats and contrast blue stitching that picks up the unique exterior color of the car. They also replaced all the wood grain trim inside the car with the same artwork appliqué featured on the roof.

In addition, Nelly’s Flex features the industry-exclusive Ford SYNC™ technology and a CIM LIIV™ wireless Internet entertainment system, which enables passengers to enjoy web surfing, online games, e-mail, downloaded movies, music and live television.

Nelly says one of the things that really attracts him to the Ford Flex is the vehicle’s potential to transcend the generation gap.

“It used to be that parents and kids didn’t like the same thing. Families are getting a lot younger, and now it’s kind of a friendship between parents and kids,” he explained. “When you can have a vehicle that both can rock their own way, I think you have something there that’s very special.”

Raghavachari agrees.

“Flex has successfully attracted a wide variety of people to Ford, with over half our customers being completely new to the Ford brand,” she said. “This car helps our customers make a real statement about themselves and allows us to make a statement about where Ford is headed in terms of design and innovation."

[Ford]

FORD AND FUNKMASTER FLEX MUSCLE IN HOT NEW EXPEDITION Limited-edition 2008 Ford Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition

* Limited-edition 2008 Ford Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition set to arrive in dealerships in the fall of 2007.
* Funkmaster Flex breaks barriers to become one of the first African American and hip hop artists in history to have a mass-produced production vehicle.
* Funkmaster Flex Edition features custom two-tone paint, a complete 3d Carbon body kit and custom interior.

DEARBORN, Mich., Mar. 30 - Ford and DJ Funkmaster Flex, the hip hop guru of car customization, are turning the Funkmaster's red hot Ford Expedition concept into a limited-edition production SUV. The stylized version of the full-sized SUV, dubbed the 2008 Ford Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition, will hit Ford dealer showrooms later this fall.

In launching the Funkmaster Flex Edition, Ford is positioning itself for continued growth in the vehicle personalization marketplace with an expressive SUV that doesn't lose any of its Expedition authenticity, but highlights its style and presence.

"Once Ford and I finished the concept Expedition, we knew we had something serious! It was poppin'!" said Funkmaster Flex. "We then started showing it at auto shows, to dealers and to my fans and realized we hit on some themes that we could turn into a limited-edition production ride."

"Funkmaster Flex is finding ways to connect with new customers," said Barry Engle, general manager, Ford Division Marketing. "He is a perfect fit for the Ford brand because he brings so much energy and enthusiasm to the table. He knows what customers want and he can really deliver." Ford research shows that nearly half of all new-vehicle buyers are adding unique touches to their vehicles and Expedition is no exception. Modifications to the Expedition are as diverse as the needs of buyers - from adding additional off-road capability, to custom cargo storage, to adding touches for increased urban street appeal. Funkmaster Flex, a major influence in hip hop culture, has developed a young fan base of urban automotive enthusiasts who take pride in their personal style. Their vehicle often defines their lifestyle. Ford wants to reach these buyers with this new customized Expedition. Last year, Ford opened its Dearborn design studio doors to Funkmaster Flex to look at how to customize the new Expedition. Flex went to work with Ford designers to create an expressive concept that delivered the Expedition's SUV authenticity with a unique urban style and presence.

The limited-edition run of Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition, based of the existing short wheelbase, Limited model, will arrive at dealerships in the fall of 2007.

2008 Ford Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition
Funkmaster Flex has strong opinions on customizing vehicles. Here, he shares some these thoughts and describes the new Expedition Funkmaster Felx Edition.

Step one is a custom paint job. "The scheme developed shouldn't be too busy or overloaded with color. You want to make a statement at a stop light with no overkill! Two-tone paint works best," says Flex. For his Expedition, he chose a two-tone Colorado Red and Black paint scheme with Orange pinstriping. The two-tone goes up and over the A-pillar into the power dome hood so that they don't distract from the most expressive part of the new Expedition, its front grille.

"Quality body kits are essential to any customization," says Flex. "They need to be expressive and distinctive without compromising drivability." Funkmaster Flex and Ford Design called upon Ford's longtime partner 3d Carbon in Newport Beach, Calif. to develop a complete body kit for the Expedition. 3d Carbon currently provides official Ford licensed body kit for the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ. The kit on the Expedition features an expressive custom front fascia with integrated fog lamps, side skirts, rear fascia and trailer hitch cover. The traditional roof rack has been removed.

Exterior personal touches are a must. "Make sure to add anything that you like as long as it's not gaudy. Get guidance from experts with these additions. Trust their advice. Chrome accents and custom badges can really define a vehicle," says Flex. The Expedition features custom Funkmaster Flex FMF chrome badges that accent the 20-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels.

"The interior needs to continue the theme of the exterior," says Flex. A matching Colorado Red center console bezel, shifter and switch bezels highlight the cabin. The seats feature appointed quad captain black leather skins with red-stitching and FMF red logo headrests. A red-stitch steering wheel and armrest center console accent the seats. FMF floormats rounds out the package. As an added touch, each Expedition will feature an exclusive numbered dash plaque signed by Funkmaster Flex.

Make sure the vehicle has all the options and a strong sound system. Based on the Expedition Limited, the Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition is available with the same interior standard and optional features. They include a standard 340-Watt Audiophile Sound System, MP3 player audio input jack, Powerfold third-row seat, heat and cooled front seats and optional navigation system, power liftgate, air suspension and rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

Ford Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition Highlights

* 3d Carbon body kit with custom front/rear fascia and side skirts
* Two-tone Black and Colorado Red paint with Orange pinstriping
* Funkmaster Flex badges on fenders
* Trailer hitch cover
* SIRIUS Satellite Radio
* 2nd row captain's chairs Interior
* Black leather interior with contrasting Colorado red stitching
* Colorado red shifter, center stack and door appliqu s/bezels
* Funkmaster Flex stitched logo headrests
* Limited-edition Funkmaster Flex numbered dash plaque
* 20-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels

About Funkmaster Flex
A New York City native, Funkmaster Flex is synonymous with hip hop. For over a decade, he has reigned as America's #1 Hip Hop personality, reaching more than two million listeners a week through his popular radio show. His production talents and artist relationships have earned him five gold records for major-label mix albums.

Funkmaster Flex has successfully connected his hip hop celebrity status to the auto industry to become a guru of car customization culture. Through his high-profile custom-car club, Team Baurtwell, Flex has customized cars for attention-drawing personalities like Sean Diddy Combs, Shaquille O'Neal and Orange County Choppers. Currently, Flex features these celebrities and their cars on his hit television series "All Muscle with Funkmaster Flex" airing on ESPN2. Now in its sixth year, his nine-city "Custom Car and Bike Show" keeps him constantly connected with the latest trends and styles happening in the automotive industry.

In 2005, Ford Motor Company started a relationship with Funkmaster Flex. He is currently focused on reinventing Ford's American car customization culture for an all-new urban enthusiast. To date, he has customized over 15 vehicles for Ford. At the 2005 Ford SEMA show press conference, Flex stole the show with a tuned Ford Fusion wearing a 3d Carbon body kit. His customized Ford Fusion and F-150 were featured attractions on his car show tour.

Flex also played important roles at the 2007 North American International Auto Show and the 2007 New York Auto Show International. Most recently, he made a cameo appearance in Ford's latest Fusion television and Edge radio commercials. In May, Ford will become the official sponsor of the reality television series "Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex," airing on ESPN2 and will feature Flex in a new television ad for the Ford Expedition.

Without Funkmaster Flex, the $3 billion automobile aftermarket business would probably be worth no more than, say, $2.7 billion — tops. That's probably why Ford's backed its private Brinks truck up to Flex's crib for two years running. This year, Flex signed his name to a customized 2007 Expedition that Ford plans to show off at the SEMA show next week. The modded SUV gets a cosmetics overdub by way of something called the Street Scene(R) body kit, 24" wheels, two-tone black-and-red paint scheme and a custom interior including de rigeur DVD screens and high-performance audio system. No word on whether the truck will also show up as a special marshmallow in Lucky Charms or as a guest character on "According to Jim." – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Funkmaster Flex to Show Modded Fusion at SEMA [internal]

You know, we're like the inverse of Funkmaster Flex. He's wide. We're thin. He's rich. We're poor. He hips to the hop. We punk out. He's black. We're white. But, despite the differences in views on how a car should be properly customized, we share the same view on great raw materials: "A '69 Charger R/T 440 six-pack. Mine was bronze. I still got it. Screamin'. Now I got a '70 Chevelle, and a '66, a '67, a '69, a '71 and a '73. I got two '68 Camaros, two '69s, I got a '68, a '69 and '70 Mustang. I think I have about 30 cars right now."

Denton needs to step up and build us a Jalopnik Shop. We'll get Bumbeck to run the thing and Danny Boy to find cars and be the PR type. Us? We'll just come up with ridiculous ideas. Maybe we can convince Fang Huang to come out and work on cars and make us lunch. Meanwhile, while we're fantasizing, we'll have BBQs every weekend with lots of vegetarian options. 1st Gen Celica GTs. Dodge Rampages. AMC Eagles. 2nd Gen Trans Ams. Old, tired slingshot dragsters. Mercedes Pontons. Beat-up, primered Countaches. Model A Coupes built in the 1970s. Anything with a 340 in it. Desmond Dekker and Operation Ivy on the sound system. And rad, hot punk chicks. Lots of rad, hot punk chicks. Who read Bukowski and Kundera and know the difference between a Hemi and a Slant Six. And then we'll all hop in our Meyers Manxes and go to the beach to play volleyball, drink Mountain Dew, watch the sun set and have makeouts.

Or, y'know, if you're in Toronto, you can just go to Funkmaster Flex's show. He'll have his own rides there, plus whips from Fitty Cent and LL, as well. Wax is for Anthrax. Still it can rock bells. Ever-forever, universal it will sell. Time for me to exit, Terminator X-it!

[UPDATE: Our boy Scotto from Rides drove up from NYC to Toronto with Flex, with tha Funkmaster in his Mustang and Brian in Flex's Charger Daytona. Flex behaved himself. Scotto, on the other hand, spun donuts in intersection. You can take the hoon out of Astoria...]

Funkmaster Flex shares his passion [Hamilton Spectator]

Related:
Funkmaster Flex to Show Modded Fusion at SEMA [Internal]