REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

A new take-off for Ford’s Thunderbird

Over the past few years, many legends of the automobile history have returned either by nostalgia, by refusing to grow old or simply for financial reasons. Ford executives saw Volkswagen (New Beetle, BMW (Mini) And Daimler Chrysler tap into the baby boomer’s nostalgia vein, so they are bringing the Thunderbird back.Jac Nasser, former Number One at Ford, asked for a gray Thunderbird as his personal car. This hue will be an exclusive, because Ford offers a choice of red, white, black, Thunderbird blue (turquoise) and Inspiration yellow. The last two will vanish at the end of the first year to be replaced by 50-ish colors (watch out, there might be pink in store).

Ford intends to produce 150,000 T-Birds at the Wixiom, Michigan plant over the next 6 years. If this promise is kept, Ford will make the new Thunderbird an object of desire for the 80 million baby boomers on this continent. Such success would satisfy shareholders of the world’s second largest automobile group since, although no figure has been given, resurrecting the T-Bird is said to have been made without picking in the company’s piggy bank. It seems that 65% of all parts used to manufacture this roadster have been borrowed directly from the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type.

Obviously, the designers’ creativity ran out before they started designing the interior. At a few exceptions, this is a carbon copy of the LS sedan. For $995, you can add plastic trims painted the same color as the exterior. Even the shifter and part of the steering wheel have been painted. But in all trim colors, turquoise indicator arms are laid over a white background. These are the only details inspired from the past, as the Thunderbird remains a copy of the LS, pitfalls included. Just think of the central armrest, too high to be comfortable, or the lack of storage space.

Strictly a two-seater, the Thunderbird forces passengers to travel light or to plan one-day trips only. Behind the comfortable leather bucket seats (without heating system for cold winter nights), there is barely enough room for a respectable handbag. Why not installing a backwash net to stop the wind from messing our hair or covering the radio?

Even with the power roof (the T-Bird’s top goes down in less than 10 seconds), good physical strength helps for hooking the roof cover. Fingers get pinched and nails get broken. The rigid roof is preferable in the winter (it adds 37.6 kg to the car’s mass) and its charming portholes offer good visibility for passing maneuvers.

When not in use, the roof cover clutters the trunk limited to a volume of 189 litres. How large is your golf bag exactly?T-Bird designers say it is a quiet roadster. In plain English, this means you won’t hear tires screech on intersection or see its grille attack every turn. Driving the T-Bird will remind us that life is a long windy road. Powered by a 3.9-litre V8 engine, this car does not move as quickly as the lighter LS sedan. And as opposed to the LS, the T-Bird’s engine is only offered with the strangely stepped-up 5-speed automatic transmission (and not the semi-automatic) that hesitates before selecting the right gear, especially in downshifts. Too heavy for the 252-hp engine, the Thunderbird cannot compete with comparable convertibles. More potent versions are being studied. Its designers know that for a fact and they introduce it as a relaxed sports car. Forget the Corvette, Boxster and Z3. They’re in another league. Despite all this, pick-ups are decent and the engine is flexible and very linear at low revolution, qualities very well suited to casual driving. Body torsion is perceptible in turns and steering is sometimes jerky, feels too heavy at low speeds and too light at high speeds. Because of its size and weight, the Thunderbird is not likely to perform as well on twisting roads as on highways and boulevards.

The reinforced structure is nonetheless weaker without a roof and to ensure a comfortable ride, springs have to be less resistant (they are softer in the front, like in the back) and the all-season tires do not keep very good contact with the pavement. Despite a gentle roll, the Thunderbird is extremely stable and predictable in turns.

All in all, like the New Beetle and the upcoming Mini, the T-Bird cannot be labeled functional. But does it have to be?

PROS
High level of comfort
Modern design
Relaxed cruiser

CONS
Too relaxed maybe
Limited space