2011 Australian International Motor Show: Enthusiasts Get Behind Ford's Mad Max Interceptors

MELBOURNE – July 1, 2011: Almost 10,000 car enthusiasts have voted to choose the next Mad Max Interceptor.

As interest in the Mad Max Interceptor "Next Generation" project goes global, Ford Australia and TopGear Australia magazine have extended the voting period through July for readers to pick between the two new spectacular Interceptors concepts being crafted by Ford designers.

"We're delighted that both our readers and the social web community have warmed to the car," TopGear Australia Editor, Stephen Corby, said. "The level of interest has really taken us by surprise, particularly with on-line media."

The two 21st century concepts have been designed by Ford for TopGear Magazine Australia to help celebrate the revival of the Mad Max action movie genre.

Diehard fans around the world have welcomed the latest designs, even though it is more than 30 years since Hollywood director, George Miller's original Mad Max movie hit movie screens.

Ford Australia's Melbourne-based Asia, Pacific and Australia Design Director, Chris Svensson, said the project had been a spectacular success.

"It has given our team a lot of scope to really extend their imaginations and come up with some exciting new ideas," Svensson said.

"The team has been able to get quite creative because the Mad Max car is not constrained by the normal design parameters imposed by a real-world vehicle."

All employees of Ford Australia's Research Centre are behind the after-hours project, which – apart from Australia - has gained a strong media following in the United States, Spain, Italy, France and India.

Led by chief designer passenger cars Asia, Pacific and Africa, Todd Willing, the two Mad Max concepts are accompanied by real-life graphics.

TopGear Australia magazine has followed the progress of the cars from the concept stage, right through to full-blown Computer Aided Design. Their progress has been well documented in TopGear Australia magazine with readers being asked to vote on which concept they prefer.

In the latest July issue of TopGear Australia, which has just hit newstands, the concepts have been further refined and journalist James Stanford has been allowed unprecedented access to the design studio to see the models being built and talk to the design team about the process.

The two 40 per cent-size clay models weighing around 130kg are finished to the highest levels, with detailing and trim highlights.

The two competing concepts – by designers Nima Nourian and Simon Brook - are worthy adversaries that are limitless in their imagination, technology and weaponry. Both cars use industrial-strength weaponry like "tasers" mounted in the front of the cars to zap bad guys on bikes straight off the road.

Other futuristic movie features include a titanium-lined body shell to interrupt police scanners and wheels with extendable spikes to shred enemy vehicles.

Planning has started to film the new Mad Max instalment, tentatively called Mad Max 4: Fury Road.

The original movie starred Mel Gibson and a jet black 1973 XB Falcon GT coupe-based Interceptor.

Ford Australia revives Mad Max Interceptor

SYDNEY, 30 Mar, 2011

Ford Australia, in partnership with TopGear Australia magazine, has unveiled not one, but two spectacular new Mad Max Interceptors.

The 21st century concepts have been designed by Ford's designers for TopGear Magazine Australia to help celebrate the revival of the Mad Max action movie genre.

It is more than 30 years since Hollywood director, George Miller's original Mad Max movie - starring Mel Gibson and a jet black Ford XB coupe-based Interceptor - hit movie screens around the world.

Ford Australia's Melbourne-based Asia, Pacific and Australia Design Director, Chris Svensson, jumped at the chance to design a new Interceptor and has since thrown the full weight of Ford Australia's Research Centre behind the project, with stunning results.

"Our entire team was very excited to be involved in this after-hours project and they approached it with a great deal of enthusiasm – even those that were too young to remember the first Mad Max movie," Svensson said. "We had a special screening of the original movie so they could understand it."

Led by chief designer passenger cars Asia, Pacific and Africa, Todd Willing, the team created several way-out concepts that pay homage to styling cues from the original XB Coupe Interceptor.

Out of the concepts two have been chosen by the magazine to feature in the April issue of TopGear Australia magazine, on sale now, because they take body design, power sources and weaponry to a futuristic level.

TopGear Australia magazine readers will be invited to vote on which design Ford should take to the next level.

The winning car will be turned into a clay model, and then a scale version, which is expected to be revealed later this year.

The two competing designs – by designers Nima Nourian and Simon Brook - are limitless in their imagination, technology and weaponry. Among the weaponry is an industrial-strength "taser" mounted to the bonnet to zap bad guys on bikes straight off the road.

Other futuristic movie features include a titanium-lined body shell to interrupt police scanners and wheels with extendable spikes to shred enemy vehicles.

Nourian said his design paid tribute to the 1970s Interceptor, but also drags the car into the future.

"There are some great scenes in the first movie with high-speed chases and clashes with the bad guys, and I thought I'd take that one step further," he said. "So instead of having weapons and machine guns, we've got an industrial strength taser that'll zap cars dead and out of the way.

Brook's car was equally threatening. "During high-speed pursuits, the wheel's inner spokes on my design would pop out and start ripping up other cars," Brook said. "They'd do some serious damage to other people's vehicles."

Brook's design takes cues from the current FG Falcon but advances it further into Armageddon-land, while adding touches of the retro Interceptor as well. "I wanted to keep it clean and aerodynamic in its essence, but still brutal and tough."

Miller has begun filming for a new Mad Max instalment, tentatively called Mad Max 4: Fury Road.

SOURCE: Ford Australia