2000 Ford R5 Concept - AllCarIndex

R5 - Applications Unlimited

The Ford R5 is a concept car well within the realms of possibility. The R5 is a five seat recreational utility aimed squarely at the 'let's do it' market, equally at ease in the inner city, the beach or under the starlit sky of the Australian outback.

"The basic brief for the R5 was very simple," says Ford Australia President, Geoff Polites. "We wanted to create a vehicle that built upon the recreational features of the highly successful AU Falcon ute. The ability to carry five people with a host of gear would create all sorts of travel and activity options for our customers. Our designers have taken the Falcon ute to another level."

Exterior

The R5 has an athletic yet rugged presence. Finished in subtle Ghost Gum Silver paintwork, with impressive ground clearance and large wheels and tyres, it looks ready for adventure.

Based upon a Falcon ute platform, the cabin has been stretched rearward from the B-pillar with a shortened ute tub mounted behind the cabin. Entry to the cabin is via standard forward doors and unique rear opposed doors and is assisted by the deletion of the 'B-pillar'.

The deeply sculptured front bumper, wheel arch flares, integrated sideskirts and 18" wheels combine to provide a purposeful appearance. The R5 has around 75mm greater clearance than a conventional Falcon ute.

The front bumper houses a simple mesh grille and high performance quad beam headlights and low-mounted driving lights.

A 1-tonne electric winch has been cleverly concealed behind a mesh insert in the lower intake area of the front bumper.

Twin sideport exhaust outlets are located in front of the rear wheel arches on each side of the car.

An integrated sports bar is mounted on the tub behind the cabin. A canopy, lockable tonneau cover or integrated bike racks could be added easily.

Attention to small items, such as the machined aluminium tie downs for the tonneau cover, has turned several functional items into design detail features.

Even the tyre tread pattern has been hand finished. The 18" six spoke alloy wheels are shod with 245/50R18 'crossover' tyres that have a unique 'reptile' tread face, designed to deliver optimal performance on and off the road.

Functional items to aid the active user have also been added. The unique rear bumper incorporates a 240v power socket and an outlet for the 50-litre on-board fresh water storage tank.

Interior

The opposed doors of the R5 open to reveal a futuristic combination of form and function. The five-seats in the cabin are trimmed in contrasting Eucalypt suede with charcoal nylon mesh inserts.

Brushed aluminium highlights appear on the dash, gear-shift and door trims.

The central display unit (CDU) houses controls for the myriad in-car electronics which include telematics, a prestige sound system, automatic climate control, satellite navigation and mobile communications equipment such as phone, fax and e-mail access.

The rear seat has a 60/40 split with access to the load area to create external load access for long items such as water skis or surfboards.

Mechanically Speaking

The R5 is powered by a 220kW 5.0 litre V8 mated to a 5-speed manual transmisson. Large four-wheel ABS discs brakes with twin-pot calipers have also been fitted, along with traction control.

History Repeats

Almost 70 years ago a letter from a farmer's wife prompted the imagination of a young Ford engineer, Lew Bandt. The result was the world's first coupe utility, designed to 'drive to church on Sunday and take the pigs to market on Monday'. The R5 takes the original ute concept to a new level.

SOURCE: Ford