What is it?
Ford Prodigy
What's special about it?
As a hybrid-electric family sedan, the Prodigy is a rolling showcase of Ford technology and know-how, giving consumers a glimpse of the future today. Prodigy gets 78 miles per gallon from a 1.2-liter diesel four-cylinder engine mated to a small electric motor. Combined, this propulsion system supplies 121 horsepower to Prodigy's front wheels. When stopped in traffic or braking, the diesel engine shuts down to conserve fuel, and the car operates solely on the electric motor. The diesel cranks back to life within a quarter second of the driver depressing the accelerator. To ensure that the meager supply of oomph is adequate enough to haul a family sedan around, Ford threw out the stops in designing a lightweight, and in our opinion, extremely attractive package for this unique powerplant. Using extensive amounts of aluminum, with healthy doses of carbon fiber, magnesium and titanium thrown in for good measure, engineers managed to keep the curb weight down to 2,387 pounds -- roughly 1,000 pounds less than your average Taurus. Additionally, a super-low .19 coefficient of drag adds 4 mpg to the tally. Side-mounted cameras and onboard monitors replace sideview mirrors, and the grille is shuttered unless cool air is required under the hood. A variable ride height and undercar panels also help to reduce drag. Furthermore, the transmission shifts like a manual on the mechanical end, but from the driver's seat, it operates like an automatic, allowing Prodigy to transparently maximize efficiency.
Why should I care?
Domestic automakers are behind the curve with regard to user-friendly hybrid technology, so in that regard, Prodigy is old news. Ford won't have an affordable, production hybrid until 2003, yet Toyota's Prius arrives this summer and Honda's admittedly tiny Insight is already on the road. What's really important about Prodigy is the styling. Just when you think that J. Mays has lost his marbles (see 24-7 concept), he stuns with this Audi A6 knockoff shod with gorgeous 19-inch wheels. If this represents the direction Ford design is headed, he's worth every penny.
Ford Prodigy
What's special about it?
As a hybrid-electric family sedan, the Prodigy is a rolling showcase of Ford technology and know-how, giving consumers a glimpse of the future today. Prodigy gets 78 miles per gallon from a 1.2-liter diesel four-cylinder engine mated to a small electric motor. Combined, this propulsion system supplies 121 horsepower to Prodigy's front wheels. When stopped in traffic or braking, the diesel engine shuts down to conserve fuel, and the car operates solely on the electric motor. The diesel cranks back to life within a quarter second of the driver depressing the accelerator. To ensure that the meager supply of oomph is adequate enough to haul a family sedan around, Ford threw out the stops in designing a lightweight, and in our opinion, extremely attractive package for this unique powerplant. Using extensive amounts of aluminum, with healthy doses of carbon fiber, magnesium and titanium thrown in for good measure, engineers managed to keep the curb weight down to 2,387 pounds -- roughly 1,000 pounds less than your average Taurus. Additionally, a super-low .19 coefficient of drag adds 4 mpg to the tally. Side-mounted cameras and onboard monitors replace sideview mirrors, and the grille is shuttered unless cool air is required under the hood. A variable ride height and undercar panels also help to reduce drag. Furthermore, the transmission shifts like a manual on the mechanical end, but from the driver's seat, it operates like an automatic, allowing Prodigy to transparently maximize efficiency.
Why should I care?
Domestic automakers are behind the curve with regard to user-friendly hybrid technology, so in that regard, Prodigy is old news. Ford won't have an affordable, production hybrid until 2003, yet Toyota's Prius arrives this summer and Honda's admittedly tiny Insight is already on the road. What's really important about Prodigy is the styling. Just when you think that J. Mays has lost his marbles (see 24-7 concept), he stuns with this Audi A6 knockoff shod with gorgeous 19-inch wheels. If this represents the direction Ford design is headed, he's worth every penny.
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