Vantastic Ford Transit Concepts

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January 3, 2007 Though Ford’s Transit Van has now been around since 1965, it’s very much like Grandpa’s axe, in that the head has been replaced many times and the handle many more than that. With the seventh complete redesign of the classic workhorse, Ford picked up the International Van of the Year 2007 and the euphoria of the win seems to have inspired some remarkable custom engineering from Ford Europe's Commercial Vehicle development team. Two stunning new Transit-based concepts have resulted: one is the Transit XXL, a stretched Transit Tourneo passenger vehicle and the other is the Transit X-Press, a modified version of the normally sedate Connect model fitted with the power train, suspension and brakes of Ford’s high-performance Focus RS. Remarkably, neither are planned for production, though we’d warrant the queue would stretch further than the XXL. Perhaps lobbying your local Ford dealer might help convince them that their engineers are indeed not bonkers, but have identified a lucrative niche market.

The Transit XXL

Designed and built by the Transit team at Dunton as a special project, Transit XXL uses 'off the shelf' Ford Transit components throughout. It is based on two short wheel base Transit Tourneo models which have been meticulously joined together to deliver a bespoke limousine that carries the driver plus seven passengers in full 'first class' comfort.

Every passenger benefits from a leather-trimmed, seven-way fully adjustable Transit 'Captain's Seat' complete with heating, lumbar adjustment and armrest. As you would expect, legroom and shoulder room are extensive!

This one-off vehicle has been designed to further demonstrate the Ford Transit's flexibility and capabilities. It measures 7.4 metres in length and has a wheelbase of 5.9 metres. This compares to the standard Tourneo length of almost 4.9 metres and wheelbase of 2.9 metres.

Transit XXL also features four full sliding doors – two on each side – while the entire vehicle benefits from privacy glass allowing occupants to be transported in appropriate anonymity. The four opening side doors of the Transit XXL are complemented by the fact that it's a right hand drive van. When used in left hand drive countries, the Transit XXL driver can stop at the kerbside and be ready quickly to help passengers get in to or out of the vehicle – something that drivers of long limousine vehicles understand and appreciate.

The interior also features a fully fitted carpet made from the standard Tourneo item, and a floor to roof carpeted bulkhead behind the rearmost pair of seats which creates a separate luggage compartment accessible only through the tailgate-style rear door.

Passenger comfort is maximised through the use of front and rear air conditioning, with the rear being controlled via the passenger compartment making this literally the coolest Transit to travel in.

The team isn't finished yet, and has plans to install a full in-vehicle entertainment system, including DVD player and games consoles, with individual monitors.

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