The 2013 Ford Fusion garnered a lot of attention when it debuted in Detroit last month. Bo Beuckman Ford might go so far as to say it stole the show. Not that we're surprised. Nor we were surprised to hear that Ford is tweaking the Fusion to be NASCAR ready.

Not so long ago, stock cars were production cars modified by the racers themselves. These days, however, stock cars don't usually have much in common with their street legal counterparts. But NASCAR is asking the automakers creating their stock cars to create more of a firm brand identity. And with that, you can expect that the 2013 Fusion NASCAR racecar is an embodiment of Ford - and it will look very much like the Fusions parked in driveways around America.

According to Ford Racing Director, Jamie Allison, Ford "wanted Fusion to be the car that helped return 'stock car' to NASCAR." He went on to say that they're expecting fans to embrace this change, "because there is just something natural about seeing racecars that look like cars in their driveways."¹ Imagine all the people who will want to test drive a new Fusion at Bo Beuckman Ford if it's the very same car that wins the Sprint Cup?

It's important to note that your street legal Ford Fusion, with a fuel-efficient four-cylinder Ecoboost engine, isn't intended for racing. It's powerful and fun-to-drive, absolutely. But, underneath the hood of the NASCAR Fusion, you'll find a powerful V8 engine on a rear-wheel drive platform. Ford also modified it for safety reasons - with a tubular steel chassis.

Like we said, the new 2013 Fusion generated quite a bit of buzz in Detroit, so we're sure it will win over racing fans around the country without skipping a beat. Want to see why? Stop by and see us this summer at Bo Beuckman Ford, 15675 Manchester Rd Ellisville, MO 63011 to take one for a spin. Or, contact us via our website at your convenience to arrange your test drive or learn more about any of the forthcoming 2013 Ford models.

Source: ¹http://www.insideline.com/ford/fusion/2013/ford-to-debut-2013-nascar-fusion.html