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Nelly and the 2009 Ford Flex: Hip-Hop Customization Continues
The unveiling of the 2009 Flex, Ford’s newest full-size crossover, generated quite a buzz in Atlanta, but it wasn’t until Nelly saw his good friend T-Pain’s recently purchased Flex that his wheels started to turn. Next thing, his people called Ford and the result was a relationship forged for Nelly to customize his own Ford Flex.
Automotive Rhythms was invited to participate in the second design consultation, to see firsthand the results of this relationship. The Ford execs were amped up about getting Nelly to review their execution of his design preferences and requests per the initial consultation. Melvin Betancourt, Ford design manager, oversees all customizations working directly with Nelly and Funkmaster Flex. Betancourt was responsible for explaining the execution of Nelly’s design choices during the consultation and in Betancourt’s own words, “the experience of working on Nelly’s car has been fun. You don’t get to do customizations like this every day. It’s forced us, Ford, to raise the bar.” Funkmaster Flex, Ford’s resident “Hip-Hop guru of car customization,” also played a part in the relationship between Nelly and Ford having coined the Ford Flex the next “Urban Street Vehicle.”
Nelly was well spoken and extremely well versed in automotive verbiage, technologies and trends - he knew what he wanted and was clear about what he thought of Ford’s efforts thus far. The Flex already pushes the envelope in terms of fusion of style, size and functionality. Although the look of the Flex is a little reminiscent of the Scion xB, when asked what about the Flex appealed to him, Nelly responded, “the uniqueness of the concept felt like an extension of myself. I endeavor to step outside the box and not always take the straight and narrow and I felt as though the Flex represented that.”
And as cool as the Flex already is, Ford worked around the clock to as one Ford exec put it, “blow Nelly away” at the final unveiling which took place in Las Vegas at the 2008 SEMA show, the Mecca of custom car shows. After seeing their concept, I am admittedly that much more excited about what is yet to come. The exterior color, a must-have for Nelly, is one of the most eye-catching shades of blue I’ve ever seen. The interior leather seat piping matches the exterior color.
So I asked Nelly a few questions:
Do you recall that feeling that first came over you when you laid eyes on the Flex?
“When you see something as unique as the Flex is, you gotta have it and to be able to customize it to fit my personal tastes, is the best of both worlds. I like things that stick out. I never wanna feel as though I’m entrapped in what’s called normalcy and the Flex affords me that freedom. I never want to feel as though I’m walking a dotted line but on the flipside, I don’t want to feel as though I’m doing anything that is disgraceful to myself.”
Is there any one feature that stands out more so than any other?
“The look and versatility of it. If you see it from the front, you might not realize how grand it is. The space and the roominess of the interior. And it’s hard to find cars that bridge the generation gap because car-buyers are getting younger these days.”
The Flex also features a third row. What do you intend to do with all that space?
“I have two children and a niece and a nephew. My son plays football and he has a team so I spend many a weeknight carting him and everyone around to practice and wherever else.”
So will we likely see you behind the wheel?
“I think the one thing Hip-Hop has brought to entertainment life is being grounded. It’s not just about spending money. Yeah Monday you may catch me in Louis Vuitton or Gucci but on Wednesday, I’ll be in Wal-Mart. You may drive your Flex on Thursday and be cruising in your Bentley on Friday. It’s just about being comfortable.”
How confident are you that Ford will follow-through and execute your preferences?
“Consumers are craving something new but oftentimes automotive companies tend to be loyal to their base customer and don’t necessarily embrace taking risks. I am excited simply because Ford has introduced something new and different. As far as my level of confidence, I don’t think they have any choice. Thus far, I’ve been pleased.”
As much as Nelly is endeavoring to set himself apart, it won’t be in vain. There are few automobiles on the road at this moment that match the unique qualities and cutting-edge technology of the Flex. Is the new Flex for you? That’s a question you’ll have to answer on your own, but one person who knows his answer is Nelly.
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