Cars Wars with Funkmaster Flex: Part II







DEARBORN, Mich. , May 15, 2007 -- Ford is teaming up with radio and TV personality Funkmaster Flex for the second season of his reality TV series, "Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex."


Season two of "Car Wars" debuts Sunday, May 20, 2007 and will chronicle the real life drama of four customizers competing in a six-week race to customize a 2007 Ford Expedition.


"I thought it would be a great idea to match the hottest car customizers in the country with the hottest SUV, the 2007 Ford Expedition," said Funkmaster Flex, widely respected as the hip hop guru of car customization. "Car Wars is going to capture the blood, the sweat, and the tears of these guys as they each try to balance their passion for cars with their complex personal lives."



The four featured customizers will compete against each other to win the "Ford Best in Show" award and a grand prize of $50,000. The show, produced by Monica Taylor Enterprises Inc., will air at 1:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2 for six consecutive weeks. All six episodes will be available for viewing online at www.FordUrban.com.



Ford also will air a new Ford Expedition television commercial during "Car Wars" episodes. Produced by UniWorld Group Inc., the commercial features Flex as host of an "Expedition Challenge" with the Chevrolet Suburban to see which vehicle owner can stow their third-row seat the fastest. The commercial is based on the "Ford Challenge" campaign that is already delivering sales success. Expedition has experienced eight consecutive months of sales increases since the new model launched last fall.



To further engage the viewing audience, each episode will promote a national sweepstakes to win the 2008 Ford Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition, the new limited-edition vehicle that will be available at dealerships this Fall. Viewers will be encouraged to log onto www.WinAFlexExpedition.com to enter to win. In addition, attendees of the 2007 Funkmaster Flex Custom Car & Bike Show Tour will also have a chance to enter to win onsite, where all four of the "Car Wars" contestant's customized Expeditions will be on display at each of the remaining tour stops. One overall sweepstakes winner will be announced in July.



"Funkmaster Flex has been a great partner for Ford. He's brought us so many opportunities to connect us with young urban consumers," said Michael Laquere, Ford SUV Marketing Communications Manager. "We've done some product placement in Flex's other TV shows,

but when he pitched the "Car Wars" concept to us, it was a unique opportunity to connect our Expedition product launch with Flex's passionate audience of car customizers and enthusiasts."



Ford research shows that nearly half of all new-vehicle buyers are adding unique touches to their vehicles and Expedition is no exception. Modifications to the Expedition are as diverse as the needs of buyers -- from adding touches for increased urban street appeal, to adding additional off-road capability, to custom cargo storage. Funkmaster Flex, a major influence in hip hop culture, has developed a fan base of young urban automotive enthusiasts who take pride in their personal style. Their vehicle often defines their lifestyle.



"Music is my life but cars are my passion," said Funkmaster Flex. "I'm excited about partnering with Ford on my new show "Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex." I'm equally excited about getting the fans involved to show their passion, energy and dedication."





Press release via Ford