Unlike the SAV concept--Ford's 2005 Geneva auto show exercise unveiled earlier this year--the swoopy Ford Iosis concept is quite far from production-ready. The sedan with gull-wing doors and intricate and expensive details is said to be a preview of the "kinetic design" direction that future European Fords will embody. Hints of Scion tC design lurk in the Iosis's face, and there's an uncanny resemblance to the Aston Martin Vanquish from the side. The lines of the roof remind us of sleek four-door "coupes" such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS. It looks like the Iosis's interior designers had a lot of fun creating the technologically ambitious, orange and silver cabin. We like the concept overall; if Ford of Europe takes these spirited design cues into production, we hope that paves the way for a time when the American market won't have to suffer through bland-looking Ford vehicles such as the Five Hundred and the Crown Victoria. Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's design head, said, "This hints at the future direction of Ford design--it's really my first chance to show my hand." He told us that while it is a concept, it uses the SAV architecture, which "shows how far we can stretch the platform. It is fully crash engineered and can take a full range of our engines, including the Volvo V-8."