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Will the new Ford GT race at Le Mans?

Ford stole the spotlight here on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show this year with the reveal of the new GT. Its carbon-fiber chassis, 600-plus-horsepower EcoBoost engine and radical aerodynamic shape made sure of that, but flanking it with the debuts of the Mustang GT350R and F-150 Raptor didn't hurt any, either. Any racing fan looking at the new Blue Oval supercar, however, had to wonder whether Dearborn is planning on putting it on the race track. The House that Hank Built is, after all, a known entity in motor racing. It may be canceling its V8 Supercars program Down Under, withdrawn its support from the World Rally Championship, and it's been years since it's competed in Formula One or Indy. But it still competes in the United SportsCar Championship, NASCAR, NHRA and a variety of motor racing disciplines. One of its most famous and celebrated of racing endeavors, however, came in the form of the original GT40 that brought Ford four consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, starting with a dominant one-two-three finish in 1966. It's the 50th anniversary of that landmark win which the new Ford GT celebrates, but while the press materials made clear reference to that historical event, any mention of a return as was previously speculated was carefully omitted. That, according to Autosport, could come down purely to the ACO, the organizers of the event and sanctioning body for its associated series, which has yet to announce the revised format for the GTE class under which a potential Ford GT racer would compete in 2016. Longtime Ford racing partner Multimatic is said to have closely consulted with the ACO on the formation of those rules, however, and assuming they're finally formulated to Dearborn's liking, we could be looking at a GTE-spec Ford GT to return to La Sarthe next year in celebration of that landmark victory half a century prior. Chip Ganassi Racing – which races under Chevy power in NASCAR and Indy but recently switched to Ford for its Daytona Prototype – is said to be in line to field the car on Dearborn's behalf. If given the green light, it would be the first time Ford would field a factory effort at Le Mans since the C100 project under the Group C category in the early 1980s. A racing version of the previous Ford GT was prepared by Switzerland-based Matech a few years ago, but without factory support or notable success beyond the FIA GT3 European Championship.

Ford Focus ST checks into Jay Leno's Garage

In a change of pace from the high-end vehicles that often appear in Jay Leno's Garage, Ford sends its hottest hatchback (in the US, at least), the 252-horsepower Focus ST, to be featured on Leno's show. Accompanying the five-door hatch is its chief engineer, Jamal Hameedi.
Riding on stylish 18-inch wheels with summer tires and with a spoiler that doubles as a lunch tray, Hameedi and Leno walk us through the finer points of what makes the ST special, which also includes bigger brakes, torque vectoring, a manual transmission and, of course, 252 hp and 270 pound-feet of torque from the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, which is made possible by 21 psi of turbocharged boost.
Watch the video below to see what Leno thinks of the global Focus ST.

Weekly Recap: Ford GT inspires guitar, foosball table, sailboat

Ford design vice president Moray Callum had just wrapped up a briefing on the interior of the Ford GT last month, but something seemed out of place. He grinned and pointed behind him, "You might be wondering why I have a boat behind me," he said mischievously. It was there because Ford set its designers on a mission to stretch and showcase their talents: design non-automotive objects inspired by the interior of the GT supercar. Callum received quite a response, too. His team produced a guitar, a foosball table (yeah bro!), a racing sailboat, a Wi-Fi speaker and some furniture. As the veteran design chief explained, "It's a really great exercise both to highlight our designers' talents, but also to really see how our design philosophy can work and how you can use it and get a common response back from a worldwide design team." Guitar View 25 Photos The objects have been on display this week at the Salone del Mobile furniture and fashion design fair in Milan, Italy, where Ford has had a presence for three years. There's also a light exhibition that apparently was inspired by the GT, as well. While this might seem a little far-fetched for the automaker, Ford said exhibitions like the Salone del Mobile give its designers another way to be creative and ultimately produce striking interior style. Ford wants this to be a differentiator, as research shows consumers are placing emphasis on the layout and features inside when they're making a decision about buying a new car. It's a little light hearted – but it's also potentially big business. Other News & Notes Cadillac CT6 platform could be used for Buick General Motors product chief Mark Reuss said the Cadillac CT6 platform could be used for a large Buick, though "not yet," Automotive News reported. The underpinnings can accommodate rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and would give Buick the large flagship it lacks. The report jibes with comments Reuss made at a roundtable with Autoblog and other reporters at the New York Auto Show. When asked if Buick had space for a large car on the CT6 chassis, he replied, "Yeah, I think it does. Yeah, I think we do." Buick has revamped its lineup in recent years with attractive crossovers and small and midsize sedans, but hasn't added the proverbial flagship that's yearned for by enthusiasts. Buick surprised industry observers with the stylish Avenir concept at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year that raised the possibility of a halo sedan.