2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Xl Sport Utility 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Court puts kibosh on apartheid lawsuit against Ford, Daimler

Ford and Daimler have scored a major victory in a long-running lawsuit filed in US federal court by unnamed South African nationals. The suit alleges that both manufacturers and their subsidiaries sold their vehicles to the South African military, despite knowing that they'd be involved in violently putting down anti-apartheid protesters.
According to Reuters, South African plaintiffs filed the case under the 223-year-old Alien Torts Statute, a law which allows foreign nationals to file charges in US courts for perceived breaches of what was originally international law, but now more closely relates to violations of human rights.
And while the case - which also involves computer manufacturer IBM - has been tied up in federal courts for years, a recent case from the Supreme Court struck down a similar suit against Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell), arguing that the ATS doesn't apply to corporations or to conduct if it occurred outside the US. In short, the law applies to individuals, but not corporations like Ford or Daimler. A US appeals court ruled that the conditions apply in this case, potentially drawing this long-running saga to a close, as the defendants will now be allowed to request that the case be dismissed in district court.

Ford Mustang GT350 seen and heard in motion for the first time

We just recently saw our first spy shots of the next-gen hi-po Ford Mustang slated to replace the Shelby GT500, but now we're getting our first look - and listen - of prototypes captured on video. Mustang6g.com has the video (along with some different spy shots), which show that, if nothing else, SVT knows how to tune an exhaust system. The :50 mark is a good example of this, but fast-forward to around 2:00 where the driver revs the engine and really gets on the throttle hard taking off from a stop.
There's still no definitive evidence that the next-gen SVT Mustang - said to be called GT350 - will be naturally aspirated, but it sounds just as menacing as the current Shelby GT500. While the video posted below exhibits the sort of quality that is to be expected from someone driving while trying to film someone who is attempting to elude being filmed, it's still exciting to see and hear this new Mustang in motion.

Watch Tanner Foust hustle the Fiesta ST 'round the 'Ring

The last time we saw Tanner Foust at the Nürburgring he was sloshing an SVT Raptor from kerb to kerb. Sticking with Ford but swapping keys, this time the drift champion and Top Gear USA host goes to the opposite end of the manufacturer's tuner garage and plucks a Fiesta ST for 'Ring duty.
The 179-horsepower front-wheel-driver acquits itself well by the end of the video. But be warned, Foust doesn't set a 'Ring time and it's shot like a commercial... because that's what it is. Still, you can enjoy all two minutes and 31 seconds of it below.