2004 Ford F150 on 2040-cars

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Galpin-Fisker Rocket shows up topless in Monterey

The Rocket Coupe, introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year, was a collaboration in reimagination carried out by designer Henrik Fisker and Galpin Auto Sports on a Ford Mustang. The next version of that concept has come to Pebble Beach in the metallic red form of the Rocket Speedster Concept you see here. In this guise the Mustang convertible gets a speedster tonneau cover that runs all the way to the front seat headrests, covering the back seats. As with the rest of the bodywork the cover is fashioned in carbon fiber, portions of it visible in places like the stripes running along the hood from the hexagonal grill to the tonneau, and the exposed carbon fiber air ducts that are mesh-filled to improve airflow through the cabin. And yes, it still has that nose. Underhood is a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with 725 horsepower, all that cavalry brought to a stop by 15-inch Brembo Gran Turismo brakes up front tucked behind 21-inch custom wheels. Although it is labeled a concept, it too will go into limited production like its hardtop forebear. The press release below has the info, the gallery above has the goods. Related Video: GALPIN FORD AND HENRIK FISKER UNVEIL ROCKET SPEEDSTER CONCEPT AT 2015 PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE Acclaimed Automotive Designer and Visionary Customizer turn the Ultimate Mustang into a Stunning Speedster MONTEREY, Calif. (August 15, 2015) – Galpin Auto Sports and Henrik Fisker unveiled the latest iteration of the "Ultimate American Muscle Car" today at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance; the 2015 Rocket Speedster Concept. Following a short drive onto the legendary Pebble Beach Concept Lawn, Henrik Fisker and Galpin Motors President, Beau Boeckmann introduced the convertible carbon fiber-bodied super-Mustang, intended for low-volume production. The car was featured as one of only a few special designer cars in front the Lodge at Pebble Beach. Featuring a fully integrated carbon fiber speedster cover that transforms the four-seat convertible into a two-seat speedster, this new edition Rocket maintains exceptional visual drama and performance with the top up or down. As with the Rocket Coupe, the Concept carries a carbon fiber hood feeding air into the supercharged 725-hp V8 engine through two sculpted air intakes, aiding the grill and front splitter in maintaining optimal cooling and aerodynamics. Constructed by GFMI Metalcrafters, Inc.

Ford C-Max spot aimed squarely at Cadillac ELR 'Poolside' hubris [UPDATE]

If we had tried to predict the first video response to the controversial Poolside video for the Cadillac ELR, we would not have thought it would center on compost. But, hey, it's always nice to be reminded that the real world is sometimes better than fiction. Instead of the chic swagger of 'Poolside,' 'Anything Is Possible' is all about getting dirty. The new short in question is called Upside: Anything Is Possible and it promotes two things: Detroit Dirt and the Ford C-Max Energi. As in the ELR ad, Ford's plug-in C-Max only makes an appearance at the tail end of the spot, but instead of the chic swagger of Poolside, Anything Is Possible is all about getting dirty. The ad stars Pashon Murray, co-founder of Detroit Dirt, which takes natural waste from around Detroit, composts it into soil and then spreads that around "forgotten parcels" of Detroit to create urban farms. Detroit Dirt gets its bio-waste from a lot of sources, including the Detroit Zoological Society (all that herbivore manure has to go somewhere), Ford and General Motors, but this particular ad was the idea of Ford's PR agency, Team Detroit. It was a frenetic shoot, filmed with an LA-based director right after a big winter storm blew through Detroit, and Murray couldn't be happier with the result. "This was Ford Motor Company pushing my story, letting me tell the story that I believe in," Murray tells AutoblogGreen. "I get to help push this car and I get to tell my story." She says that the Team Detroit and Ford had to agree on the message, "from my understanding, [YouTube] is where they wanted to start, not where they wanted to finish." The ad is already getting a positive response on Twitter, so we won't be surprised if it shows up in more places soon. "It's not saying Ford is better than GM. It's telling the story of a black woman who's working hard in Detroit." As Detroit Dirt has off-screen support from both GM and Ford, it's unsurprising to hear Murray say that the video "is not a rivalry thing." She notes that the ad agency Team Detroit came to her and offered to tell the Detroit Dirt story using the framework of the GM ad. "It's a parody on this commercial, but it's not saying Ford is better than GM," she said. "It's telling the story of a black woman who's working hard in Detroit." What is that story? It's about urban farming, recovery and recycling. Murray tells us that for the last seven or eight years, she's been dedicated to sustainability.

Autoblog Podcast #326

Easter Jeep Safari concepts, Shelby 1000, 2014 Cadillac CTS and Mercedes CLA45 AMG leaks
Episode #326 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth and Zach Bowman talk about this year's Easter Jeep Safari concepts, the 1,200-horsepower Shelby 1000 and leaked images of the 2014 Cadillac CTS and Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG. We wrap with your questions and emails, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #326: