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The big dune jump and the damage done

The Silver Lake sand dunes see their fair share of well-built trophy trucks executing impressive jumps. Drivers build insane pieces of machinery for the express purpose of sailing through the air like mad men and women.
Mike Higgins is no stranger to the area. His heavily modified Ford trophy truck has gone flying through the sky on more than one occasion, but he recently bit off more than he could chew. After hitting a particularly lofty dune, Higgins went airborne for a ridiculous 180 feet before becoming intimately familiar with the finer points of gravity.
While Higgins nailed the jump, his landing fell short of wowing the judges. The impact very nearly broke his truck in two. Despite the mechanical mayhem, the driver walked away without a scratch, proving that occasionally miracles really do happen. You can check out the jump and the subsequent destruction below for yourself. Be warned: there's a fair bit of foul language.

Ford profits soar as problems mount

Ford is doing well. It can't make enough examples of its new Fusion, it can barely make enough of the aging F-150, it's getting good brand rankings, people like its turnaround story, it's selling oodles of product and its quarterly profit numbers end in the word "billion." As other high-flying examples have demonstrated over the past few years, though, big numbers can come with problems that aren't exactly small.
Automotive News has published a good "nutshell" report of Ford's progress and problems. The Dearborn automaker's optimistic "general label rule" determination of gas mileage for the C-Max Hybrid has led to lawsuits, hybrid software updates, a downward revision of C-Max fuel economy and millions in rebates. AN notes the C-Max was the "worst-scoring model in this year's J.D. Power Initial Quality Study," but Ford will probably be happy that it managed not to be mentioned further in the study's results after last year's mediocre showing. Its MyTouch and SYNC systems, the bugbears sabotaging Ford's J.D. Power results, have also led to lawsuits, software updates, more software updates and a center console rethink. On top of that, the 1.6-liter EcoBoost in the 2013 Ford Escape that Ford called a "hero" was soon catching fire for three different reasons. And let's not even get into the troubled launch of the Lincoln MKZ.
The Automotive News piece notes that industry observers have been surprised at Ford's stumbles because everything has been looking so good. Nevertheless, there is still the issue of those billions in profits - the company is doing plenty of things, plural, right. Ford says it is tackling its problems, hiring engineers and instituting new quality control processes as part of its effort to find solutions. The test will be to see if in a year from now we begin the discussion of these issues with "Remember when Ford...", or "Problems continue at The Blue Oval."

Ford Fiesta banned from SCCA autocrossing because of rollover risk

Autocross can be a great way to break into motorsports, especially at SCCA events that allow run-of-the-mill, street-legal vehicles to be run through the cones in parking lots across the country. But while a wide array of vehicles are eligible, not every one is. And now the Ford Fiesta has been removed from the list of qualifying vehicles in the Sports Car Club of America's Street category for solo events. The removal of the Fiesta was publicized in the latest issue of the SCCA's Fastrack News bulletin, which stated that, due to roll-over risk, Fiestas "do not meet the requirements and are to be removed" from the HS category of eligible vehicles. H Stock (or HS for short) is the lowest category of vehicles certified by the SCCA for use in sanctioned events. The disqualification applies to Fiestas from the 2011 model year onwards, and does not apply to the Fiesta ST, which remains eligible. Of course the Fiesta isn't the only model deemed ineligible for SCCA autocross events. According to Jalopnik, other small hatchbacks and crossovers including the Dodge Caliber, Fiat 500, Scion xB and iQ, Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman are also prohibited from competition. We've reached out to both Ford and the SCCA for clarification on the issue, and will issue an update if and when we receive any substantial information.