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Car Club USA: Louisiana Mudfest

There's nothing quite like mudding. Big tires, huge power, and crazy-wild gearheads that like to throw down on a mud pit almost as much as a thirty rack of Coors. In the latest, and some might argue greatest yet episode of Car Club USA, we head to Louisiana to throw some dirt at Mudfest. As Louisiana's one and only Mouth of the South puts it, "If you don't mud ride... go to Texas I guess." Joining The Mouth and friendly rivals The Most Hated Mud Sluts, we dive in. Beyond the obvious V8 blasting and tractor-tire spinning, those who know best describe Mudfest as, "Good cooking, good friends, good fun, and a lot of partying." It's a motorsport spectacle unlike any you're likely to find up North or out West, though no less impressive to behold. Follow along with the fun, the impromptu drag racing, the trash talking, and the mechanical madness. And find out why, at Mudfest, "if we don't tear it up, we ain't done it right." Each Car Club USA episode features a different car club or event from across the US, where passionate owner communities gather to share automotive experiences and embark on incredible adventures. From Main Street cruises to off-road trails, catch all the latest car club activity on Autoblog. Chevrolet Ford Jeep RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles Car Club USA Videos autoblog black

Ford will keep Escape and MKC plant open an extra week to meet demand

Crossovers keep selling like popular pastries, and for Ford, that means it needs to keep production going. The company announced that, rather than the usual two-week shutdown, its Louisville, Ky., assembly plant will be open for one of those weeks. The plant builds the Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC, which Ford reports have had record sales. According to Ford, Escape sales through May are up 3 percent, and MKC sales are up 10 percent compared with last year. In total, the Escape has sold about 130,000 units through May, and the MKC has sold around 11,000. Keeping the Louisville plant open will allow the company to build an additional 8,500 vehicles. Ford stated that all other assembly plants will continue with the two-week shutdown as scheduled. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Ford Escape: First Drive View 24 Photos Image Credit: Drew Phillips Plants/Manufacturing Ford Lincoln Crossover SUV Economy Cars Luxury lincoln mkc

Ford Focus RS will go global, come to US

"We are transforming our approach to performance." – Mark Fields Ford will launch a new high-performance Focus RS around the world, including the United States, company CEO Mark Fields confirmed at a press conference Thursday morning. It is expected to debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show, though launch timing is unclear. "We are transforming our approach to performance," Fields said. The RS will serve as a hotter variant of the Focus, which will be redesigned next year as part of Ford's 16 product launches. Our spy photographers have already captured images of a purported RS, which you can see above. Ford last sold a Focus RS in Europe in 2009, and it continues the long lineage of RS-badged performance cars, which dates to 1968. "The RS has a significant heritage and pedigree," Ford product chief Raj Nair said. The Focus RS will slot above the Focus ST, which will continue, a spokesman said. The ST runs a turbocharged, 252-horsepower four-cylinder that's paired with a six-speed manual transmission. It also has chassis and design upgrades to reinforce its athletic dynamics. The most recent intel suggests that the new RS could use Ford's 2.3-liter turbo-four, tuned to anywhere from 325 to 350 hp. All-wheel drive is also rumored to be part of the new RS formula. Meanwhile, Ford announced it is putting all of its sporty units under the umbrella name of "Ford Performance," which will be led by Mustang chief engineer Dave Pericak. Ford Performance will include Ford Racing, SVT (which is responsible for the Raptor and Shelby GT350) and RS. "We're changing Ford's performance business," Nair said. Ford is placing a renewed emphasis on performance, as the customers tend to be younger, wealthier and better educated, Nair said. In other news, Nair said the company is working on a Raptor version of the new, aluminum-bodied F-150, which launched this year. "I want to get it out as quickly as we can," he said.