1989 Ford Mustang Lx on 2040-cars

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Ford reveals concept trucks that ultimately became Atlas

The Ford Atlas Concept was one of the quiet success stories of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, and now Ford has given us a quick glimpse as to how that creation came to be. Designers actually combined two early sketches to build the Atlas. One, called the Bullet Train, is a futuristic, aerodynamic creation, while the other, aptly named the Locomotive, features the squared off proportions we're familiar with.
Once designers settled on the truck's proportions, they began nailing down exactly which attributes they wanted the final design to have. The Concept's notched windshield originated as a forked glass roof that seamlessly transitioned into the windscreen.
Likewise, designers wanted to fit the truck's tailgate with a storage compartment for tools and a first aid kit, but settled on the dual-purpose step/cargo cradle. Interestingly enough, the concept's active aero shutter wheels actually originated in some of the earliest sketches. Check out the photos and slides here for a closer look.

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.

F-150 just the start of Ford's aluminum plans

Not only have we been told that the 2015 Ford F-150 is tougher, more durable and up to 700 pounds lighter than the current truck, Ford COO Mark Fields said it's also "CAFE-positive." That means, for the first time in the history of corporate average fuel economy standards, the F-150 would be a positive contributor on Ford's CAFE balance sheet instead of being a vehicle it needs to counterbalance with frugal offerings.
Fields' comments made at the Detroit Auto Show were among quotes from other Ford execs that confirmed the carmaker will be using aluminum for more of its vehicles. CEO Alan Mulally said it would "proliferate across our lineup," with speculation being that we'll see it applied to crossover and sport utility models first, since they'll benefit the most. Even gaining the massive scale of using aluminum on the world's best selling vehicle for its first effort - on average, the company sells two times as many F-150s in a single day as Land Rover sells of its aluminum Range Rover in a month - Ford will be looking to further spread the cost of its five-year development investment in aluminum technology. And that should mean better handling and fuel economy for those of us who don't need to wear hardhats at the office.