2011 Ford Ranger 4x4, Gray Metallic, 10k Miles, Remote Start, Homelink, Alpine on 2040-cars

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2015 Ford Mustang invades SEMA, led by King Cobra

Ford showcased more than a dozen customized 2015 Mustangs at its sprawling 20,000-square foot display this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center as the iconic pony car's 50th anniversary celebration continued at the SEMA Show.
While Mustangs are always a hot commodity at SEMA, the new generation brought increased attention from the aftermarket, as builders like Galpin Auto Sports, Richard Petty's Garage and Vaughn Gittin Jr. offered their takes on the new 'Stang.
The extensive display included a range of Mustangs from mild to wild, with everything from a 600-plus horsepower King Cobra pictured at the top, to paint-and-wheel packages. The new regal Cobra, which we spied early in our SEMA adventure this year, may not be the replacement for the Cobra Jet as we speculated, but it does seem to point the way forward for the next iteration of a supreme Ford dragster. Fat drag slicks out back make it's reason for being abundantly clear, and for tells us that modded car is good for a 10.97-second quarter-mile run.

Ford Mustang GT Bi-Fuel CNG

Highly intrigued, we recently visited a Southern California Gas Company office to check out several hybrid vehicles promising something new. Unlike more commonplace gasoline-electric hybrids, we were there to evaluate innovative gasoline-compressed natural gas (CNG) hybrids - yes, they run on unleaded gasoline and compressed natural gas. According to the experts on hand, this arrangement delivers extended range and reduced emissions while chipping in with lower operating costs than pure-gasoline vehicles. There are advantages over its gasoline-electric counterparts, as well.
The program is part of a three-way collaboration between The Carlab, a Southern California-based automotive consulting firm, Landi Renzo USA, a company specializing in alternative fuel solutions, and America's Natural Gas Alliance, a group that promotes CNG. Long story short, the team has engineered a way to allow a modified internal combustion vehicle to seamlessly switch between two fuels (gasoline and CNG) with no driver intervention. In theory, and if it works as well as promised, it's a win-win for the vehicle owner and the environment.
Parked at the Gas Company office were six different gasoline-CNG hybrid vehicles. To demonstrate the technology's versatility (just about any gasoline vehicle may be modified) Carlab brought a varied assortment of bodystyles, each from a different automaker. After taking a quick glance at the half-dozen in the parking lot, we made a beeline for the performance-oriented Ford Mustang GT - a 2012 model - with the six-speed manual gearbox.

Autoblog joins Elon Musk and Danica Patrick in accepting ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Unless you've been living in an off-the-grid cabin in the woods for the last couple of weeks or abstain entirely from social media activities, you've probably seen someone you know dump a bucket of ice and water over their own head recently. While the origins of the so-called Ice Bucket Challenge are shrouded in a history typical of Internet memes, its effectiveness in raising money and awareness for the ALS Association has been astonishing.
Celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, sports, technology and more have generated untold millions of video views in support of the organization that is helping patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease), and generated a much needed influx of cash, as well. Recent reports have some $15.6M raised in the last two weeks.
Of course, the big-hearted world of automotive celebrities has taken part in the drenching charity effort as well. Follow on below for some of the biggest names on four wheels getting iced for charity, with a smattering of your favorite Autobloggers thrown in for good measure.