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Hertz goes Dutch with Ford Focus ST-H

Want to take a performance car for a ride? Hertz can make that happen. Spin by your local rental location (depending, of course, on availability) and you can take out a Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, even a Corvette as part of the Adrenaline Collection. Hertz's Dream Cars lineup even includes Porsches and AMGs. But the really interesting stuff is what you can't get anywhere else: cars built specifically for Hertz.
Back in 1966, Hertz had Ford cook up a special run of Mustang GT350H models in back with gold stripes. It became an icon in and of itself, and in 2008 Hertz had a new batch of Shelby GT-Hs made. Earlier this year, Hertz contracted Penske to deliver another fleet of specially-built Mustangs you can rent. But if your travel plans include a trip to the Netherlands, Hertz has a completely different type of specially-prepared Ford on offer for you.
Back in August, Ford delivered a couple of Focus STs made specifically for Hertz in Holland. Now it's expanded that fleet even further. The Ford Focus ST-H features the same 252-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four (and everything else) as the standard Focus ST, but gets that signature black exterior with gold stripes and a black leather interior with Recaro buckets. So in case a trip to Amsterdam doesn't hold enough thrills, now you can throw a hot hatch into the mix as well. Scope out the press release (in Dutch - isn't that weird?) below.

2015 Ford Mustang earns Five Stars from NHTSA [w/video]

We already know that the latest Ford Mustang is a pretty potent pony car in terms of its performance potential, but according to the government, it's a safe choice too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released its New Car Assessment Program crash test results for the 2015 'Stang coupe, and it came away with top five-star overall ratings in every evaluation. The Mustang received a five-star overall score and five stars for its frontal, side and rollover ratings. The only minor ding was a four-star result just for the backseat in a side barrier crash. According to NHTSA, "Although not included in the star rating, the rear passenger's thoracic rib deflection was elevated." You can check out the full NCAP evaluation, here. According to Ford, the latest Mustang has twice as many airbags and crash sensors as the outgoing model. NHTSA also likes that the pony car offers a rearview camera and forward collision warning – two of the technologies that the agency recommends buyers getting for added safety. Watch the car crash in the video below. 2015 MUSTANG EARNS HIGHEST VEHICLE SAFETY RATING FROM NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awards the all-new 2015 Mustang a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in its New Car Assessment Program All-new Mustang has twice as many airbags, twice as many peripheral crash sensors and additional pretensioning safety belt technology compared to the outgoing model The new Mustang is the first car to offer four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines that each produce at least 300 horsepower – a 300-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, a more powerful 435-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, and an all-new 310-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 11, 2015 – The 2015 Ford Mustang received a top safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The 2015 Mustang earned a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing. The New Car Assessment Program is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's evaluation program for new vehicle designs established to test for performance against safety threats. Now on sale at Ford dealers, the all-new 2015 Mustang received five stars in the frontal crash test, five stars in the side crash test and five stars in the rollover crash test. "The new Mustang was built from the ground up," said Carl Widmann, Mustang chief engineer.

Tanner Foust tackles 'Ring in SVT Raptor

Here's a math problem: if Tanner Foust has a 24 hours to kill in Germany and one blue Ford Raptor, how long will it take him to decide he wants to lap The Nürburgring? Extra credit if you can get your answer precise to the millisecond.
A very truck-like and slidey lap of the 'Ring is exactly what happened when the Ford-sponsored rallycross driver took time off from set-up duties for his 'day job.' Thankfully no one even thought to worry about posting a time, but you can watch some Raptor skid marks getting laid down between the kerbs in the video below.