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1947 Chevy rat rod pickup leaves rubber and smoke in its wake

Cool comes in multiple flavors. One one hand, we have the sophisticated attraction of svelte design and the efficient use of power. Of course, on the other hand there is the allure of being the bad boy and going against the grain. That is part of the appeal of rat rods. Ideally, they are built without rules to an owner's specific tastes, and this widened and heavily modified 1947 Chevrolet pickup rod is a perfect example of that spirit.
Coming down the highway with a bent grille, rusted body and pouring smoke, it looks like the pickup from hell. It backs up the looks with some very impressive mechanicals too. Owner Troy Gubser says that the truck packs a Ford Power Stroke diesel with to 42 pounds of boost that runs out of 8-inch exhaust stacks at the back. He claims it managed 505 horsepower and 885 pound-feet of torque on the dyno. To harness all that power, this hot rod has a ZF five-speed manual gearbox with a ceramic clutch and short-throw shifter. Plus, it has cool little features like a doorbell on the tailgate that operates an air horn.
You might not expect a truck like this to actually be useful, but it has a fifth wheel coupling to haul an RV around drag races and car shows. The air suspension also probably keeps the ride fairly comfy when Gubser wants it to be. Scroll down to check out this beastly rat rod pickup and watch it engage in some diesel drag racing. Warning, there is some NSFW language.

Ford confirms launch of new Tourneo vans and Ecosport in Europe for Geneva

We've already seen plenty of what the Geneva Motor Show will have in store for us in less than two weeks, but most of the confirmed debuts that were announced so far have generally been luxury or performance cars. Ford, on the other hand, will be showing off a couple of its new family-friendly models for European buyers to enjoy.
On the larger side of things, the full range of Tourneo vans (shown above) will be on display, including the introduction of the new Tourneo Courier model, but Ford will also be showing off the all-new EcoSport crossover, which is based on the automaker's Global B platform and will be positioned beneath the Kuga, better known here as the Escape. The subcompact EcoSport was originally unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show last April.

Ford promises 12 new global performance vehicles through 2020

Ford just keeps rolling out the big announcements today. We've already told you about the next-gen Focus RS coming to the US and the upcoming Sync 3 infotainment system. And this latest one should perk up the ears of racing fans or anyone who enjoys an enthusiastic drive (basically, all Autoblog readers). The Blue Oval says it has "more than 12" new performance vehicles on the way globally through 2020. Unfortunately, the only one that the automaker confirms at the moment is the Focus RS, but recent rumors might suggest a few others. Ford reportedly has the Shelby Mustang GT350R, next-gen F-150 Raptor and a Ford GT successor all on the way, all of which could possibly debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The future GT might even take the company back to racing at Le Mans. Speaking of motorsports, Ford is also blending its performance vehicle and racing efforts worldwide into a unified entity by combining SVT, Team RS and Ford Racing into a new organization called Ford Performance. It's responsible not just for excelling on the track but also for developing aero improvements, electronics, powertrain and lightweight tech for the Blue Oval's vehicles. "Our new global Ford Performance team ties together racing, performance vehicles and parts. It will allow us to more quickly introduce products and accessories that meet the needs of customers around the world on-road and on the track," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, in the company's press release. The automaker thinks this market might be booming, especially among younger buyers. For example, recent data shows Millennials buy ST models at twice the rate of the rest of Ford's cars. Scroll down to read the Blue Oval's full announcement of the new division and the plan to get excited about things to come. FORD DRIVING PERFORMANCE INNOVATION TO NEW LEVELS; MORE THAN 12 VEHICLES COMING FROM NEW GLOBAL TEAM Ford bringing more global performance vehicles to customers worldwide; more than 12 new performance vehicles through 2020 – including Focus RS – to be available globally Ford uniting regional performance engineering and racing teams as one global team under Ford Performance, delivering more new vehicles and parts, more quickly Ford will deliver more than 12 new performance vehicles for global enthusiasts through 2020, as the company announced today its new global Ford Performance team.