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Ford Detroit stand map clearest evidence yet of new GT, Mustang GT350R, SVT Raptor

An anonymous tipster has leaked a map of Ford's display stand plans for next week's Detroit Auto Show, and the schematic contains some interesting details that supports the idea of a Ford GT revival, as well as the presence of the rumored Shelby Mustang GT350R and F-150 SVT Raptor. The map, used by workers to help erect the Blue Oval's Cobo Hall display, maps out a show with a performance-heavy influence, with a codenamed vehicle, "Phoenix" sitting front and center, flanked by "Hummingbird 2" and "F-150 SVT Raptor Teaser." Our sources within Ford have confirmed that Phoenix is the long-rumored GT successor (a notion furthered by the presence of a pair of historic GT40s shown near the display entrance), and Hummingbird 2 refers to the GT350R (note also that there's a "Mustang Historic" GT350R on its own dais nearby). We've also learned that while the Raptor is labeled "Teaser," our Ford source assures us this is effectively the production truck. Rumors of a neo Ford GT have been picking up speed for months now, and we've been led to believe that this new car will have motorsports applications firmly on its mind, but it won't follow in the same retro-steeped design footsteps of its 2005-2006 forbearer. While the map does show Focus models on display, including the performance-oriented ST, we note that there isn't a spot seemingly earmarked for the rumored next-generation Focus RS, which has been the subject of the Motown rumormill for some time. Instead, we expect to see Ford's hottest hatch bow at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Even without a Focus RS revival, the Ford stand is shaping up to be a high-performance, high-horsepower showing, and we're excited to see if the Blue Oval can steal the show come Monday. Featured Gallery Ford Detroit Auto Show Stand 2015 Tip: mlewis Auto News Detroit Auto Show Ford Truck Coupe Concept Cars Future Vehicles Off-Road Vehicles Racing Vehicles Performance Supercars ford f-150 svt raptor 2015 Detroit Auto Show ford shelby mustang gt350r

Ford taken to task by gov't for Chicken Tax end-around

Ford is in a bit of a pickle for importing and selling Turkey-built Transit Connect cargo vans as passenger vehicles in the US, then converting them to commercial-vehicle specification stateside in an effort to bypass a 25-percent tax imposed on vehicles imported for commercial use. Automakers are required to pay a 2.5-percent tax on imported passenger vehicles.
The Blue Oval got into trouble for this in a January ruling in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials asked Ford to stop the practice of importing the Transit Connect vehicles with passenger seats, then removing and shredding them. Now Automotive News reports that Ford is appealing the ruling. The 25-percent "Chicken Tax," as the tariff is often called, is 50 years old and was enacted as a response to a German tariff on chickens. Like Ford, Chrysler bypasses the higher tariff, but it does so in a different manner. It partially disassembles Sprinter cargo vans before shipping them to the US, then rebuilds them at a plant in South Carolina.
But the ruling against Ford's strategy states that it "serves no manufacturing or commercial purpose" and is there to "manipulate the tariff schedule," Automotive News reports. As Ford's appeal goes through, it is importing the Transit Connect and paying the higher tax, hoping for a favorable outcome and planning to build the next-generation Transit Connect, which it plans to launch before the end of the year, in Spain.

2015 Ford Mustang leaked in Autoweek

We would have to imagine that Ford knew it couldn't keep its 2015 Mustang under wraps for too long, and with only days to go before the pony car's official unveiling, the dam seems to be cracking. SVTPerformance.com member Screamin 40th just posted some images taken of the sixth-gen Mustang prominently featured in and on the cover of the December 9 issue of Autoweek magazine.
These images show that recent renderings we saw weren't too far off. The face is just like what we saw in spy shots a few months back, but the rear of the car features some of its more striking cues. Starting with the pronounced haunches and hidden B-pillars, the rear view of the new Mustang might be its best with the ridged, three-bar taillights, a rear diffuser and the lack of a faux gas cap, which allows the galloping pony to be an even more prominent element against the black trim.
The images also reveal a small portion of the updated interior carrying over retro themes like the deep-dish steering wheel and dual-gauge instrument cluster, but it also adds some modern tech with a big infotainment displays and a clean center stack layout. No official word on powertrain or other specs, but while we can't make out most of the magazine's text, our eyes did catch mentions of an independent rear suspension and a 200-pound weight reduction.