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Forza Horizon 3 adds Ford Police Interceptor, Jeep CJ5

We're only a few weeks past the debut of Forza Horizon 3, and already the folks at Turn 10 are introducing the first of six car packs for the open-world driving game. Focused heavily on performance, there are still a few, um, oddballs, including one we're sure Forza's livery customizers will have a blast with. The Smoking Tire Car Pack brings seven new vehicles to FH3, with the Aston Martin Vulcan, Pagani Huayra BC, GTA Spano, Lotus 340R, and BMW M2 repping traditional performance vehicles. As per usual, FH3 renders each car beautifully and promises a solid approximation of real-world performance – even if you do ditch the roads and opt to rampage through the Australian countryside. While performance is good, the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor and the Jeep CJ5 Renegade bring an off-beat vibe to this particular pack. We aren't certain, but this might be the first time the Police Interceptor appears in a blockbuster driving game. While we expect plenty of police car liveries for the Crown Vic, Forza's rabid community of tuners and customizers are sure to do much more with it. As for the CJ5, is there a better vehicle for tooling about Australia? Yeah, we didn't think so. The Smoking Tire Car Pack is available for free as part of the Forza Horizon 3 Ultimate Edition or Car Pass program. Commitment-phobes can also download this single vehicle pack for $7. Featured Gallery Forza Horizon 3: Smoking Tire Car Pack News Source: Turn 10 StudiosImage Credit: Turn 10 Studios Toys/Games Aston Martin BMW Ford Jeep Lotus turn 10 studios bmw m2 forza horizon ford crown victoria aston martin vulcan forza horizon 3 gta spano

Carfection looks for the ultimate pocket rocket

If there's one thing we love, it's a good showdown. Especially when it's on video, done by some Englishmen, and involving some manner of performance machinery. Like this latest clip, for example, from Carfection. The team formerly known as Xcar have assembled three very compelling supermini hot hatches: two we can get on our side of the pond, and one we can't. One American, one Frenchman, and one Brit. One cheap, one expensive, and one somewhere in between. They all pack turbo fours, of course, but placed in entirely different packages. There's the evergreen favorite Ford Fiesta ST, the Renault Clio RS 220 Trophy that should have the rest licked, and the retro rocket that is the Mini JCW. And there's only one way to find out which is the best. It's a tough contest, to be sure, but lest you think it all comes down to specifications or which one's the newest, you'll want to think again. Because when it comes to hot hatches, all the electronic gizmos and power boosts in the world can't show up a perfectly dialed-in chassis that lets you hug the curves and feel like you're going a lot faster than you actually are. But don't take our word for it – see what our British friends have to say about it in the Queen's English in the seventeen-minute clip above. Related Video:

Why Edmunds took a sledgehammer to its 2015 Ford F-150

The discussion around repair bills for the aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford F-150 pickup continued from the beginning of last year to the end, and haven't abated; as an aside, some Tesla Model S owners have been shocked at disquieting repair estimates for minor damage to their aluminum wunder-sedans. Edmunds decided to inject some fact into the fray: it bought a $52,000 long-term 2015 F-150 and clouted it with an eight-pound sledgehammer. Twice. The rear of the bedside took the impacts since it couldn't be replaced, it would have to be repaired. To the pickup's credit, the only reason associate editor Travis Langness hit it twice was that the first sledgehammer blow didn't do as much damage as Edmunds wanted. After the second, the visible damage included the two direct impacts, a few creases, and a cracked taillight, so they drove the pickup to Santa Monica Ford to get an estimate, complete with a fictitious story about how the damage occurred and the mercy plea that Langness was paying for the repair out-of-pocket. In Part 2 Langness hits on some of the details with getting the truck fixed, such as the massively expensive taillight and the list of tools Ford recommends dealers have to work on aluminum. But he was promised he'd have his truck back in seven days, and Santa Monica Ford got it back to him in seven days. In Part 3 we get the bill. It's not small, but it's quite a bit less than it could have been if the service manager had charged Edmunds the official labor rate for aluminum. We're not going to spoil it here, so check out the videos above and below for the beginning and the end, and head over to Edmunds for the complete story about how it all happened and some riffing on the repair numbers. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: