Excellent Restored 1970 Ford Bronco on 2040-cars

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2013 Shelby 1000 unleashes its 1,200 horsepower ahead of NY show reveal

True story: Last fall, I had the opportunity to spend a week with Ford's new 2013 Shelby GT500 - the Blue Oval's factory Mustang with 662 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque. It's an amazing beast, to be sure. I'm not sure if it was Michigan's damp streets strewn with potholes and wet leaves, but at no point did I ever say to myself, "You know, Ford is on to a really good thing here, but what it really needs is about twice the power." And yet, for people in warmer climes with infrastructure in better nick - or for those whose muscle cars live their lives out on the track, there's apparently sufficient demand to warrant just such a beast.
Quick studies will recall that Shelby American launched its 1000 last year to commemorate its 50th anniversary, but it is returning to the New York Auto Show with a fresh version based on the 2013 GT500 I drove. The 2013 Shelby 1000 whips up 1,200 horsepower on pump gas thanks to beefed-up forced induction, engine internals and cooling. Wisely, it also incorporates an adjustable suspension and big brake package to make sure those ponies have the best chance being safely deployed to the ground.
What price the world's most powerful "production" muscle car? $154,995 for starters - donor GT500 not included. What, no convertible variant?

NHTSA releases updated Takata airbag recalled cars list, but it still has errors

Unfortunately, the government's list still contains errors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an updated list of vehicle models that it's urging owners to repair under the mushrooming Takata airbag inflator recall. The latest version adds vehicles from new automakers like Subaru and Ford that are missing from the original announcement, and it also removes erroneous entries from General Motors, leaving only the 2005 Saab 9-2X (a reskinned Subaru WRX), and the 2003-2005 Pontiac Vibe, a joint project with Toyota.

Recharge Wrap-up: Ford's "snowtonomous" Fusion Hybrid, Porsche eyes battery makers

Bosch and Panasonic are vying to be the battery supplier for Porsche's electric sports car based on the Mission E concept. While Bosch's costs may be higher, its solution would offer simpler logistics. Panasonic is already well established as a battery maker, providing the packs for the Porsche car's rival, Tesla. "We're in the final stage of making a decision," says Porsche CEO Oliver Blume, declining to comment on specific manufacturers. Neither Bosch nor Panasonic provided comment. Read more from Automotive News. Renault will supply a fleet of 150 Renault Zoe EVs for a smart solar charging project in Utrecht, Netherlands. The project involves the installation of 1,000 EV chargers powered by 10,000 photovoltaic panels. The Renault Zoes would be used as part of a carsharing program powered by the solar chargers. Renault and its partners will also implement a vehicle-to-grid system to provide energy during peak demand from the solar chargers and connected EVs. Read more in the press release from Renault. Ford has been testing an autonomous Fusion Hybrid prototype that is capable of driving itself in snowy conditions. Ford uses 3D mapping to scan the drive route. Its LiDAR laser mapping can even detect single falling snowflakes. It collects and processes up to 600 gigabytes of data per hour, comparing its environment to saved maps, a process that helps establish location more precisely than GPS. In addition to the LiDAR systems, the car is also equipped with cameras and radar to help it navigate. Eventually, the car could even be able to clean off its sensors when it detects loss of performance from ice and dirt. Read more in the press release below. FROM AUTONOMY TO SNOWTONOMY: HOW FORD FUSION HYBRID AUTONOMOUS RESEARCH VEHICLE CAN NAVIGATE IN WINTER DEARBORN, Mich., March 10, 2016 – Driving in snow can be a slippery challenge, with the potential for one blizzardy gust to white-out your field of view – a situation faced by the majority of people in the United States. So if self-driving cars are to become a reality – and they almost certainly will – they must be able to navigate snow-covered roads. In its quest to bring self-driving vehicles to millions of people around the world, Ford reveals six facts about its technology that allows for a car to drive itself in snow. 1. Mapping the way: Ford first creates high-resolution 3D maps using LiDAR technology to scan the area its autonomous vehicle will later drive in the snow.