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Ford Mustang GT500 successor spied near SVT

Details about the next-gen Ford Mustang are scarce, and there's even less information out there about the upcoming replacement for the Shelby GT500. Previously rumored to drop the Shelby name and wear the GT350 moniker, the highest-performance Mustang has just been spotted testing near Ford's SVT operations.
Despite being cloaked in heavy camouflage, we can instantly tell this prototype is different from other Mustang spy shots we've seen in the past. Aside from the Shelby-spec wheels, quad exhaust outlets (previous spy shots show only two) and beefier brakes, this car also has air intakes on the hood and front fenders. These elements help to neither prove nor dismiss rumors that the next SVT Mustang will be naturally aspirated. It also looks like Ford is may be planning some changes to this car's rear suspension, as there is some extra camouflage added beneath the rear end of this prototype.
As a bonus, these spy shots also give us our first look inside the new Mustang, revealing a new steering wheel (with more buttons) and a glimpse of the dual-pod instrument gauges. Check out past spy shots of the 2015 Mustang showing off its new face and driving around town.

Oprah at it again, gives car away on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Oprah Winfrey loves giving away cars. Not only has she given Pontiac G6 sedans and Volkswagen Beetle retro-mobiles to everyone in the audience of her past show, but the other night on Jimmy Kimmel Live! she gave another car away to one lucky audience member, while yelling her now-famous line: "You get a car!"
Although the acting of Oprah and Jimmy Kimmel was obviously staged for this giveaway, the reaction from the woman in the audience was genuine shock as she found out that she had just won a new Ford Fusion Energi. Congrats!
Not to take away from what Oprah and Jimmy pulled off, but our cynical sides have to wonder if there isn't more than just a little coincidence that this giveaway took place on the same day that Ford announced a fuel economy reduction for the C-Max hybrid. You be the judge... Scroll down to watch the short clip from the episode.

MyFord Touch getting buttons and knobs back to counter criticisms

Ford deserves credit for being a front-runner in offering advanced infotainment technology with its Sync and MyFord Touch systems, but continued consumer complaints over its confusing touchscreen interface and capacitive controls has made the automaker relent. The Wall Street Journal reports that physical buttons and knobs for controlling tuning and volume will be coming back to Ford vehicles equipped with the controversial infotainment system.
The 2013 F-150 with MyFord Touch gives us a glimpse of what the new layout with buttons and knobs might look like, as Ford says a similar balance of touch screen capability and buttons/knobs are what's being planned for future models. And, while capacitive controls have no fans in the halls of Autoblog, many of Ford's models with MyFord Touch do have a large physical knob for adjusting volume with integrated buttons for tuning and advancing tracks, though most of those are models with the optional upgraded Sony Audio system. Lincoln models with MyLincoln Touch, however, feature only capacitive controls for all stereo and climate functions.
Despite receiving enough complaints to throw buttons and knobs back into the mix (a move that reminds us of BMW's iDrive trajectory, among others), Ford reports that Sync and MyFord Touch have still been sold on 79 percent of its 2013 model year vehicles, a number it claims is double the rate that Honda and Toyota are getting for their infotainment systems. Ford also states that owners who do opt for the duo of technologies are more satisfied with overall vehicle quality than those who don't have it.