Ford: Mustang Stage 3 on 2040-cars

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Hyundai, BMW and Ford win Concept Vehicle of the Year awards

More than two dozen jurors started with a pool of 23 concept cars introduced at the most recent Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto and New York auto shows, then pared it down to three winners in three categories for the twelfth annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards. The trophy-bearers are said to be those "vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry," and lead their classes in the Concept Car, Concept Truck and Production Preview divisions.
Hyundai had two cars as finalists for the Concept Car category, the competition boiled down to the Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis concept, Veloster C3 Roll Top, Honda EV-STER and the Toyota Corolla Furia. It won with the HCD-14 Genesis that was introduced at the Detroit Auto Show, a sharp sedan that sharply divided opinion between those who thought it was too much, those who thought it was too much Audi A7, and those who thought it was perfect. The award panel's judges, however, thought so much of it that it's got two awards in one sitting, not only taking concept car honors, but because it earned the highest overall score in the competition it also takes the crown for Most Significant Concept Vehicle of 2013.
The final selection in the Concept Truck category was down to the Ford Atlas, Kia Cross GT, Nissan Resonance and Volkswagen Cross Blue. The Ford Atlas took the silverware, after also winning the Eyes on Design award - shared with the Nissan Resonance - at the Detroit Auto Show where it was introduced.

Ford sticking with manuals for RS models

Traditional stick-shift gearboxes may be losing ground quickly to dual-clutch transmissions, but Ford knows what hot hatch enthusiasts want. That's why it's sticking with manual transmissions on its RS models for the foreseeable future. The Blue Oval automaker caught our attention yesterday when it revealed the new Focus RS, packing an upgraded version of the turbo four from the Mustang, a trick new all-wheel-drive system and an old-school six-speed manual. After speaking to Ford's product chief Raj Nair at the hot hatch's launch, Autocar reports that the six-speed is here to stay. "All our current research says that customers really like these kinds of cars to have a manual gearbox," Nair told the British publication. "We'll keep looking at market trends, and of course we'll give customers what they want, but for now the manual stays." Autocar further suggests that the same principle will apply to any further Rallye Sport models, so if and when a Fiesta RS rolls around, it's likely it will stick with a stick as well. Although the less potent Focus ST is offered in diesel and wagon forms overseas, wherever it's sold and in whatever form, the six-speed stays a constant in that model as well, just as it does in the smaller Fiesta ST. That doesn't mean that other Ford Performance models won't go without a clutch pedal, though. The new GT employs a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the new F-150 Raptor channels its muscle through a ten-speed automatic. But as far as Ford's hot hatches go, it looks like the manual will remain alive and well. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Ford Focus RS News Source: Autocar Ford Hatchback Performance manual ford fiesta rs

Holy crime-fighting Ford F-150, Batman!

What would Batman drive for his weekly trips to Home Depot for the bits and pieces needed to keep his lair deep below Wayne Manor in tip-top condition? Certainly not the Batmobile - there's no way a 4x8 sheet of plywood will fit between the wheel wells, not to mention the fact that jet turbine engines have an unfortunate tendency to set trailers on fire when towing...
No, what Batman needs is a pickup truck. The boys from Ford teamed up with Galpin Auto Sports to build just such a machine, and it has just debuted at Comic Con. Designed by Jared Barris, grandson of the legendary kustomizer George Barris, the 2012 F-150 pickup you see here, dubbed Crime Fighter, is painted Tuxedo Black with Ferrari Red highlights and is affixed with fins on each side of the truck bed. It's nothing if not unique.
Well, it's at least unique for now. According to Ford, Galpin in Southern California is willing to take orders for customers looking to don a cape and hit the town for a night of crime-fighting action. Or trips to Home Depot. Check out our high-res image gallery and then scroll down for the official description from Ford. We're waiting for details such as pricing and build time from Ford, and we'll update this post if and when we hear back.