Since it first came to the market in 2000, Ford's Focus has been consistently lauded for its crisp "European handling," and thanks to a Ford of Europe press release yesterday, that bromide sounded like it was about to become truer than ever. The release in question announced that the next all-new Focus is to be sourced from a single location – the Blue Oval's Saarlouis Plant in Germany. Quite understandably, that proclamation caused a bit of consternation here in the States, with some news outlets reporting that North American Focus models will also originate from the German facility. Not so.

Autoblog spoke with Lincoln, Mercury communications manager Mark Schirmer this morning (despite his title, Schirmer has been tasked with preparing for the U.S. launch of the 2010 car) and he has re-confirmed that all North American Focus models will originate from a freshly renovated Wayne Assembly Plant in Michigan (something that Ford officials initially promised back in May).

The intention of FoE's confusingly worded statement was to note that Saarlouis is to be the single point of origin for all European Focus models. In addition to Saarlouis and Wayne, Ford will also likely produce the next Focus at a plant somewhere in Asia, but a location announcement has not yet been made.

Ford tuning specialists Steeda Autosports have been teasing the 2010 version of their Q-Series Mustang for quite some time, and apparently for some of their customers, it can't come soon enough. To help deal with requests, the Florida-based company has introduced a Sport Edition model that utilizes an array of parts already in the Steeda catalog.

This particular steed is tweaked to handle, with upgraded billet lower control arms, sport springs, and 20-inch chrome wheels wrapped with Nitto NT05 high-performance tires. Other modifications include a sport shifter, underdrive performance pulleys, a performance air cleaner, and distinctive Steeda graphics. At $8995 $6,995, the pricing seems pretty steep, especially without any significant power upgrades, but we have to admit it's one good looking pony car.

[Source: Muscular Mustangs]

*UPDATE: Steeda representatives have contacted Autoblog with correct information regarding the new Sport Edition, including a different, wallet-friendlier package price of $6,995 (the source article cited incorrect information). The full, official press release has been added after the jump.

The Fox body was hardly a high point in the history of the Ford Mustang. But every kingdom must have a king, and in the late-'80s and early-'90s this was it: the JBA Dominator GTA. Commissioned from J Bittle American by Ford in 1989, the Dominator took the pony car to new heights, installing what was likely the first independent rear suspension on a Mustang along with a long list of features that differentiated this custom muscle car from stock. The Lightning 351 engine features the iron heads from the GT40 and the intake manifold from a Cobra. A custom exhaust and aircraft-derived fuel system kept it breathing, while 17-inch rims obscured race-spec disc brakes at all corners.

The list goes on and on, and during its reign, the Dominator received plenty of media attention. The Mustang was featured on the cover of Road & Track in November 1989 in a shoot-out against other factory-backed custom muscle cars and went on to star in various hot-rodding and Ford-specific magazines. The JBA even has its own website, which will transfer to the buyer willing to pony up the $34,500 asking price for this piece of Mustang tuning history. Check it out in the gallery below and the video after the jump, or follow the link to the eBay auction page to make an offer.



[Source: eBay Motors via BAT]

Diesel's near-term prospects in America took a huge hit with the revelation that nine diesel-powered 2010 models are on hold. Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan have put the kibosh on rolling out more oil burners due to cost and perception issues.

Toyota's obviously on a hybrid run and doesn't want to expel the effort or expense of investing in diesel for the American market -- and having to overcome America's dirty diesel perceptions. The others, as mass market manufacturers, simply need more justification for the cost and complexity of oilburners in order to make the case for consumers to spend more.

Additionally, diesel's benefits are weighted differently according to EPA or CAFE standards. The EPA mileage numbers present diesels well, but CAFE's differing fuel mileage equation makes gas-hybrids look better than diesels, and CAFE is something all automakers are looking at. However, you'll notice that German brands aren't mentioned -- their price premium and European diesel volumes make a worthwhile case for diesels, so those diesel Jetta Sportwagons won't be going away any time soon.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Despite having fewer model variations on the market, pent up demand for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro appears to have been enough to send the bad Bowtie past Ford's redone Mustang in June. Sales figures for the month are beginning to trickle in today, and General Motors says it shifted 9,320 Camaro units last month, as compared to the Blue Oval's 7,632 Mustangs.

Whether Chevrolet's victory will be sustainable over the long haul remains to be seen, but as The General has a backlog of 10,000 sold orders to fill (equating to less than a seven day supply), the streak is likely to continue for at least the next few months. Presently, GM offers just two main Camaro models, the V6 RS and the V8-powered SS, while the Ford Mustang has more bodystyles and trims than you can shake a stick at (arguably making the Camaro's achievement seemingly that much more impressive).

Sales of the third leg of 2009's pony car table, the Dodge Challenger, trail far behind, with just 1,369 units cleared last month.

As the industry heads into the dog days of summer, it looks like America's renewed pony car war is just heating up. Who will take the crown for the whole year? Sit tight, muscle fans.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Alex Nunez / Weblogs, Inc.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Here we have what may quite possibly be the World's Coolest Hybrid. It may not be particularly adept at saving fuel – owner Chris Lentz of Jackson, Michigan, says it burns one to five gallons of kerosene per minute (though presumably it could also run on biodiesel like Jay Leno's EcoJet) but we aren't aware of any other hybrid vehicles that can put out 2700 horsepower at 516 miles per hour.

While half of the 2005 Ford F-150 STX's drivetrain consists of the stock FoMoCo 4.6-liter V8 and four-speed automatic transmission, the truck's coup de grâce is certainly the 1950s-era Czechoslovakian Motorlet M-701 turbojet mounted discreetly in the bed. The 728-pound jet engine is reportedly capable of punching out 1,962 pounds of thrust at 15,500 RPM.

Coupled together, the two engines can push the truck down the quarter mile at 103 miles per hour and up to a measured top speed of 140 mph, though it could likely go faster with a slightly modified mounting arrangement. Speed, though, is only a small part of the story. Click past the break for a video of Lentz's truck in action.

[Source: Automobile]

It shouldn't be entirely uncommon to run across a Ford Fiesta here in the United States now that the Blue Oval has handed the keys to a hundred of 'em to various "agents" all across the country as part of its Fiesta Movement program. What is unusual, though, is seeing a Fiesta sedan, but that's exactly what Domino Vitali, a spy shooter for our friends at WebRidesTV Blog, managed to snap a few shots of just north of the Motor City in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Though the Ford Fiesta Sedan is already available in China, the American version of the car will differ slightly to conform with U.S. regulations. We'll likely get revised fascias front and rear along with bumpers that offer a smidgen more protection in low-speed impacts. Fortunately for those of us who prefer the utmost in practicality, FoMoCo is also expected to send the hatchback (in both three- and five-door configurations) to America in addition to this new sedan when the Fiesta finally goes on sale as a 2011 model.

[Source: WebRidesTV Blog]

More good news comes from the Blue Oval camp today as Ford CEO Alan Mulally has said that the automaker plans to "[increase] production to support the desirability of Ford products." Despite a downturn in new car sales, Ford – the only member of the Detroit 3 automakers that has not filed for bankruptcy protection in the last two months – has actually managed to gain a few ever-important percentage points of market share from its global rivals, including fellow American automakers General Motors and Chrysler.

In related news, Mulally says that Ford is well on its way to returning to profitability in 2011 as planned. Last year, Ford recorded its worst-ever loss of $14.8 billion and expects to continue posting smaller losses through 2009 and 2010, but Mulally is confident the company has sufficient funds on hand to finance the turnaround plan made possible by the $23 billion the automaker raised in 2006 shortly before the global economy hit the panic button.

A major portion of Ford's turnaround plan is based on "more and more electrification, both hybrids and battery electric vehicles," said Mulally, which is consistent with stated goals set out by the Obama Administration. Earlier this week, Ford accepted $5.9 billion in U.S. Department of Energy loans to retool factories to build more environmentally friendly cars and trucks.



[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Still grumbling over having missed the chance at buying a Ford GT when it was still in production? Well, if you've got the cash on hand, there are probably dozens of examples up for sale by owners who need the liquid assets more than they need the retro supercar. But few are as enticing at what Ford and RM Auctions have going on this August.

At both the Meadow Brook and Monterey concours the month after next, RM will be auctioning off an early VIN example to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The sixth example produced, decked out in red with white stripes, will be on offer at Meadow Brook, with the seventh Ford GT, in white with blue stripes, up for grabs in Monterey. Each is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000 for the medical research endowment, so if getting your hands on Motown's hottest piece of machinery in decades wasn't cause enough, altruism ought to do the trick. Details in the press release after the jump.



[Source: RM Auctions]

Autoblog went to the premiere of Raptor - Born in Baja, and while the film is on the long side, it's an enjoyable flick. We wrote before that the truck "only" came in third (out of four total trucks in Class 8), but to finish the Baja 1000 at all is an achievement -- especially when the overall attrition rate is close to 50%. Throw in a truck that had been built in three months and hadn't been tested in any other race before and you've got a little adventure on your hands.

The movie provides plenty more. There's never a good time for things to break, but the Raptor R chose a couple of the most abysmal moments to get sick: it was compelling irony to watch the whole race team wearing "Built Ford Tough" t-shirts gathered around a truck that wouldn't start 90 minutes before the race began.

And if it wasn't the Raptor, it was other trucks in the road holding things up. Still, not only did they get it started, but the Raptor R got to the end with all of its panels and, as far as we could see, no dents -- and it came within minutes of taking second place.

But you'll have to watch the movie to truly glimpse the eye of the tiger... and the thrill of the fight. You can view it on Speed TV on Sunday, July 12 at 4 p.m. EST -- and when you do, look for Pickuptrucks.com's Mike Levine, Jalopnik's Ray Wert, and our own Drew Phillips who make cameos during the SEMA coverage. In the meantime, you can check out the trailer after the jump.