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Ford Fiesta ST customs get wild at SEMA

The massive 57-car SEMA showcase by Ford ranges from obvious aftermarket-friendly models like the Mustang, to the not so obvious ones, like the Transit Connect and cute-as-an-explosive-button Fiesta ST. Ford plucked several Fiesta STs for SEMA duty, and we were on the show floor today to get a closer look at some of them.
First up is the striking COBB Tuning and Tanner Foust Racing Fiesta ST (above) finished in a black-and-gray digital camouflage, much like that used in the military, and is meant to raise awareness for the Pat Tillman Foundation. COBB also fitted a three-inch exhaust and a cold-air intake. A new shift knob, carbon-fiber hood and a Kicker stereo round out the mix of upgrades.
MRT got its hands on a Fiesta ST and created a car inspired by Forza Motorsport 5 (below, left). Featuring a two-tone paint job and more performance upgrades than you can shake a stick at, this Fiesta ST is one of the cooler compacts at Ford's stand. A high-performance exhaust system, along with a complimentary COBB induction system, allows the ST to breathe better, while an H&R coil over suspension and Steeda brakes help it stop and turn better than stock.

Next SVT Mustang may axe Shelby name, go naturally aspirated

Following our first glimpse at the 2015 Ford Mustang out on the road, the fine folks at Road and Track have divulged some details on what the Blue Oval's next pony might have in store. We've already seen that the car will get some very sleek, Evos-inspired design cues, and an independent rear suspension is indeed in store. These new details, however, concern the muscle car's beating heart.
For starters, the base Ford coupe is expected to carry on with V6 power, likely from the same 3.7-liter unit found in today's car. From there, R&T says the next step up will be a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, likely displacing 2.3 liters, putting out as much as 350 horsepower. Of course, a Mustang wouldn't be a Mustang without V8 thrust, and R&T states that the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 will continue on into the 2015 car, making something like 450 horsepower.
But it's at the high end of the Mustang range where things will, reportedly, get very, very interesting. Road & Track claims that the top-shelf 'Stang will likely lose the supercharger from its engine, producing a metric crap-ton of naturally aspirated grunt instead. Additionally, the SVT-fettled Mustang will likely be dropping its Shelby moniker, in favor of "a name you're familiar with," according to the magazine (you know, like, Cobra).

2016 Ford Focus RS may yet be AWD, US sales likely

When it comes to forbidden fruit, few vehicles are spoken of in as hushed a tone as the Ford Focus RS. The turbocharged, five-cylinder hot hatch could only be seen from afar by American customers as it tore up the roads of Europe. And while it's safe to say that Ford's Yankee fans are quite happy to now be on equal footing with drivers in the old country thanks to the Focus ST, we doubt there'd be much protestation over a successor to the RS arriving stateside.
Of course, we've seen images of the new RS undergoing testing, but a new story by Road and Track aims to fill in some very large blanks in our knowledge of that car, thanks to a pair of mysterious insiders at the Ford. Chief among those is this - the RS will almost certainly make its way to the US, albeit in limited quantities. It gets better, though.
Under hood, the new RS is unsurprisingly expected to borrow the 2.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder from the 2015 Ford Mustang and 2015 Lincoln MKC. While that twin-scroll turbo produces 310 horsepower in the Mustang and 285 ponies in the MKC, R&T expects the RS to deliver quite a bit more firepower - 325 to 350 hp, with preference going to the higher output due to the limited-edition nature of the RS. This roughly fits with previous reports.