2008 Ford Taurus X Limited Wagon 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Watch this lead sled go rallying in Finland

Custom cars generally fit into neat little boxes in terms of how they are used. For example, you're unlikely to see a modded Corvette going rock crawling; it's just not what it's made for (though we bet it'd look awesome, for a minute). In the same way, chopped, channeled and customized '50s hot rods aren't really meant to go racing. They look great and go fast, but they are generally more cruisers than sports cars.
However, if this video is any indication, the people of Finland don't adhere in these stereotypes, because this rodder is happy to play in the dirt with his lead sled.
According to the video, the driver is a member of the Ford-Freak Club of Finland, and he clearly knows how to have some fun. Possibly inspired by his country's great rally drivers, he gets the tail way out going around this gently curving gravel track. The stunt is somewhat reminiscent of the stock cars races on the sand at Daytona Beach, and this is probably close to what it sounded like too. Scroll down to watch a very cool Finn getting his hot rod a little dirty.

Ford Explorer, Expedition next to go aluminum?

Ford made some serious waves when it unveiled the latest F-150. Instead of making its bodywork out of steel, like just about every other truck on the market, Ford went with aluminum. And you can bet the F-150 won't be the last Ford model to go with the lightweight alloy construction, either.
Our compatriots at Edmunds report that Dearborn is considering replacing two of its most popular SUVs with aluminum versions. One candidate is the Expedition, which would make sense considering that the current model (like the two preceding generations and the fullsize Bronco before it) is based on the F-150's underpinnings. Another is the Explorer, which was traditionally based on the Ranger pickup but went with a car-like unibody chassis in its current iteration. If the Explorer does go the way of aluminum, don't expect it to be a part of its very next update, which is likely due too soon for such major changes.
It would stand to reason that, if the Expedition were to go aluminum, so would the next-generation Lincoln Navigator. Ditto the MKT together with the Explorer. But those aren't likely to be the only models in contention for aluminum construction. Like any other automaker, Ford is under pressure to steadily reduce its carbon emissions and improve its fuel economy figures, prompting it to look at a whole range of measures - including more efficient engines, lower rolling-resistance tires, active aerodynamics and lightweight construction. Expect aluminum to play a big part in that equation moving forward.

Autoblog Minute: Trump blasts Ford in visit to Michigan

Donald Trump takes a shot at Ford's outsourcing practices in his most recent visit to Michigan. Autoblog's Mylencia Gillenwaters reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Donald Trump takes a shot at Ford's outsourcing practices in his most recent visit to Michigan. I'm Mylencia Gillenwaters and this is your Autoblog Minute. Presidential hopeful Donald Trump visited Birch Run, Michigan for a rally, and amidst talk of immigration and international trade, the GOP front runner discussed Ford's plan to build a manufacturing plant in Mexico: [00:00:30] [WXYZ NEWS CLIP] Autoblog reached out to Ford for comment. The Dearborn-based automaker offered this statement in response: "We are committed to leveraging our global manufacturing footprint and will continue to invest where it makes the best sense for our business. We are proud that we have invested $6.2 billion in our U.S. plants since 2011 and hired nearly 25,000 U.S. employees. [00:01:00] Overall, 80 percent of our North American investment annually is in the U.S., and 97 percent of our North American engineering is conducted in the U.S." As automakers compete in an increasingly global marketplace, debate around outsourcing is sure to remain a hot political topic. For Autoblog, I'm Mylencia Gillenwaters. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.