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GM's Reuss predicts 2016 Chevy Camaro will outperform Ford Mustang in every way

We aren't going to be seeing the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro until next month. But even though we know when we're going to see the new muscle car, it's totally unclear whether Chevy will dole out technical details. That means we can't answer the latest version of the age-old question: Camaro or Ford Mustang? Not surprisingly, General Motors North America President Mark Reuss has already stated his position, saying he was "very confident" that the sixth-generation Camaro will be faster, more agile and more efficient than the Ford. Reuss made his comments after saying he drove the new Camaro back-to-back with the Mustang the week prior. Reuss' statement came in a conversation with Fox News about the 2016 Camaro where he elaborated on the car's weight shedding and how it fit into GM's strategy on other new models. "There are some really cool things in the Camaro, that are quite different than the Malibu, [and] CT6," Reuss told Fox. As we reported previously, the Camaro will shed some 200 pounds by switching to aluminum and other lightweight composites for some of its components. With May 16 just over a month away, here's hoping Reuss decides to loose some other details on the next Camaro ahead of its debut. Related Video:

Galpin Auto Sports and Fisker turn the Mustang into a Rocket in LA [w/video]

Galpin Auto Sport and Henrik Fisker made big promises about the Rocket before its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show today, calling it the "ultimate American muscle car." Now that this 725-horsepower carbon-fiber Ford Mustang has officially been revealed, we've now got a chance to see if their vision backs up all the bluster. The Rocket is based off the latest 2015 Mustang, but the entire exterior design has been substantially reworked by Fisker. "This is a project born out of passion, it's a dream come true, to have the opportunity to 'touch' a Mustang and apply my design ideas to it," he says in the model's announcement. The biggest changes come up front, where Fisker has added a gaping hexagonal grille with a polished bar running and two nearly hidden driving lights at the top corners. Long nostrils run down each side of the hood, taking their inspiration from the 1968 Shelby GT500. The Rocket's design also emphasizes its scalloped sides, which run back to functional ducts at the rear to cool the Brembo Grand Turismo brakes. When checking out the Rocket from the rear, it's easy to spot the wider fenders that are beautifully blended into the integrated spoiler. The interior has been left mostly alone beyond some eye-grabbing red leather and carbon-fiber trim. Under the hood, Galpin spokesperson Nathan Hoyt has confirmed to Autoblog that the Rocket employs a 5.0-liter V8 with a Whipple supercharger which can be called to attention with a six-speed manual gearbox. It took only a few months for the vehicle to go from conception to reality. Fisker showed Galpin President Beau Boeckmann early sketches at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and the two parties went from there. "When Henrik showed me his ideas, I got chills - it's literally the most beautiful Mustang I have ever seen," says Boeckmann in the company's release. Production is set to begin in December, with deliveries starting in early 2015. There's no set production total in mind for now, but Hoyt tells Autoblog that the price will be "just over $100,000." Scroll down to read all of the details about Fisker and Galpin's Rocket.

Jaguar design boss admits X-Type was a mistake

History has a way of repeating itself, especially in the auto industry. When Jaguar was owned by Ford, the British brand attempted to field a competitor for the BMW 3 Series, called the X-Type. Based on the bones of a Ford Mondeo, it aped the styling of Jaguar's flagship model, the XJ, while borrowing liberally from the Ford parts bin. That was 2001.
Now, in 2013, Jaguar is planning a new 3 Series challenger based on the platform previewed by the C-X17 Concept, while Ford is attempting to take the latest Mondeo upmarket. The moves have both brands recognizing where, why, and how the X-Type failed. "It didn't look mature or powerful or anything. It was just a car," Jaguar's current head of advanced design, Julian Thomson, told PistonHeads. Basing the X-Type on a front-drive car while giving it styling that was meant for a rear-driver lead to proportions that "were plainly wrong," Thomson told PH. Ford's European head of quality, Gunnar Herrmann, added that the X-Type was "a fake Jaguar, because every piece I touch is Ford."
For what it's worth, the X-Type's successor in the segment will sport rear-drive, with plenty of input from Ian Callum. Thomson described the new model, which would challenge the 3 Series as having, "Big wheels right to the ends of the car, low bonnet, short overhangs, very low cabins." Sounds good to us.