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Ford flips switch on GT350, GT350R configurators

Today is the day, folks. If you've been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to configure your ideal Shelby GT350 Mustang, you need to get over to the Ford consumer page and check out the new online builder tool. You can design your ideal GT350 or go hardcore and build an R model. It's all there, including exterior colors, stripe options, and the limited array of optional packages. Everything has prices, with the GT350's starting price coming in just a smidge above what we reported in late May. The base model kicks off at $48,695 while the R adds $13,500 to the total. That means both versions of the Shelby significantly undercut more mainstream and more hardcore competitors. For example, you can get into a GT350R for $62,195, or $3,000 less than a completely basic BMW M4 and $12,805 less than a Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. In fact, even a fully loaded GT350R, with stripes, a painted roof, and the $3,000 Electronics Package (Sync 3, dual-zone climate control, rear-view camera, a seven-speaker stereo, and SiriusXM satellite radio) and you'll still come in at over $8,600 less than the Z/28. As for the GT350, its $48,695 starting price should give pause to anyone thinking of purchasing a high-priced Germans while also stealing some Camaro 1LE customers. Head over to Ford's configurator and build up your ideal car. Finding the GT350 is a bit tough at first, so just be sure to scroll to the bottom of the body style menu on the left side of the page and select "Shelby Fastback," then have at it. Related Video:

Motorweek goes retro with '80s hot hatch shootout

Motorweek's decades of history on television make it the perfect medium to look back into the automotive past and see how things are different now. It recently added old road test videos to its YouTube channel of the Acura NSX and Toyota Supra, as well as the Ferrari F40. For one of its newest flashback clips, Motorweek has exhumed an affordable five-car challenge of 1986's premiere hot hatches.
By today's standards, this is an eclectic field that features fondly remembered classics like the Volkswagen GTI 16-valve and Acura Integra. However, it also throws in some nearly forgotten contenders like the Dodge Colt Turbo and Ford Escort GT. The angular Toyota Corolla FX16 GT-S rounds out the group.
It's fascinating to watch Motorweek run the quintet through the slalom, down the drag strip and on various roads. What's most striking in this clip is the difference in the definition of a performance car between then and now. With its 16-valve, 1.8-liter four-cylinder, the GTI is the burliest of the contenders with 123 horsepower, but it still takes 8.8 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. By today's standards, that would make it a plain-jane economy car, and not even a particularly quick one.

Vaughn Gittin Jr. takes his dog for a drift

Vaughn Gittin Jr. spends a great deal of his workday going sideways, but he's usually alone in the endeavor. For a guy that is clearly a dog lover, we imagine that can get a bit lonely.
That won't be a problem for Gittin in this latest video, which features the racer hanging out with his good pal Brody (a dog) and everyone's favorite hot hatch, the Ford Fiesta ST.