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Ford will build Hackmobile out of Transit Connect Wagon

What you see in the above image is a rendering of the Hackmobile Transit Connect Wagon. What is that? It's a "mobile fabrication and hacking unit" that includes tools for metal- and woodworking, 3D and electronics fabrication, a three-axis CNC machine called "The Fabber," a video projector and screen, an air compressor, an 84x48-inch work surface that folds out like a Murphy bed and oh so much more. When not in use, all of the implements fold neatly into the back of Ford's award-winning van.
But perhaps the more important question is why is that? Because Make Magazine held an Ultimate Maker Vehicle Challenge in conjunction with Ford in which ten teams created were charged with creating "the ultimate Ford Transit Connect Wagon for the do-it-yourself enthusiast." Team Twin Cities Maker won the competition with the Hackmobile, and in addition to winning $10,000, Ford has declared it's actually going to build the thing - which is great, because if they can actually engineer a road-legal Hackmobile Transit Connect Wagon as envisioned, the inevitable A-Team movie reboot might need to think about including it.
Check out the video below for a cheeky walk-through of the Hackmobile, and get all the particulars in the press release below that.

How the Ford Shelby Mustang came to be

Even as rumors swirl that the next-generation of high-performance Ford Mustang will drop the Shelby name, Ford has released a short video telling how the legend of the Shelby Mustang came to be. In its latest installment of its video series entitled Mustang Countdown, Ford dug up some footage from Carroll Shelby to give a little insight into how this automotive icon was created.
While it's definitely interesting to hear the late legend tell the story in his own words (including numerous references to the 1964 Mustang as a "secretary's car"), it's also pretty funny learning exactly how the Shelby GT350 got its name in the first place - a name allegedly making a comeback as the replacement for the current Shelby GT500. As development work continues on the 2015 Ford Mustang, the Shelby video posted below shows that the automaker is always looking at its past - even as it looks ahead to the future.

Ford Mustang GT Bi-Fuel CNG

Highly intrigued, we recently visited a Southern California Gas Company office to check out several hybrid vehicles promising something new. Unlike more commonplace gasoline-electric hybrids, we were there to evaluate innovative gasoline-compressed natural gas (CNG) hybrids - yes, they run on unleaded gasoline and compressed natural gas. According to the experts on hand, this arrangement delivers extended range and reduced emissions while chipping in with lower operating costs than pure-gasoline vehicles. There are advantages over its gasoline-electric counterparts, as well.
The program is part of a three-way collaboration between The Carlab, a Southern California-based automotive consulting firm, Landi Renzo USA, a company specializing in alternative fuel solutions, and America's Natural Gas Alliance, a group that promotes CNG. Long story short, the team has engineered a way to allow a modified internal combustion vehicle to seamlessly switch between two fuels (gasoline and CNG) with no driver intervention. In theory, and if it works as well as promised, it's a win-win for the vehicle owner and the environment.
Parked at the Gas Company office were six different gasoline-CNG hybrid vehicles. To demonstrate the technology's versatility (just about any gasoline vehicle may be modified) Carlab brought a varied assortment of bodystyles, each from a different automaker. After taking a quick glance at the half-dozen in the parking lot, we made a beeline for the performance-oriented Ford Mustang GT - a 2012 model - with the six-speed manual gearbox.