2009 Ford Exploer Sport Trac Limited 2wd on 2040-cars

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Ford F-150 Tremor to pace NASCAR Truck Series this weekend

Ford's bro-tastic F-150 Tremor will be pacing this weekend's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Michigan International Speedway. The Tremor fills a gap in the Ford F-Series lineup that we imagine the NASCAR set have clamored for - a hot-rod pickup truck.
Where the F-150 Raptor is designed to go quick on anything, the Tremor and its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 are designed to tackle the road. The 365-horsepower and 420-pound-foot EcoBoost is unchanged from the rest of the F-150 line, but it combines the shortest drive ratio with the lightest two-door body, making it a bit of hot rod.
Ford will be offering hot laps with Michigan native Brad Keselowski behind the wheel of the Tremor for fans that arrive in the Irish Hills on August 14. The main showing for the new pickup will be the August 17 race, though, when it'll lead the field at the start of the race and through cautions.

Ford recalls Five Hundred, Mercury Montego sedans over fuel tank woes

Ford has announced through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it is recalling nearly 3,000 examples of its Five Hundred and Mercury Montego (pictured) sedans from the 2007 model year.
The action, which affects 2,945 vehicles, is due to potentially defective welds between the filler neck and the fuel tank, a condition that could result in a fuel leak or the smell of gasoline reaching the occupants. In the worst-case scenario, a leak could cause a fire. Cars with the affected fuel tank problem could see an illuminated dashboard warning light as a result of the evaporative emissions leak being detected.
Ford will inspect and replace the fuel tank at no cost to owners (those who have already had the procedure done at-cost can apply for reimbursement), and the Dearborn automaker will begin notifying Five Hundred and Montego owners beginning August 15. Check out the official NHTSA press release after the jump for further details.

Ford evaluating new Fiesta RS?

Word coming in from across the pond has it that Ford is working on developing the business case to create a new Fiesta RS. The development is encouraged by the extremely positive reception the existing Fiesta ST has garnered to date, and the emergence of the above-pictured Fiesta RS WRC rally car, but it'll take more than goodwill to make a more extreme version a reality.
According to Auto Express, a new roadgoing Fiesta RS would almost certainly be based closely on the ST version, albeit with some vital differences. Its 1.6-liter turbo four would be increased from 180 horsepower to somewhere around 230 hp, and that powertrain would be accompanied by lightweight alloys inside blistered wheel arches, a stripped-out interior and possibly lightweight bodywork.
The vehicle's approval would reportedly require a strong business case in Europe, and not just in the UK where Ford hot hatches traditionally enjoy a strong following. It's unclear whether the Fiesta RS would potentially make the transatlantic voyage to American showrooms, but between it and the larger Focus RS, hopefully the Blue Oval wouldn't leave its home market out of the action altogether.