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First 500 European Ford Mustangs reserved in 30 seconds [w/video]

We're pretty sure that any initial concerns Ford had about selling the redesigned Mustang in Europe have been lessened considerably, after the first 500 Euro-spec 2015 Mustangs were been reserved in just 30 seconds. Moreover, 9,300 people attempted to snag one of the coveted orders for the all-new muscle car. Yes, Mustang, you should do quite well across the pond.
The registration event was held during the UEFA (pronounced yu-eh-fa) Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.
"We knew there was huge excitement building for the new Ford Mustang coming to Europe, but the response during the UCL Final was overwhelming," said Roelant de Waard, VP of marketing, sales and service for Ford's European outfit. "It was a truly special way to kick off the Ford Mustang era in Europe."

Gulf-liveried Ford GT40 takes triumphant lap of the track

Ford is heavily rumored to return to Le Mans in 2016 with the latest GT for the 50th anniversary of the GT40's first victory there. Even if the new model doesn't come back to the track, it's worth commemorating this classic racer's accomplishments, and watching one lap Miller Motorsports Park is a perfect opportunity to do that. This is almost too short of a video for the great cinematography on display. The camera floats over the curves of a Gulf-liveried GT40, while text and archival interviews tell the car's story. Then, it's finally time for the engine to fire up and get on track. The racecar highlighted here is quite fascinating, too. It started competing as a GT40-based Mirage in 1967 with the famous orange and blue color scheme and was converted fully to a Ford in '68, according to Miller Motorsports Park. In 1970 Steve McQueen bought this one to be the camera car in Le Mans, and it has been part of the Larry H. Miller Total Performance Museum since 2012. This clip is actually a promotion for a website called Inside Sales, but with the impressive production values, it's easy to imagine this as the teaser trailer for Ford's possible return to Le Mans, as well. Related Video:

Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R named Road & Track Performance Car of the Year

With a 526-horsepower, 5.2-liter V8 that roars to 8,250 rpm, it's really hard to consider the 2016 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350R an underdog in any fight. However, the Shelby held the lowest as-tested price and was only middle of the pack in terms of power in Road & Track's 2016 Performance Car of the Year challenge. The 'Stang's numbers clearly didn't tell the whole story about the potent coupe because Ford's muscle car grabbed the title in this year's test. A model needs to be new or significantly updated to be eligible for the honor, and R&T found an impressive slate of eight candidates this year. The challengers included the Bentley Continental GT3-R, Cadillac ATS-V Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Dodge Viper ACR, Mercedes-AMG GT S, and Porsche Cayman GT4. The Ferrari 488 GTB was the most expensive of the bunch with an as-tested price of $347,942, which is five times more than the Shelby. Once the group was together, R&T hustled them over curving roads and on the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park. There was a lot to love about the Shelby, even in this impressive crew. "With a flat-plane crank and Sport Cup 2 tires, the GT350R is a Mustang turned up to 11," editor-in-chief Larry Webster said in the announcement of the results. The GT350R joins some great company. Past winners include the Porsche 911 GT3 last year and the Corvette in 2013. For some fantastic photography and the complete appraisal of these performance machines check out R&T's website for the full story. Related Video: ROAD & TRACK NAMES THE FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT350R THE 2016 PERFORMANCE CAR OF THE YEAR New York, NY (November 9, 2015) – Road & Track today named the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R the 2016 Performance Car of the Year, beating out seven of the world's best new sports cars. The article appears in the December/January issue, on newsstands November 17, and on RoadandTrack.com. "With a flat-plane crank and Sport Cup 2 tires, the GT350R is a Mustang turned up to 11," said Larry Webster, editor-in-chief of Road & Track. "Not only does the car have soul and harness so much firepower with such ease, but the real achievement here is that it's so approachable. It's a car you can't help but love." The Mustang Shelby GT350R was the winner by a runaway vote.