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Chris Harris drives the 2015 Ford Mustang Over There

Ford makes some cars for America, and some cars for overseas. Sometimes those models cross over the ocean in one direction or another, but the Mustang has historically been a pony car meant for America. That all changes with the new model, though. It's not that Ford didn't design the new Mustang for American customers – it's just that it also refined it for markets overseas that aren't quite used to the live-axle brutality to which muscle car enthusiasts in the US have grown accustomed. Now that the Mustang is being offered in Europe – and in the UK with right-hand drive – it was only a matter of time before Chris Harris got his hands on one. And that's just what he's done for this latest video clip, taking a Mustang GT for a spin on both road and track in Wales. That's right, Harris is piloting the V8 model, not the EcoBoost four. So what does he think about an American expat shipped to the British isles? You'll want to watch the ten-minute clip yourself to gather his full impressions. But the long and short of it is that, while Harris doesn't think it's quite the match for something like a BMW M3, the Mustang doesn't cost anywhere near as much as the Bimmer. And that goes a long way, especially with all that rubber laid down on the track in the process.

Ford posts record pre-tax Q3 profit of $2.6B

Ford took in $2.6 billion in pre-tax profits in the third quarter of the year, making for a record trio of months that saw the Blue Oval's year-over-year earnings increase by $426 million. The earnings are being attributed not just to improvements in North American sales, but sales around the globe.
Revenue was up 12 percent, to $36 billion, although net income took a hit, dropping $359 million to $1.3 billion. Ford was dinged with $498 million in pre-tax charges, which are being blamed for the drop in net income.
The news has boosted Ford's hopes for full-year results, bumping it's total profits up past $8 billion, according to Automotive News. The Dearborn, MI-based manufacturer is still expecting a loss in Europe, although it's forecasted less than the $1.73 billion it burned in 2012. In fact, according to CFO Bob Shanks, Ford's European losses dropped by 51 percent year-over year, a huge improvement for the brand.

Ford Transit production fires up, American Pickers among first takers

Not long ago, the History Channel showed a seemingly unending stream of World War II documentaries, but it made a switch a few years ago to include an increasing mix of 'reality' programming. American Pickers was one of the early attempts at this new formula, with cameras following hosts Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz around the country in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter as they tracked down collectibles and "rusty gold" for their Iowa shop, Antique Archeology. The show has since gone on to become one of the channel's most popular programs.
Starting in the new episode airing tonight, the affable hosts will swap their Benz for a 2015 Ford Transit, a nicely timed bit of marketing to coincide with the launch of the model's assembly at the Blue Oval's Kansas City Assembly Plant, which also kicks off this week. Ford is touting 2,000 new jobs created as part of its $1.1-billion investment in the plant.
No strangers to product placement, the guys from American Pickers say their switch away from the Sprinter is because they wanted to balance cargo capacity and fuel economy to make the most of their cross-country jaunts. They opted for the largest Transit available with a long wheelbase, extended body and high roof, giving them 487 cubic feet of cargo room. Hauling power comes from a 3.2-liter, five-cylinder diesel engine with 190 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque and a six-speed automatic transmission with rear-wheel drive. Fittingly, the van wears the same Antique Archaeology logo over white paint as their old Sprinter.