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2016 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350R First Ride

Ford Performance Chief Engineer Jamal Hameedi was in China when he received an interesting text. Half a world away his team was shaking down the newest Shelby Mustang at Grattan Raceway in rural Michigan. The news was encouraging. The GT350R was keeping pace with a Porsche 911 GT3, even nosing ahead of it during time trials, while the GT350 was running about even with a 911 Carrera S and a Chevy Corvette Stingray. "That was a good text to get," he recounted a week later as we chatted alongside the track at Grattan. On this scorching summer day, there were no Porsches or Stingrays to be found, but we've come to preview the track-focused GT350R. Ford drivers are at the wheel, and we're riding shotgun. After several hot laps, we're left with a predictable observation: The GT350R is wicked fast and quick as hell. Much of this is thanks to the 5.2-liter flat-plane crank V8 that pumps out 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. It's the most powerful naturally aspirated road-legal engine in Ford's 112-year history. To help the engineering process, Ford bought a Ferrari 458 Italia and ripped apart its V8. The GT350's engine ended up being 10 pounds lighter. For the coup d'grace, Ford's mill also revs to a Ferrari-like 8,250 rpm. As formidable as all of that looks on paper, it sounds even more imposing in real life (see the related video below). The engine in our GT350R crackles, growls, and opens up to a flat-out roar as we explode onto the track, gripping the door pulls to calm our nerves. Grattan is a challenging, twisty course. The corners are tight, and the elevation changes quickly. At one point, our test driver aggressively tackles a curve and we're briefly airborne. During the first stint, we reach about 140 miles per hour. But the GT350R isn't about straight-line speed or pure power. It's designed to get around a track as rapidly as possible. That means Ford took the 'base' GT350 – which should be more than at home on the track itself – and re-tuned the suspension and aerodynamics. There's a larger front splitter and rear carbon-fiber spoiler. The 19-inch carbon-fiber wheels are stiffer and lighter than comparable aluminum rollers, and they're wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 high performance rubber. Additionally, Ford ripped out the back seats, air conditioning, trunk floorboard, stereo, backup camera, and anything else that wasn't necessary.

Ex-GM VP LaNeve takes over Lincoln ad agency

Those of you that caught yesterday's op-ed about Lincoln will have heard already, but Mark LaNeve has taken the helm at Team Detroit. Once the North American vice president of sales, service and marketing for General Motors, LaNeve will now head up the agency that handles all of Ford advertising. LaNeve will also run the account for Lincoln. While at GM from 2001 to 2009, the exec oversaw ad campaigns like Cadillac's Breakthrough and sales initiatives like "Employee Pricing for Everyone."
He left in 2009 to join Allstate as chief marketing officer, oversaw the creation of the Mayhem ad spots and was moved into the role of VP of agency operations overseeing Allstate's 10,000 agents. He resigned from the insurer in February 2012 for personal reasons and joined Team Detroit in August 2012 as chief operating officer, in charge of satellite offices in New York and internationally. He replaces ex-CEO Cameron McNaughton, and will continue to hold the title of COO.
Lincoln is trying to get its 2013 back to rights after putting big dollar commercials for the 2013 MKZ on television then having production glitches preventing cars from getting to dealerships. With rumors of a relaunch in the works, it's no surprise LaNeve has been given the reins - and from here it looks like the brand is desperate for the kind of magic he's proved he can marshal. Perhaps he can start by calling a mulligan on the renaming exercise that gave us the hoary "Lincoln Motor Company" and go back to oh, say, "Lincoln." Then he can ask the product folks to get to work on the MKC concept...

Driving Civic and Elantra Hybrids, and big Ford Maverick updates | Autoblog Podcast #842

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They discuss the week in car news first, leading off with the updated 2025 Ford Maverick that adds a Lobo sport truck variant and an AWD hybrid. Next, they chat some Cadillac news with the reveal of the stunning Sollei convertible concept and the refreshed 2025 Escalade. After the news, the two focus on what they've been driving over the past couple of weeks. They start with the Fiat 500e, then move along to a comparison between the refreshed Hyundai Elantra Hybrid and totally-new Honda Civic Hybrid. Lastly, there's a discussion of the new Infiniti QX80 and the STI mods applied to our long-term Subaru WRX. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #842 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo 2025 Ford Maverick adds AWD hybrid version Cadillac Sollei revealed 2025 Cadillac Escalade refresh What we're driving 2024 Fiat 500e 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid 2025 Infiniti QX80 Long-Term 2023 Subaru WRX Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video:  Cadillac Sollei is an electric convertible concept This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.