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2016 Ford Shelby GT350 First Drive [w/video]

Red meat. America's signature protein has necessarily violent origins. Slaughter, butcher, open flames and iron – you don't need a recently lapsed vegetarian (me) to lay it out for you. Of course the blood and the cuts are all part of the appeal, a reminder with every forkful of beef that we still like to be visceral creatures in an increasingly sanitized world. There is much in the makeup of Ford's Mustang that matches these carnivorous tendencies. Not only does it offer a hint of violence with potential for speed every time the engine kicks over, it's also the motive meal we Americans salivate over more than any other. Ford's pony car is among the most popular car searches online, year in and year out, and truly special versions stress servers and storm forum spaces when they hit the streets. I'll be honest, I've been just as frothed and drooling to see and drive the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 as the rest of you netziens, too. Engineers have hacked and carved away at the stock car, to make a wicked V8 morsel that's bloody-minded and racetrack ready. The flat-plane crank V8 revs to the moon and sounds like a supercar when spinning hard. The palpitating heart of newest Shelby is a 5.2-liter, naturally aspirated V8 engine that bucks the current, popular trends for performance cars, while also breaking new ground for Ford. Fast cars from all over the world have made impressive numbers using turbos and superchargers in recent years, but Ford wanted revs to make its racing machine go right. So the company tossed out the forced-induction formula, and created a flat-plane crank V8 that revs to the moon and sounds like a supercar when spinning hard. The light, strong crankshaft reduces inertial mass in the engine and allows for a mind-blowing redline at 8,250 rpm. Perhaps more importantly it makes for beautiful rising wave of available torque as one digs deeper into the throttle, which feels like fast magic when doing something like climbing the hill to The Corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. At 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, some 102-hp per liter, there's enough power for staggering acceleration whenever you ask for it. Providing, of course, you keep the pot boiling at three grand or more. To call the power delivery below that mark "weak" would be ludicrous, but it does feel more inert there than the cars in the turbo-quick jet set that's so popular these days.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla considers Model III SUV and wagon, Ford tears Tesla apart

Worries over Brazil's electric grid mean EVs are excluded from green car incentives. As part of a new efficiency program, non-plug-in hybrids will be eligible for a reduction in import duties, while EVs and plug-in hybrids will not. Brazil's government is concerned that the country's grid lacks the capacity to handle the increased load from an influx of EVs. Brazil plans to create a new incentive program - perhaps a more inclusive one - when the current one expires at the end of 2015. Read more at Green Car Reports. Tesla could make SUV and wagon derivatives of the upcoming Model III sedan. Tesla's VP of engineering, Chris Porritt, told Auto Express that to reach as many customers as possible, Tesla would consider all its options. "SUVs, estates - who knows?" says Porritt. He also says that while the company is currently focused on products with a broader appeal, another Roadster or other sports car aren't out of the question in the future. Read more at Auto Express. Ford admits to a Tesla Model S teardown. Ford CEO Mark Fields says that after disassembling, reassembling and driving the model S, his company is "very familiar with that product." He also says the Ford has the capability to build a similarly high-tech, long-range electric car. The questions still remains if Ford has plans for such a vehicle, but Fields says that it fits within Ford's "product philosophy." Read more at Business Insider and at USA Today.

Jim Farley to lead Ford of Europe

"We are excited to see Jim and Stephen take on these new roles as they bring unique skills, experience and fresh perspectives to these critical positions." - Mark Fields
Ford marketing chief Jim Farley is taking over the company's troubled European operations as part of an executive shuffle confirmed on Friday morning.