2002 Ford Focus Lx Sedan 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Can an actual Ford F-150 ride on 4 Power Wheels F-150s?

A lot of kids are rough on their toys, especially when it comes to those made to be used outside, like a four-wheeled kid-size Power Wheels. Whether it's cruising through the sand box, carrying piles of rocks in the driveway or crashing around trees in the backyard, these motorized vehicles often take punishment from the moment the giftwrap comes off. The folks at Fisher-Price decided to give their latest F-150 Power Wheels a true torture test worse than any kid could have ever managed by setting a real 2015 Ford F-150 on top of four of them. Would the little toy trucks explode in a shower of plastic shards in a massive collapse, and if not, could they drive away afterwards? The latest F-150 might be 700 pounds lighter thanks to the switch to aluminum, but it's still a fullsize pickup. According to this clip, the truck weighs in at 4,120 pounds, which puts an average of 1,030 pounds on each of the toys. Check out the video above to see how the stunt goes, and click on the gallery below for some behind-the-scenes looks at the setup.

Ford to auction Mustang Cobra Jet prototype for charity [w/video]

Prototypes developed by major automakers typically remain in said company's custody, but every once in a while, one trickles out into private hands. And that's just what we have here. Ford is donating a one-of-a-kind factory prototype for the 2014 Mustang Cobra Jet that will be auctioned off later this month by Barrett-Jackson in Las Vegas to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 mated to a T4 competition gearbox, this rare Cobra Jet prototype includes a wheelie bar, chromoly roll cage, Weld wheels, three-link rear suspension, racing brakes, 9-inch rear axle and more. It's painted in a unique satin orange with reflective gray striping scheme, bears the serial number 2014 BJMS CJXX1 and is fully ready for NHRA competition on the drag strip.
To be offered with no reserve on Saturday, September 28, 2013, the Cobra Jet prototype's winning bidder will also receive tutelage at Roy Hill's Drag Racing School in Sophia, NC, along with tours of the Ford Product Development Center, Ford Racing headquarters and Ford Design Studios with Mustang chief engineer Dave Pericak. Scope out the video and details below for what could be the ultimate Mustang experience for a good cause.

Why the Detroit Three should merge their engine operations

GM and FCA should consider a smaller merger that could still save them billions of dollars, and maybe lure Ford into the deal. Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne would love to see his company merge with General Motors. But GM's board of directors essentially told him to go pound sand. So now what? The boardroom battle started when Mr. Marchionne published a study called Confessions of a Capital Junkie. In it, Sergio detailed the amount of capital the auto industry wastes every year with duplicate investments. And he documented how other industries provide superior returns. He's right, of course. Other industries earn much better returns on their invested capital. And there's a danger that one day the investors will turn their backs on the auto industry and look to other business sectors where they can make more money. But even with powerful arguments Marchionne couldn't convince GM to take over FCA. And while that fight may now be over, GM and FCA should consider a smaller merger that could still save them billions of dollars, and maybe lure Ford into the deal. No doubt this suggestion will send purists into convulsions, but so be it. The Detroit Three should seriously consider merging their powertrain operations, even though that's a sacrilege in an industry that still considers the engine the "heart" of the car. These automakers have built up considerable brand equity in some of their engines. But the vast majority of American car buyers could not tell you what kind of engine they have under the hood. More importantly, most car buyers really don't care what kind of engine or transmission they have as long as it's reliable, durable, and efficient. Combining that production would give the Detroit Three the kind of scale that no one else could match. There are exceptions, of course. Hardcore enthusiasts care deeply about the powertrains in their cars. So do most diesel, plug-in, and hybrid owners. But all of them account for maybe 15 percent of the car-buying public. So that means about 85 percent of car buyers don't care where their engine and transmission came from, just as they don't know or care who supplied the steel, who made the headlamps, or who delivered the seats on a just-in-time basis. It's immaterial to them. And that presents the automakers with an opportunity to achieve a staggering level of manufacturing scale. In the NAFTA market alone, GM, Ford, and FCA will build nearly nine million engines and nine million transmissions this year.