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Ford GT to be revived, Le Mans battle upcoming

Ford dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966 to 1969, scoring four consecutive wins. Wouldn't it be great if the Blue Oval could go back to France for the 50th anniversary of that performance and show it can still compete in international endurance racing? Actually, the latest rumors indicate that could be exactly the case, and the car taking that checkered flag could be another revival of the Ford GT.
As the rumblings go, Ford wants to use a new supercar to take another crack at Le Mans, after considering some other possible alternatives. Substantiating these musings are reports that a Blue Oval rep was reportedly on hand for a recent meeting about 2016 GTE-Class rules, according to Road and Track. That would put the new GT in the same racing class as the Corvette, Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911 and others.
It's not all about racing, though. If you win on Sunday, you want something to be able to sell on Monday. The revived GT is reportedly still a mid-engine supercar, but the exact engine is unclear. It's possible that it could even be shown or announced at the Detroit auto show in January, according to Motor Trend.

Ford cuts production at 5 plants, has big backload of cars including Mustang

DETROIT — Ford said on Tuesday it plans to idle five North American vehicle assembly plants for a total of 10 weeks to reduce inventories of slow-selling models. The plants affected include three assembly plants in the United States and two in Mexico, the company said in a statement. The vehicle models include the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ midsize sedans, the Ford Focus compact car, the Lincoln Continental and Ford Mustang, Ford Fiesta and the Ford Transit van. Ford said the Cuautitlan assembly plant that builds the Fiesta would be idled for three weeks. The Hermosillo, Mexico plant that builds the Fusion and MKZ and the Flat Rock, Michigan, factory that assembles Continentals and Mustangs will be idled for two weeks each. The Michigan Assembly plant that builds the Focus will be idled for one week, and the Kansas City assembly line that builds Transit vans will be down for two weeks. Ford did not give dates for the temporary shutdowns. The factories involved employ more than 15,000 people, according to Ford's website. The company did not say how many of those workers would face temporary layoffs. As of Sept. 1, Ford had 111 days' worth of unsold Mustangs, 87 days' supply of Fusions, and a 103 days' supply of Transit vans, according to Automotive News. Dealers had enough unsold Lincoln Continentals to last 162 days. Automakers aim for 65 to 70 days of inventory of most models. Ford and rival General Motors have wrestled most of this year to rein in high inventories of passenger cars as consumers have shifted to buying pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Production cuts slice into revenue, but also could help the automakers avoid deeper price cuts on vehicles they can sell. Reporting by Joe WhiteRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Plants/Manufacturing Ford Lincoln Convertible Coupe Minivan/Van Sedan ford transit inventory flat rock kansas city assembly plant hermosillo

The Stig drives Forza-liveried Ford Focus RS to Gamescom

Auto shows typically present the best opportunities for the public to check out the latest metal the industry has to showcase, but European enthusiasts won't need to wait until Frankfurt or Geneva to see Ford's new performance machinery up close. That's because they'll be able to check out the new Ford GT and Focus RS at the Gamesom expo that opens today in Cologne. But it won't be just any Focus RS, and it won't be driven there by just any old driver. To mark the European debut of Forza Motorsport 6 – whose cover is adorned by the new Ford GT – the Blue Oval automaker has had gamers help design a special livery for the new hot hatch. Wrapped in red, white, and blue with images of the new GT, the unique Focus will be driven by none other than The Stig himself from Top Gear. (Or at least someone in a similar white racing outfit, at any rate.) His Royal Stigness won't have far to go, as Ford's European headquarters are located right there in Cologne (or Koln as the locals call it), less than a half-hour drive down the Rhein river to the Koln Messe where the show will take place. There it'll be showcased alongside the new Ford GT as well, giving gaming fans the chance to check out some very fast Fords up close and personal. Related Video: Aug 4, 2015 | COLOGNE, Germany Ford GT and Gamer-Customised Forza Focus RS to Star During Gamescom; Top Gear's The Stig Helps Unveil One-Off Design - Customised new Focus RS with unique livery designed by players of Forza Motorsport for Xbox unveiled ahead of 2015 Gamescom exhibition in Cologne, Germany - The Stig from BBC's Top Gear drives Forza Focus RS to pre-show event - Visitors to Gamescom – Europe's largest interactive games trade fair – will also see all-new Ford GT supercar on show COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 4, 2015 – A unique all-new Ford Focus RS featuring an exterior designed by players of Forza Motorsport for Xbox was unveiled today at a special Microsoft event, ahead of the international 2015 Gamescom event in Cologne. The special Forza Focus RS was driven to the event – and accompanied during the evening – by the Stig from BBC's Top Gear, who will feature in the new Forza Motorsport 6 game for the Microsoft Xbox One console. The all-new Focus RS is the third generation of Focus RS cars, following models launched in 2002 and 2009.