2008 Ford Mustang Fr500 Cobra Jet on 2040-cars

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2014 Ford Fiesta ST

I'm not overly inclined to professional jealousy, as a rule. Sure, I go a bit green around the eyes when Ramsey draws the 911 GT3 trip to Weissach, Harley is tapped-in to drive a completely stunning Porsche 911 by Singer, or, you know, Drew Phillips gets to shoot a Lamborghini Veneno in the middle of a desert like some sort of sheik. I hate you guys...
Honestly though, one of the new car events that dug me the most, was when our Steven J. Ewing got to fling the Ford Fiesta ST around some hot corner of Europe. What goes around comes around, I suppose, as Mr. Ewing himself espoused an envious nature of the Focus ST trip that came before.
The good news in all this covetous intra-office behavior? All the cars mentioned, and specifically the Fiesta ST, are just wonderful to drive. I can say that with more confidence than ever now, having joined Ford for a good bit of Fiesta-flinging myself. In my case, the locale was slightly more pedestrian (Michigan not Portugal), and the car in question was the five-door version of the Fiesta ST that we get here in The States, as opposed to the three-door number they get across the pond.

Ford will probably never offer two RS models at the same time

Autocar has some sour news for fans of go-fast Ford products. According to Roelant de Waard, Ford's president of marketing in Europe, the automaker will probably never offer more than one RS performance model for sale at the same time. That statement runs contrary earlier rumblings that suggested Ford would launch its next-generation Focus RS in 2015 and follow the hatch with a spate of other vehicles with an RS badge. But de Waard has made it clear that Ford of Europe is now focused on squarely on the next Mustang, even though there may be more RS models on the way eventually.
"What is clear is that the RS shouldn't be a series, or a car badge that we have in our portfolio all the time. It is an extreme car - something more than ST," he said.
That philosophy makes plenty of sense. We loved the old Focus RS - shown above in RS500 trim - because it was generally bonkers and plenty exclusive. Diluting either aspect is sure to end in disappointment for everyone involved.

Ford Apollo edition Mustang nets $230K for charity

Ford's Apollo Edition Mustang won't be going to the moon anytime soon, but the specially modified pony car will be helping young people learn to fly thanks to the $230,000 raised from its charity auction during AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. All of the funds go to the Experimental Aircraft Association's Youth Aviation Programs that assist kids in becoming pilots. Eight specially modified Mustangs are responsible for raising about $3 million for the charity to date. With inspiration from the Apollo Program and a 2015 Mustang GT as a canvas, Ford Design manager Melvin Betancourt needed to create a road-going rocket ship dedicated to this massive engineering accomplishment. He definitely succeeded. The car is ready to takeoff with its supercharged 5.0-liter V8 pumping out 627 horsepower and 540 pound-feet of torque. The orange LEDs underneath make it look ready to blast into orbit, too. The exterior mixes patriotic imagery with lightweight carbon fiber performance parts, and on the interior, additional embroidery pays homage to the whole project of reaching the moon. Each year Ford returns to AirVenture with a new, customized 'Stang. In 2014, the car took inspiration from the F-35 Lightning II. The US Air Force Thunderbirds tribute car in 2013 and the Navy Blue Angels version in 2011 both raised $400,000 for the EAA charity. The SR-71-inspired example from 2010 went for another $375,000. Related Video: Ford Apollo Edition Mustang Celebrating the Apollo Missions Raises $230,000 to Support EAA Youth Aviation Programs • U.S. Apollo spaceflight program inspired one-of-a-kind 2015 Ford Apollo Edition Mustang sold at charity auction July 23 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin • 100 percent of proceeds benefit EAA youth aviation education programs, including Young Eagles • Unique Ford vehicles have raised approximately $3 million for EAA youth aviation programs, including Young Eagles DEARBORN, Mich., July 30, 2015 – The one-of-a-kind Apollo Edition Ford Mustang, developed by Ford Motor Company, raised $230,000 at the Gathering of Eagles charity event July 23. Proceeds from the auction – held during the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh 2015, the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration – benefit youth aviation education programs, including the Young Eagles. The Young Eagles has provided free introductory flights to more than 1.9 million young people since 1992, helping to grow the next generation of aviators.