2009 Ford Mustang Gt Bullitt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Gooding to auction 2016 Shelby GT350 to benefit vets

Gooding & Company will be auctioning off a brand-new 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 on August 15 at Pebble Beach. The chance to own Dearborn's new flagship muscle car is surely enough all on its own to garner some serious bids. Combine that desirability with a hefty dose of star power and the desire to support a good cause and we're sure this particular pony car will be boosted even further. The GT350 is being sold to support the Military Service Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, a program that seeks to support post-9/11 military veterans and their families as they transition into civilian life. The car's dashboard has been signed by the former president, and will be auctioned off by none other than Jay Leno – who in addition to being an unsurpassed showman and car nut is also known as a passionate supporter of American servicemen. Gooding expects the super-Stang to fetch between $75,000 and $100,000 for the cause – or roughly twice the car's $47,870 MSRP. The 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang debuted late last year at the LA Auto Show. It packs a new 5.2-liter V8 with a flat-plane crank, kicking out 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. That makes it the most powerful naturally aspirated engine Ford has ever made. "This is one of the most exotic engines ever produced by a major American manufacturer plus the fact that it's going into the most American of cars," said Jay Leno. "I am proud to help auction this car off where the proceeds will go to helping our veterans." Related Video: 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 to be Auctioned to Benefit the George W. Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative at Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach Auctions Jay Leno to present the Ford Shelby GT350 as it crosses the block on Saturday, August 15 SANTA MONICA, Calif. (August 3, 2015) – Gooding & Company, the official auction house of The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, is thrilled to offer for sale a 2016 Ford Shelby GT350. The sale of this Shelby will benefit the George W. Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative, a charity that honors the service and sacrifice of post-9/11 veterans and military families by bridging the civilian-military divide and fostering a successful transition and reintegration from military service to civilian life. The 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 is the first vehicle to implement Ford's new race-derived flat-plane crank 5.2-liter V-8, the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine ever to grace a Ford.

Ford Explorer gets appearance pack for 2015

Remember when Ford launched the totally new Explorer in late 2010, and people were skeptical about how the now-crossover would fare, after ditching its traditional SUV roots? Well, we're several years in, and I think we can assuredly say that Ford made the right decision. Sales are better than ever (in fact, May was the current Explorer's best month yet), and the crossover is finding its way into the hands of a whole host of new Ford buyers.
A wholly refreshed Explorer is still forthcoming, but to keep its strong-selling crossover fresh, Ford is offering a host of improvements for the 2015 model year, including the attractive appearance package available on the XLT trim level, pictured above. Outside, the pack gets you goodies like 20-inch machined aluminum wheels, black bodyside cladding and roof rack rails. Contrasting Magnetic Metallic accents are found on the grille, mirror caps and liftgate appliqué, and there's an "Explorer" hood badge and body-colored door handles. Inside, there are new Miko suede inserts in the seats, and the package includes the automaker's Sync connectivity with MyFord Touch infotainment.
Elsewhere in the Explorer range, the Class III trailer tow pack is now standard on the Sport, base models get new 18-inch aluminum wheels, and there are three new colors on offer: Bronze Fire Metallic and Magnetic Metallic.

Ford's Explorer-based Police Interceptor to get 365-hp EcoBoost option

Speeders beware, the police are going to be getting quite a bit faster. Ford has just announced that it will be offering its 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged, EcoBoost V6 in the Explorer Police Interceptor. The new engine will be joining the existing 3.7-liter V6. The 365-horsepower, 350-pound-foot mill should be familiar to consumers as the powerplant that's found in the Ford Taurus SHO (and its LEO equivalent, the Taurus Police Interceptor) and the Ford Explorer Sport. It should also provide quite a kick in the pants to officers used to the naturally aspirated 3.7 and its 304 ponies and 279 pound-feet of torque.
The move to the more potent powerplant was born out of all the equipment officers need to carry on a day-to-day basis. These days, there's so much stuff that police need on a regular basis, that there's a genuine market for a faster Police Interceptor Utility, as it's known officially. The Explorer-based cruiser has already accounted for 68 percent of Ford's LEO sales in 2013, and that's with just the 3.7, and we'd only expect that number to increase once the twin-turbo, 3.5-liter V6 is available. Ford won't offer up any indication of what the take rate will be on the new engine, but we're guessing it'll be fairly high.
The success of the Explorer PI couldn't have come at a better time for Ford. The decision to end Crown Victoria production was not a popular one with police, and combined with Chevrolet and Dodge diving into the LEO market feet first, Ford hasn't been performing as well as it's wanted to. The Explorer has been helping it turn around, though. And with the inclusion of the EcoBoost, Ford also has a legit competitor for the Chevrolet Tahoe on the big utility side of the police market.