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2015 Ford Mustang Convertible ships in time for holiday gift giving

Looking for the ultimate present to put under the tree for that special someone? Well it might not fit in your living room or in a stocking, but the keys to a new Mustang convertible ought to do the trick. That's right, Ford has begun shipping the new drop-top pony car just in time for the holidays. Taking delivery of a convertible might not make the most sense in some climates, but those in southern states will undoubtedly enjoy the top-down experience to ring in the new year. And for those stuck in snowier climes, Ford is keen to point out that the new Mustang convertible is available with features like heated seats, remote start and a snow/wet setting among the selectable drive modes. As with the coupe, the new Mustang convertible can be had with the base 3.7-liter V6, the optional 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo four or the top-of-the-line 5.0-liter V8. For the time being, though, the 500+ horsepower Shelby GT350 is available only in coupe form. Related Video: Dec 9, 2014 | DEARBORN, Mich. 2015 Mustang Convertible Begins Shipping to Ford Dealers • Keys to the first 2015 Ford Mustang convertibles will be in customers' hands shortly • Available heated seats and remote start allow the all-new Mustang convertible to be enjoyed year-round, even in the coldest climates • Selectable drive modes with a snow/wet setting tunes Mustang to perform well in inclement weather conditions Ford Motor Company is excited to announce the 2015 Ford Mustang convertible will begin shipping to dealerships nationwide this week. "Cold weather may have come unseasonably early this year, but with available heated seats, remote start and selectable drive modes with a snow/wet setting, Mustang is the perfect offering for the season," said Melanie Banker, Mustang brand manager. Heated seats, standard on all premium Mustang convertibles, allow the driver and front passenger to stay warm even when the temperature drops. "While these seats also have a cooling feature, we suspect customers won't be using this function for a few more months," said Banker. Remote start, standard on all automatic-transmission Mustang models, allows customers to fire up their drop-top from the comfort of their home, even in inclement weather conditions. When remote start is used, Mustang not only warms up its engine, it also warms the interior of the car to a comfortable temperature.

Ford trademarking 'Mach 1,' possibly for Mustang

A legendary name might be accompanying the redesigned, 2015 Mustang when it finally makes its world debut - Mach 1. Stumbled upon by the team at Ford Authority, the Mach 1 title was found in a trademark filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office, and would revive a name last used on the fourth-generation, 2003 Mustang.
While the the 2003 vintage was well and good, the Mach 1 is really remembered for a three-year run from 1969 to 1971 - it's best to just forget the emissions-choked 1972 to 1978 Mach 1s - when power output ranged from a modest 250 horsepower with the two-barrel, 351-cubic-inch Windsor V8 to "375 hp" (actual output was rumored to be well north of 400 horsepower) with the righteous, 429-cubic-inch Super Cobra Jet V8.
What does the title hold for the sixth-generation Mustang? It's tough to say. The fanatics at Ford Authority seem to think Mach 1 could take the place of the Shelby GT500 at the top of the Mustang hierarchy, which sounds like a valid argument. At the same time, we could see the SVT Cobra moniker returning for the flagship model, and the Mach 1 doing battle with the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (unless the Boss 302 were to return). Confounding things is the historical precedent - the Mach 1 was responsible for the death of the Mustang GT in 1969, so it might make sense as a volume performance model.

Ford board OK with Mulally stepping down earlier

Ford's board is open to CEO Alan Mulally stepping down before his planned departure in 2014, inside sources are telling Reuters. Ford's plan of succession, aside from who would be his actual successor, has been something approaching common knowledge - the 68-year-old former Boeing exec had plans to stay through 2014. This was recently confirmed by Mulally himself on Bloomberg Television and in Automotive News.
Motivation for the about-face comes from what Reuters calls a "growing confidence" in the current crop of Ford execs, led by Mark Fields. Fields, Ford's current chief operating officer, has been tipped as Mulally's ultimate successor, although he's far from the only person with eyes on Ford's top job. Normally, Ford's board saying they're open to an executive, that's done very well for the company, stepping down early would be nearly unremarkable. It's the timing of this announcement, though, that makes this a big piece of news.
Recently, Mulally has been the subject of rumors that he's interested in taking the CEO position at tech giant Microsoft. The Redmond, Washington-based company's CEO, Steve Ballmer, told the media in August that he'd be retiring in a year's time. The fires were stoked when tech website AllThingsD speculated that Mulally would take the top spot, despite denials from the man himself. Could Ford's current boss become the new top dog at Microsoft? Will Mark Fields replace him? Could recently departed Renault exec Carlos Tavares land at Ford in some capacity? Let us know what you think below in Comments.