2001 Ford Taurus on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Here's more of the Ford GT soundtrack

You probably won't be surprised to find out that that while we outsiders were speculating on the racing plans for the new Ford GT, the automaker was already testing the American exotic on track. Ford Performance has just posted some footage from one of those tests and it's worth a watch. In spite of that early exhaust promo and Xcar's two in-depth videos on the racer and the road-going coupe, this is the first time we've been treated to sustained looks at the track version just laying in laps and roaring by. Now that we know Ford's plans include running four cars throughout the 2016 season, the early testing makes sense. Ford will have two cars running in the GTE-Pro class in the Tudor United Sports Car Championship and another two in the same class in the FIA World Endurance Championship, all of them campaigned by Chip Ganassi Racing with the Felix Sabates team. Then the company plans to have all four cars at Le Mans, which will be Chip Ganassi's first ever tilt at the French event. If you want some practice picking out exhaust notes come 2016, check out the video above. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ford GT LM GTE Pro View 18 Photos News Source: Ford Performance via YouTube Motorsports Ford Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance Videos ford performance

Jay Leno is far beyond driven in his 1971 Pantera

Perhaps it's fitting that the band Pantera is known for its heavy metal music, because the DeTomaso Pantera is the automotive equivalent of a metal album. It's short, aggressive and makes a mean sound. It doesn't mess around either, with a Ford 351-cubic-inch (5.75-liter) V8 sending mountains of torque to the rear wheels. This week, Jay Leno takes us on a detailed tour of his '71 to show why it rocks.
There's a regular format to Jay Leno's Garage. It starts with Jay and maybe a guest taking a look at the car and talking about its history, and then they take it out on the open road. However, this video is practically a Pantera buyer's guide. Jay is adamant from the start that the last thing anyone should own is a stock example. To remedy this, he and his guest, the editor of the Pantera Club magazine, take viewers to school about some of the ways to turn them into even better performance machines.
No matter what you do to it, though, the Pantera requires that the driver adapt to it, not the other way around. For example, Jay isn't a big guy by most standards, but he has to cram himself into the cockpit with his shoes off and shirt partially unbuttoned just to go for a drive. Still, once out on the road, it all makes sense with that rumbling V8 and those Italian supercar looks. Scroll down to watch and learn a lot more about this uncompromising '70s performance car.

Ford Focus EV's slow sales trigger massive incentives

The Detroit News reports Ford is having real trouble moving its new Focus Electric. As a result, the automaker is offering substantial incentives in an attempt to lure in more buyers. How substantial? Try $10,750 off of a three-year lease. What's more, the EV can now be had for $37,995 ($2,000 less than its original base price) on top of an additional $2,000 cash discount to buy the EV outright - or you can opt for 1.9-percent financing if you work through Ford Motor Credit. None of which factors in various potential government incentives. Last year, Ford managed to sell a paltry 685 of the 1,627 Focus EV hatchbacks it built.
Ford isn't alone in trying to woo more buyers to its EV effort. Nissan cut the price of its Leaf by a whopping 18 percent for 2013, now down to $28,800 and built in the USA. The move followed the automaker's substantial incentives in 2012.
If you want a Focus Electric, you can now apparently get your hands on one for as little as $285 per month with $930 due at signing for a 36-month lease with 10,500 miles per year.