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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.

Want a V8 on the cheap? Buy a work truck

In case you didn't notice, V8 cars have gotten pretty expensive. If you want a modern muscle car like the Dodge Challenger R/T, Ford Mustang GT, or Chevy Camaro SS, you'll need between $34,000 and $38,000 for a stripped out example of one. The cheapest of those is the Challenger, and the priciest is the Camaro. These are also the cheapest V8 cars the companies offer. But if you absolutely have to have a V8 for less, there is an option, work trucks. As it turns out, all of the Big Three offer their most basic work trucks with V8s. And because they're so basic, they're pretty affordable, especially when sticking with the standard two-wheel drive. A Ram 1500 Tradesman with a V8 can be had for as little as $29,840, which is a little more than $4,000 less than a Challenger R/T. For a bit more at $30,275, you can have a Chevy Silverado W/T, almost $8,000 less than a Camaro SS. The most expensive is the V8 Ford F-150 starts at a starting price of $30,670, which is a bit over $5,000 less than the Mustang. Of course you'll be in an ultra bare bones vehicle with few comforts, and the price will go up if you add stuff, but we're bargain hunting here, and sacrifices are sometimes necessary. Besides, what you lose in comfort, you gain in loads of cargo space and towing (try to look at the bright side). Also, as a side note, all three trucks are available with optional electronic locking rear differentials. At the discounted price of these trucks, you still get a heaping helping of power. The most potent of the trio is the Ram 1500 Tradesman with 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque generated by a 5.7-liter V8. Compared with the Challenger R/T, the Ram is up by 20 horsepower and they're tied for torque. The value proposition is even more stark between the two vehicles when looking at the price per horsepower. Each pony in the Ram costs $75.54, while the Challenger charges you $90.91. The Challenger is also more expensive per horsepower than its close competitors. The F-150's 5.0-liter V8 is just barely behind the Ram with 395 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. That's still more power than the Challenger, and it matches the torque of the 2017 Mustang GT. On the down side, it still would be down 20 horsepower on that same 2017 Mustang, and it's behind by 60 horsepower and 20 pound-feet on the new 2018 Mustang GT. The F-150 also just edges out the Mustang in the dollar per horsepower measure.

Jeep Grand Cherokee, BMW i8, Ford F-150 win 2015 Green Car Awards in DC [w/video]

There were three shiny trophies handed out at the Washington Auto Show last week by Green Car Journal, and they went to three different examples of what "green" means in the automotive industry today. The Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel won the award for the 2015 Green SUV of the Year, the BMW i8 was named the 2015 Luxury Green Car of the Year and the Ford F-150 took the 2015 Green Car Technology Award honor. There is a case to be made that the aluminum body of the new Ford truck will make a bigger impact in the overall fuel usage in the US than almost any other vehicle, given the numbers of F-150s that Ford sells each year. The B20 biodiesel-capable Jeep gets up to 30 miles per gallon on the highway. And the i8 puts all sorts of new, fuel-saving technologies into an attractive package. Looking over the winners, and the list of finalists you can see in our photo gallery, and you can see that the definition of green is expanding every year. You can watch Green Car Journal editor Ron Cogan hand out the 2015 awards in the video below and we'll for sure be paying attention to what wins next year. 2015 Luxury Green Car of the Year, Green SUV of the Year and Green Car Technology Winners Announced WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Car Journal has named the Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel its 2015 Green SUV of the Year™ and the BMW i8 its 2015 Luxury Green Car of the Year™, with the aluminum-bodied Ford F-150 earning the magazine's 2015 Green Car Technology Award™. Winners were determined by a jury of Green Car Journal editors and automotive experts. The prestigious awards were announced in Washington, D.C. today at a Green Car Awards™ press conference held during the Washington Auto Show's Public Policy Day at the Washington Convention Center. "These are truly commendable vehicles representing the 'best-of-the-best' in so many ways," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "The auto industry's very early focus on small cars and efficiency-for-environment tradeoffs has evolved to now include a more dynamic field of 'greener' models in all vehicle classes. Those wanting greater efficiency or better environmental performance are no longer constrained by limited choices or vehicle types that fall outside their top purchase preferences.