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2015 Ford Mustang specs revealed, GT to pack 435 HP

The 2015 Ford Mustang sounds great so far - at least on paper. Ford has just announced specs for the latest version of the iconic pony car in Dearborn, telling Autoblog that it will pump out as much as 435 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque from its 5.0-liter V8.
Those gaudy figures power the naturally aspirated GT model, and they easily eclipse the "more than" 420 hp and 390 lb-ft that Ford originally estimated.
The 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder makes 310 hp and 320 lb-ft, and it's the first turbo Mustang since the 1986 SVO.

Ford preparing camera-based Front Lighting System

Ford's European Research and Innovation Center in Aachen, Germany is in pre-development on two new lighting technologies that Ford expects to be available "in the near-term." The Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System uses GPS and a video camera in the rear-view mirror housing to move the adaptive headlights with the road terrain. When the car detects a roundabout or an intersection, for instance, the light beam widens to offer a bigger view of what's coming from the side. If GPS detected the intersection, the location is tagged so that the beam automatically widens when it is encountered again. The Spot Lighting system uses an infrared camera behind the grille, and is similar to but less complex than systems employed by Mercedes-Benz and Audi. When the infrared camera detects a potential hazard like a person or an animal in or near the road up to 390 feet ahead, it can shine one of two LED spotlights on the danger. A display in the dash cluster will highlight the object with a yellow or a red box, depending on the how close it is and how dangerous it might be. Even though there are only two spotlights, mounted next to the fog lights on the lower front bumper, the system can detect up to eight objects at a time. Don't expect to see these features come to the US, though. Our regulations remain opposed to such headlight trickery, so until that changes, Ford says it's focusing these developments on the European and Asian markets. The video above shows how it works, the press release below has more details. FORD DEVELOPING ADVANCED HEADLIGHTS THAT POINT OUT PEOPLE, ANIMALS IN THE DARK, AND WIDEN BEAMS AT TRICKY JUNCTIONS - Ford is developing advanced lighting technology that enables drivers to more easily see potential hazards when driving at night - Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System widens beam at junctions and roundabouts after interpreting traffic signs - GPS-enabled system uses forward-facing camera to remember roadways and direct lighting to help drivers better see bends in the road – effectively lighting the way home on previously travelled routes - Spot Lighting uses infra-red camera to detect pedestrians, cyclists, and animals, and highlight the potential hazards; system can detect up to eight potential hazards and highlight two highest priorities using specially designed headlights and on-screen display AACHEN, Germany, July 17, 2015 – Driving at night, particularly on unlit roads, can be a nerve-wracking experience.

Ford blamed in drug mule lawsuit

If a college student is caught smuggling drugs across the border, one might think the kid got what was coming to him. But when a Mexican student at the University of Texas in El Paso was caught by Border Patrol agents with duffel bags filled with marijuana in his trunk, the man used a classic excuse: He claimed they weren't his.
While a claim like that is almost unbelievable, Ricardo Magallanes, the student, is now suing Ford for handling its vehicles' key codes negligently enough to allow drug smugglers to break into his Ford Focus and stash the drugs, The Daily Caller reports. The twist here is that four other people who lived in Juarez and worked in El Paso were involved in the same type of scheme - allegedly unwittingly, just like Magallanes - and all the cars were Fords except one model from General Motors. FBI agents also found an employee at a Dallas Ford dealership that had accessed the key codes to all four of the cannabis-stuffed Fords.
While we all may not own Fords, the case still causes us slight paranoia. We'll definitely be checking our trunks before we cross any more international borders.