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Ford Focus RS configurator hits the Internet

Ford made waves yesterday when it drooped the performance and pricing details on the new Focus RS. Perhaps keen to keep the momentum going, the Blue Oval has launched the configurator for its new fire-breathing hot hatchback. As configurators go, this is a lot like the Ford's other build-your-own tools, only it's even more limited. The total list of options on the new Focus RS is quite light. You can pick from one of four colors, including the stylish Nitro Blue shown above, while there are just two interior upholstery schemes – partial black leather and full black leather for the standard Recaro seats. Your decision there will ultimately inform just how pricey your Focus RS will get. Opt for the full leather interior and you'll be stuck with the so-called RS2 package, which adds heated, powered front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated mirrors, and navigation to the standard SYNC3 infotainment system. Oh, and it'll also drive the price up by $2,785. Other options include a handsome set of 19-inch wheels, with the option of ultra sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The wheels alone are a $1,395 option while adding the tires runs the price up $595, which is a bargain considering how pricey 19-inch PS Cup 2s are. The final option is a simple sunroof, priced at just $895. As you can see above, we've built our ideal Focus RS, finished in Nitro Blue with the 19-inch wheels, RS2 package (we live in Michigan, after all) and standard Michelin rubber. Yep, we passed on the more aggressive tire, with blame going to replacement costs. The total price comes to $41,480. Head on over to Ford's website and build your very own Focus RS, and then head back here and let us know how you optioned it, down in Comments. Related Video:

‘American Auto’ fires on most cylinders

If you like cars or you enjoyed “Superstore” then “American Auto” is worth your time. NBC previewed the punchy sitcom last night ahead of the series premiere Jan. 4, and it offers a humorous take on the U.S. auto industry as seen through the team at fictional Payne Motors. Overseen by Justin Spitzer, the creator of “Superstore” and a producer on “The Office,” the two episodes that dropped Monday show Payne executives trying to navigate the challenges of the modern auto business.  “Saturday Night Live” alum Ana Gasteyer stars as a pharmaceutical exec turned Payne CEO. The cast also includes Harriet Dyer as stressed-out PR boss, Sadie; Tye White as Jack, a factory worker who gets promoted to the C-suite; and former “Superstore” cast member Jon Barinholtz as the company scion, Wesley, who has no job responsibilities and is employed because of his name. The cast also includes X Mayo, Michael Benjamin Washington and Humphrey Ker as executives. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Autoblog -- thatÂ’s us -- gets name-checked early in the second episode (2:37 into the show) for "our" critical take on GasteyerÂ’s introduction of the Payne Ponderosa, a car the company scrambled to build in time for its auto show reveal.  GasteyerÂ’s CEO character walks in on a meeting between Sadie and Jack -- their budding romance appears to be part of the story arc -- and blurts out “Autoblog says hasty HastingsÂ’ premature launch,” apparently a reference to a headline that pans the Ponderosa. Looking at the cartoonish wagon-like thing, itÂ’s well-earned criticism. Perhaps the writers know of us -- weÂ’ve been around for nearly 18 years and are read by millions each month -- or thought ‘AutoblogÂ’ sounded like a good name for a car website. Either way. The pilot is centered on the Ponderosa and its troubled development (the first version of the car ran over people). Episode 2 features a Ponderosa Magellan van being used by a serial killer in a police chase. Titled “White Van,” the episode is obviously reminiscent of O.J. SimpsonÂ’s 1994 chase in a white Ford Bronco. ThereÂ’s also some Michigan references, which help to set the scene. One character has a Wayne State degree on the wall and the Magellan flees on Interstate 94, which runs through the state.

Chevy, GMC and Ram dealers are worried they'll run out of new pickups

One of the unexpected side effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is a shortage of pickups at Chevrolet, GMC and Ram dealers. Supplies are running out, and the factories that build these trucks remain closed. Stores across the nation began increasing incentives in March, when the first stay-at-home orders were issued, in a bid to continue luring buyers into showrooms. They also launched online sales channels, or expanded their existing digital business. Sales nonetheless plummeted in April 2020, but in-demand vehicles, like the Ram 1500 and the Chevrolet Silverado, are still selling relatively well thanks in part to the aforementioned incentives. Pickups outsold sedans for the first time in April 2020, according to The Detroit News, by 17,000 units. The problem is that General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and Ford temporarily closed their factories in March. "The pipeline is very dry," said Mike Maroone, the CEO of a large dealership group named Maroone USA, in an interview with Automotive News. He told the publication his Chevrolet stores are sitting on a 30-day supply of the Silverado, which is one of America's best-selling vehicles. "That is a problem for us," he concluded. Coronavirus-related lockdowns and factory closures compound problems already faced by dealerships who represent General Motors-owned brands. They entered 2020 with a thinner inventory than a year earlier due to the 40-day United Auto Workers (UAW) strike that paralyzed the company late in 2019, and the 0%, 84-month offers announced in March have sapped supply. Ram wasn't affected by a strike, but it has relied heavily on generous incentives to move trucks off lots. Ford, on the other hand, limited incentives to 2019 models. Inventory levels differ greatly from region to region. The national average for the Silverado stood at an 82-day supply in March 2020, down from 120 in March 2019. Ram stores had a 114-day supply of the 1500 (compared to 134 a year earlier), while Ford bucked that trend with a 111-day supply versus 84 in 2019. Don't panic if you're in the market for a truck; we're not facing a complete drought. Automotive News added that America's light-duty pickup inventory could fall to 400,000 units by the end of May, and drop further to 260,000 units in June. For context, there were about 700,000 light-duty trucks in stock in May and June of 2019. That's unquestionably a sharp drop, but there will still be over a quarter of a million trucks to choose from.