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2015 Ford F-150 brings big aluminum to the Rust Belt [w/video]

Just when you thought you'd figured the fullsize truck market out, Ford goes and throws us a massive curve ball with the 2015 F-150. The big headline news aren't tow or payload ratings, though we're sure those figures will be fully competitive if not class leading, they haven't yet been announced. Instead, the big headline news Ford is highlighting are the truck's new aluminum-intensive structure and 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine.
And with good reason - all that aluminum means that Ford was able to cut a massive 700 pounds from the truck's curb weight. That is going to cause all sorts of great things to happen to the 2015 F-150's driving dynamics, performance and fuel efficiency, not to mention its ability to haul heavy loads. For those customers worried about the strength of aluminum versus the more conventional steel, Ford is quick to point out that many military vehicles, such as the HMMWV and Bradley Fighting Vehicle, use a very similar sort of aluminum alloy in their construction.
It's also worth mentioning that the backbone, a fully boxed ladder frame, is hewn from high-strength steel. Ford says "2015 Ford F-150 is the strongest and most durable F-150 ever," for what it's worth, claiming that "torture tested" in labs and in the real world for more than 10 million miles. What's more, the truck, in disguised form, completed all 883 miles of the Baja 1000.

John Hennessey's personal 2015 HPE700 Supercharged Ford Mustang GT hits 195 mph

Dressed in a coat of menacing black paint, the 2015 Hennessey Performance HPE700 Supercharged Ford Mustang GT definitely looks like one mean muscle machine. The 717-horsepower 'Stang proved that it can back up that aggressive appearance recently when company founder John Hennessey took his personal example to see just how fast it would go. The result down the 1.1-mile straight at the Continental Tires Proving Grounds in Uvalde, Texas, was over 195 miles per hour. The Mustang is nothing but a black blur and wall of supercharger wail as it buzzes by the camera at top speed. Despite the strong result, Hennessey doesn't seem done with the 'Stang yet. The car still seems to be pulling when it hits the rev limiter, and there's some straight track left ahead. After getting out, John Hennessey immediately says he thinks 200 mph is possible. The heart of the HPE700 is a 2.9-liter Roots-Type supercharger running at 7.25 psi. That's a pretty massive blower, especially when considering the 2.4-liter unit on the Hellcat V8. The engine also gets upgrades like improved injectors, a new fuel pump, stainless steel exhaust and recalibrated management. The company claims the upgraded Mustang can hit 60 in around 3.6 seconds and do the quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds at 131 mph. Prices for the package start at $59,500, but this one would would ring up for $65,874. Hennessey Performance is limiting production to 500 of them for the 2015 model year. 2015 HPE700 Supercharged Mustang Rockets to 195.2 mph John Hennessey takes his personal Mustang GT on a Texas road trip Uvalde, Texas-Everything is bigger in Texas, especially when it comes to automotive performance. Texas also lays claim to the highest posted speed limit in America at 85 mph. Enter the team from Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) who are located just west of Houston. John Hennessey and his merry band of performance car builders like to go fast, so much so that they have their own 1/4 mile dragstrip next to their workshop. Recently, the Hennessey team wanted to test their 717 horsepower HPE700 Supercharged Mustang development car (John's personal car and occasional daily driver) beyond the 130+ mph speeds that they have seen on the dragstrip. "Thankfully, we had recently received an invitation from the guys at the Continental Tires proving grounds in Uvalde to come over and do some testing on their 8.0 mile high speed oval", said Hennessey.

Ford Australia launches Falcon GT F 351, last of its line [w/video]

It's always best to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, and Ford Performance Vehicles is doing just that in Australia with the Falcon GT F 351. It's the most powerful road car the Aussie performance brand has ever made with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 pumping out 471 horsepower (351 kilowatts) and 420 pound-feet of torque. It's joined by the FPV Pursuit Ute with the same powerplant tuned to 422 hp and 402 lb-ft. Sadly, the last F in this Falcon's name stands for Final.
The GT F 351 is a monumental way to go out, though. It harkens back to the old days of Aussie muscle Fords, and the 351kw output is meant to reference the classic Falcon GT and its 351-cubic-inch V8. In addition to the massive power, the F has the improved suspension from the R-Spec model and Brembo brake calipers.
FPV is building just 500 GT F sedans for Australia and 50 more for New Zealand, plus 120 Pursuit Utes. They feature a blacked-out hood and black stripes over the hood and sides, plus gloss black accents around the headlights, door handles and mirrors.