Heated Seats Sync Automatic Fog Lights Awd 4x4 on 2040-cars

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Ford board OK with Mulally stepping down earlier

Ford's board is open to CEO Alan Mulally stepping down before his planned departure in 2014, inside sources are telling Reuters. Ford's plan of succession, aside from who would be his actual successor, has been something approaching common knowledge - the 68-year-old former Boeing exec had plans to stay through 2014. This was recently confirmed by Mulally himself on Bloomberg Television and in Automotive News.
Motivation for the about-face comes from what Reuters calls a "growing confidence" in the current crop of Ford execs, led by Mark Fields. Fields, Ford's current chief operating officer, has been tipped as Mulally's ultimate successor, although he's far from the only person with eyes on Ford's top job. Normally, Ford's board saying they're open to an executive, that's done very well for the company, stepping down early would be nearly unremarkable. It's the timing of this announcement, though, that makes this a big piece of news.
Recently, Mulally has been the subject of rumors that he's interested in taking the CEO position at tech giant Microsoft. The Redmond, Washington-based company's CEO, Steve Ballmer, told the media in August that he'd be retiring in a year's time. The fires were stoked when tech website AllThingsD speculated that Mulally would take the top spot, despite denials from the man himself. Could Ford's current boss become the new top dog at Microsoft? Will Mark Fields replace him? Could recently departed Renault exec Carlos Tavares land at Ford in some capacity? Let us know what you think below in Comments.

Carfection looks for the ultimate pocket rocket

If there's one thing we love, it's a good showdown. Especially when it's on video, done by some Englishmen, and involving some manner of performance machinery. Like this latest clip, for example, from Carfection. The team formerly known as Xcar have assembled three very compelling supermini hot hatches: two we can get on our side of the pond, and one we can't. One American, one Frenchman, and one Brit. One cheap, one expensive, and one somewhere in between. They all pack turbo fours, of course, but placed in entirely different packages. There's the evergreen favorite Ford Fiesta ST, the Renault Clio RS 220 Trophy that should have the rest licked, and the retro rocket that is the Mini JCW. And there's only one way to find out which is the best. It's a tough contest, to be sure, but lest you think it all comes down to specifications or which one's the newest, you'll want to think again. Because when it comes to hot hatches, all the electronic gizmos and power boosts in the world can't show up a perfectly dialed-in chassis that lets you hug the curves and feel like you're going a lot faster than you actually are. But don't take our word for it – see what our British friends have to say about it in the Queen's English in the seventeen-minute clip above. Related Video:

2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ram 1500 TRX and Toyota goes in on EVs | Autoblog Podcast #710

This episode of the Autoblog Podcast features Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore and Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. John is beck from a recent first drive of the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5, and has a 2022 Ford Bronco 4-Door Black Diamond in his driveway. Meanwhile, Greg just got out of a 2022 Ram 1500 TRX and back into Autoblog's long-term Acura TLX. After talking about the car's they've been driving, they dive into the news, including EV announcements from Toyota and Lexus, rumors of a turbo I6 Dodge Challenger, a list of future classics from Hagerty and a review of the sitcom American Auto. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Enjoy your holidays, and we'll see you in 2022. Autoblog Podcast #710 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown What we're driving: 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 2022 Ram 1500 TRX 2021 Acura TLX 2022 Ford Bronco Black Diamond News: Toyota and Lexus preview future EVs Dodge Challenger could get a downsized turbo straight-six Hagerty's list of future classic cars to buy before values take off NBC's American Auto fires on most cylinders Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video: