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UK Mustang buyers want big American V8s

Just before Ford ended its marketing partnership with Europe's UEFA Champions League soccer tournament last year, it showcased the 2015 Mustang during the event final in Lisbon, Portugal. Ford put 500 Mustangs up for pre-order to viewers in 20 countries, 130 of them right-hand-drive models for the UK. It didn't take 30 seconds for every car to be snapped up because almost 10,000 people tried to buy them. That's how hungry Europe is for the Mustang. That helps explain why orders for the pony car in the UK already number almost 2,000 units, which ties up production past July 2016. Ford UK released a few details on the order habits of that kingdom united, saying 80 percent have taken the coupe over the convertible, and 70 percent have gone for the 410-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8. That compares to 52 percent of US buyers taking the V8 instead of the V6 or the 2.3-liter Ecoboost. The UK V8 output number is 25 ponies down on our US model because of the switch to right-hand drive, the steering assembly location requiring a new exhaust manifold. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost is the only other engine offered there. The row-your-own set nips the slushbox crowd, 55 percent of buyers choosing the six-speed manual, and Race Red is the most popular of the ten available colors with 23-percent uptake. The graphic above breaks it all down, the press release below spells it all out. Related Video FIRST UK DELIVERIES IN SIGHT AS FORD MUSTANG ORDERS ACCELERATE TOWARDS 2,000 BRENTWOOD, Essex, UK, August 24, 2015 – Almost 2,000 Ford Mustang orders have been taken in the UK since January as the first right-hand drive cars begin to roll off the production line at Flatrock Assembly Plant in Michigan, North America. The Ford Mustang – introduced in the U.S. more than 50 years ago – has excited fans across the globe, but has never been available to order with right-hand drive, until now. The first UK customer deliveries are expected from November, with extra supply secured to meet the greater than expected demand. So far, 80 per cent of UK customers have opted for the fastback body style over the convertible and 70 per cent have specified the 416PS 5.0-litre V8 engine over the more fuel-efficient 317PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine. Mustang's six-speed manual transmission is the slightly more popular choice (55 per cent) over the six-speed automatic, which comes with sporty SelectShift paddle control.

Takata air bag recall list

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed yesterday that 33.8 million vehicles with Takata airbags are going to be recalled. It's the largest recall in automotive history. The already record-breaking rate of automotive recalls this year shows no signs of slowing down, especially since millions of cars with defective airbags made by global supplier Takata are under ongoing scrutiny. The federal government is warning owners that inflator mechanisms in the air bags can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the bags are deployed. The faulty air bags have already been blamed for multiple deaths. How do you know if your vehicle is safe? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released an updated list of vehicles under recall. Sometimes however, the government's website will crash and the list may not be complete. Check your VIN at the NHTSA website to make sure. The list of cars affected by the recall has not been released, but seem to span multiple models over the years for many of the automakers.

Ford hybrid sales rebound following MPG controversy

Ford hybrid customers apparently have very short memories. With two EPA fuel economy reratings in the last year, sales of the C-Max, Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ haven't been too terribly dented, Ward's Auto reports.
All three vehicles saw sales dips following the August 2013 rerating, although sales of the MKZ Hybrid had begun to rebound as early as November of that year. C-Max sales, meanwhile, took slightly longer, with sales on a steadily improving course as early as February of this year.
The second rerating, in June of this year, has had an even smaller effect on the Blue Oval's hybrids. The C-Max has actually been subject to a sales increase, while both the MKZ and Fusion saw minor sales drops (less than 400 units between the two in the month following the rerating).