1929 Ford Model A Rat Rod Cruiser on 2040-cars

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Shelby Baja 700 takes Ford F-150 SVT Raptor to the next level

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor can be called many things, but "underpowered" is not one of them. Still, that's never going to deter a company like Shelby from taking the off-road monster even further. Pictured here is the Baja 700, an even more extreme take on the Blue Oval's outgoing performance off-roader. The legendary Ford tuner has fitted it with a new supercharger, throttle body, injectors, heat exchanger and Borla exhaust, boosting output to over 700 horsepower. Of course Carroll's boys didn't stop there, thoroughly reworking the suspension with 3-inch King coilovers, bypass rear shocks, Rogue Racing upper and lower control arms and more, fitted to 18-inch matte black wheels with BFGoodrich K02 off-road rubber. Naturally, it's got the requisite graphics and badging to go with it all, along with a skid plate and a reworked interior by Katzkin and a three-gauge dashboard pod. Only 50 examples will be made, each priced at $45,000 – over and above the price of the base vehicle, which sells for about the same. So you're looking at a good $90k for this monster truck, before auxiliary lighting and other options are taken into account. Related Video:

Ford considering return to Le Mans with new EcoBoost LMP2

If you want to see a Ford racing prototype, you need look no further than the United SportsCar Championship, where the Blue Oval fields two Daytona Prototypes powered by an EcoBoost-branded 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. But according to the latest rumors, that may not be enough for Ford, which has as much brand to promote overseas as it does back home.
That could be why Racer magazine is reporting that Ford may be poised to return to Le Mans in the coming years. As we all know, Ford competed at Le Mans in the mid-through-late '60s, bringing home four consecutive overall wins with the legendary GT40. The new program would not, according to Racer, seek to relive those glory days, but would instead compete for class wins in the LMP2 category.
Currently, LMP2 regulations are somewhat split between the United SportsCar Championship in North America on the one hand and ACO-sanctioned series like the European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Series and FIA World Endurance Championship on the other, but plans are underway for the regulations to be unified in time for the 2017 season. That could be when Ford is targeting its return, allowing it to compete on both sides of the Atlantic to maximize its exposure.

Fiat boss Elkann being mentored by... Bill Ford?

Fiat Chairman John Elkann has been turning to an unusual source for advice on the car business. While speaking during an interview with The Detroit News, Elkann said he often asks Bill Ford Jr. for advice on how to proceed with the turnaround at Chrysler. "It's great to have the opportunity to share this with someone like Bill, who has experienced many things and gone through many things ... especially linked to Detroit." Elkann said.
As the Agnelli family heir, Elkann has inherited a long and fruitful friendship with the Ford family. While Giovanni Agnelli built his first Fiat four years before Henry Ford created his first vehicle, it was Ford that showed Agnelli the benefits of mass production and helped pave the way for what would become the Fiat empire.
Giovanni's grandson, Gianni, helped mentor Bill Ford when he was elected chairman of Ford Motor Company. Now, Ford is returning the favor by helping Elkann navigate the automotive industry's tumultuous waters.