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Watch these Australian Ford and Holden muscle cars duke it out

Australia's Motoring has put together a little video on two of the great performance vehicles available down under - the Holden VF Commodore HSV GTS and the Ford Falcon FPV GT R-Spec. And while both FPV and the Falcon might be on their way out, there's still plenty of time for a little head-to-head comparison between the two.
The cars aren't all that well evenly matched, though. The Ford boasts a 5.0-liter, supercharged V8, which the Aussies measure out at 449 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. The HSV, though, with its Corvette-derived, 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 is just too powerful - 576 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque.
Predictably, it doesn't end too well for the Ford. As the guys from Motoring point out, the new VF Commodore is just too new and too good, with its extra power and its adaptive dampers (GM's excellent MagnaRide). Interestingly, Motoring did point out that the Holden's electric steering is better than the Ford's hydraulic steering, which is a lot like a Porsche purist saying they prefer water-cooled engines to air cooled.

2016 Ford Explorer order guide revealed

The configurator for the refreshed 2016 Ford Explorer is already up and running. However, if you're the type of person that really likes to dig into the nitty-gritty of a vehicle's features, then the order guide for this latest Ford is now available (pictured right). While the documents don't list fuel economy, engine power or pricing, they give a precise idea of all of the differences separating each of the five trim levels: Base, XLT, Limited, Sport and Platinum. In addition to the tweaked styling across the board, even the Base model now features a rearview camera with a washer. There are also three new colors available: Shadow Black, Blue Jeans Metallic and Guard Metallic. Base, XLT and Limited trims are available with either a 3.5-liter V6 or new, optional 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder. All of them are mated to a six-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive is optional with either engine. The new Platinum trim basically loads the Explorer up with everything imaginable. Power comes from the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, matched with all-wheel drive. Plus, the Platinum trim gets standard luxuries like a dual-pane moonroof, adaptive cruise control, a premium sound system and Ford's super-soft Nirvana Leather covering the seats. There are also some new tech features throughout the rest of the lineup. For example, an updated auto-parking system is also available on the Limited but comes standard on the Platinum. Furthermore, a 180-degree front camera and second-row USB charging are optional on the Sport but are standard on the Limited and Platinum. Check out the gallery for even more of the changes. Featured Gallery 2016 Ford Explorer View 30 Photos Related Gallery 2016 Ford Explorer Order Guide View 20 Photos News Source: FordTip: P Design/Style Ford Car Buying SUV order guide

There's an impending shortage of new trucks in America's heartland

URBANDALE, Iowa — Jerry Bill is worried the novel coronavirus could hurt business at the Des Moines auto dealership he runs, but not because of a shortage of buyers for the big Ram pickups on his lot. "Our biggest issue will be if we don't get more inventory," said Bill, general sales manager of Stew Hansen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, which sells around 2,700 new vehicles a year in Urbandale, a suburb of Iowa's capital Des Moines. After a drop in sales in April when consumers stayed home, Bill expects pickup truck sales to end May similar to where they were a year earlier. And if demand remains strong, Bill said he will run out of popular models in June. Fiat Chrysler began slowly restarting Ram truck assembly lines on Monday after a two-month shutdown. The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter at its sharpest pace since the Great Recession of 2007-2009 because of lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Economists warn the second quarter will be much worse. Still, far from the lockdowns of states like New York, Michigan or Ohio, dealerships like Stew Hansen have provided FCA and Detroit rivals General Motors and Ford a rare bright spot: strong sales of pickup trucks in America's heartland. Overall U.S. sales of cars and light trucks crashed to the weakest pace in 50 years last month. But sales of big Detroit brand pickups, particularly in southern and western states less affected by the outbreak, significantly outperformed the market, industry executives and analysts said. Pickup trucks are one of the most profitable automotive segments in the world. They account for a huge portion of the Detroit automakers' profits and formed a huge lure for Peugeot, which expects to merge with FCA by early 2021. The pressure is now on to boost pickup truck production and send vehicles to dealers in parts of the country with dwindling supplies. That is particularly true for GM, which is running short of certain truck models after losing 40 days of production to a strike last fall. "If you don't have what someone wants, they can choose to go to another brand," said Cox Automotive analyst Michelle Krebs. 'Easiest swap ever' Detroit automakers in March rolled out large discounts — such as interest-free loans for seven years — to keep vehicles rolling off dealer lots.