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Watch Ken Block play traffic cop in ’Top Gear’ teaser

BBC is teasing a new series of 'Top Gear' starring the rally racer and Hoonigans honcho Ken Block and promising that series 25 is "coming soon." Block plays a police officer (with a Los Angeles Police Department badge, no less) in an off-road 4x4 vehicle in the 30-second clip, jumping off obstacles and tearing through dirt in an industrial area near snow-capped mountains. He gives chase to show hosts Matt LeBlanc, in a yellow Ford Mustang, Rory Reid and Chris Harris, who steers a McLaren 570S. It looks like they're having more fun that the rest of us. LeBlanc has said the next season of episodes will aim to attract a younger, more diverse audience with more comedy. Series 25 is expected to launch in spring, perhaps after the wrap-up of the second season of 'The Grand Tour.'Related Video: Celebrities TV/Movies Ford McLaren Off-Road Vehicles Performance Top Gear Ken Block

SEMA crowns Mustang, FR-S as this year's hottest cars in the building

After wrapping up the first day of the 2012 SEMA Show, organizers handed out awards for some of the trendiest vehicles on display. Since the whole point of SEMA is to show off new products available in the aftermarket world for use in cars, trucks and SUVs, each year, the show distinguishes the most popular vehicle in various segments. Not surprisingly, this year's Hottest Car and Hottest Sport Compact are the Ford Mustang and Scion FR-S, respectively, while the Ford F-Series brought home the Hottest Truck and the Jeep Wrangler was named the Hottest 4x4-SUV.
More than 2,000 companies are at this year's show, and the display booths represents a "vote" for each car to determing the trendiest vehicles in each of the four categories. It isn't clear if these awards also take cars brought by OEMs into account, but the Mustang and FR-S were definitely well represented by both OEM and aftermarket show versions.
As usual, the OEMs showed up in force at the this year's SEMA Show exhibiting a variety of cars ranging from production-intent cars like the beastly Ford Mustang Cobra Jet to much flashier rides like Scion's Carbon Stealth FR-S.

Ford's new Focus RS hatches hot and heads for America

The hot hatch market is heating up, and heating up fast. What you see here is Ford's new challenger for pocket-rocket supremacy, the third iteration of the breed and the 30th model to wear the Rallye Sport designation. But perhaps best of all, it will be the first time Ford will offer a new Focus RS in America. Following yesterday's leak, the latest Ford Focus RS is now ready to step out into the light and light up its tires. Answering the call is the same 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo four as you'd find in the new Mustang, but upgraded with a new low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger, larger compressor and intercooler, freer-flowing intake, large-bore dual-pipe exhaust with electronically controlled valve and upgraded internal components. The result is a 6,500-rpm redline (closer to that of Ford's atmospheric performance engines) and an output quoted as "well in excess of 315 horsepower" – which is already 5 more than the EcoBoost Mustang and a good 63 more than the existing Focus ST. Power is transmitted to the tarmac through a new performance-focused all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring that can send as much as 70 percent of available twist to the rear wheels (and as much as 100 percent between them). The system works in tandem with the brake-based torque vectoring system and stability control, and will even divert torque to the outside rear wheel under cornering to keep it flat and under control while reducing understeer. Those still suspicious of dual-clutch gearboxes will also be pleased to read that Ford has stuck with a conventional six-speed manual. We'll reserve judgement on the inclusion of the electric power steering until we get a chance to drive it, though. Of course the small team of global Ford Performance engineers who developed the new Focus RS – and the Gymkhana legend Ken Block who consulted on the project – didn't just tinker with the powertrain and leave it at that. The suspension features stiffer spring rates, bushings and anti-roll bars than the Focus ST, augmented by two-mode switchable dampers. 19-inch alloys wear Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber, with optional Pilot Sport Cup 2 semi-slicks for track-day enthusiasts. Ford has yet to detail the brakes on its new hot hatch, but you can bet they've been upgraded as well.