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Xcar gets the scoop on Ford's strategy for the GT at Le Mans in 2016

Ford's plan to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016 with the latest GT might have been one of the worst kept secrets in motorsports in recently memory. Even before the road car debuted at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, rumors were flying about the Blue Oval's strategy. The wait for the official announcement just before this year's race was certainly a long one, but it was probably worthwhile just to see the competition version's spectacular looks. Xcar recently got the chance to interview Ford about the company's objectives for the new racer's development. Both the GT racing and street programs are meant as ways to advance cutting-edge technology and potentially let it trickle down to less-expensive models in the future. This is especially the case when it comes to finding ways to make carbon fiber cheaper and better. Of course, the supercar is also a showcase of what Ford can do competitively, and apparently there are patent-pending suspension parts the company isn't even talking about yet. Ford would love to score a class victory at Le Mans next year, and is pretty clear here and in its earlier promo video that it sees Ferrari as a major rival in the race. While that makes sense historically, the cross-town competitors at Corvette could be an even bigger challenger. That squad has a more recent legacy of success in the 24-hour challenge, including a victory in the GTE-Pro class this year. Related Video:

Lewis Hamilton owns 15 cars, uses tow trucks to keep the mileage low

No matter how you feel about Lewis Hamilton off the track, it's impossible not to respect his talent behind the wheel. Currently, Hamilton is the second most successful Formula One driver of all time. His 67 wins and four championships place him only behind Michael Schumacher's 91 wins and seven championships. With all those winnings, Hamilton has racked up a decent personal fortune, much of which he uses to buy cars. Except he doesn't drive them quite as much as you might think. According to The Sunday Times, Hamilton's net worth of just over $207 million makes him one of the richest sports figures in the UK, just behind David Beckham. In a recent interview with the British newspaper, Hamilton gave some details on his personal car collection. His first car was a used Mini Cooper, soon followed by a Mercedes-Benz C200. Both have long since been replaced by a pair of original Shelby Cobras, a 1967 Shelby GT500, a Ferrari 599 SA Aperta, two LaFerraris (a red coupe and a white Aperta), a McLaren P1 and a Pagani Zonda 760 equipped with a manual transmission. All in, Hamilton has about 15 cars split between homes in Monaco and Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, he has a Mercedes-AMG Project One ( a car that shares more than a little with his F1 W09 EQ Power+ race car) on the way. Hamilton has some hot takes on his personal collection. "The Zonda is terrible to drive," he said. "It's the best-sounding car I own, but handling-wise it's the worst. I got it in manual because I didn't like the tiptronic version. The tiptronic Pagani offered was worse than the Smart Roadster I had." He also says his Shelby Mustang is a "beautiful car, but a heap of junk." In order to keep the miles down (and valuations up), Hamilton apparently has a tow truck on retainer in Los Angeles. When he's finished driving one of his Ferraris, he'll have the car towed back to his place. Classic cars are becoming a solid and serious investment, and Hamilton doesn't want to squander his wealth like some other athletes. That said, there are a couple more cars Hamilton would love to own, including a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (the one with the gullwing doors) and a Ferrari 250GT California Spyder (the one from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"). Related Video:

Former Ford CEO Mulally won't run for president

Alan Mulally will not be following his successful term as president and CEO of Ford Motor Company with a run at an even bigger presidency. Rumors that the 68-year-old former Boeing exec would make a run at the White House sprouted after his apparent dodging of a reporter's questions about a potential candidacy during a forum in Indianapolis.
"I really think it's important that we all pull together. We really need to pull together around a compelling vision for our country and a comprehensive strategy to do it and work together. We really need to do it," Mulally said at the conference, according to The Detroit News.
He's since clarified by saying, "[I'm] honored at the suggestion, but that is not a role I am considering."