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Pony-car sales war: Mustang vs. Camaro vs. Challenger [UPDATE]

Update: An earlier version of this story misstated the 2015 Mustang's weight when compared with previous models. Additionally, we have added comments from Chevrolet in the text. The Ford Mustang has blown past the Chevy Camaro as America's best-selling pony car, and in June, it wasn't even close. The 'Stang outsold the Camaro 11,719 to 8,611 cars. The Camaro remained ahead of the Dodge Challenger, which sold 6,845 units. Even though the Camaro did post an 11.5-percent sales improvement in June, the competition is arguably stronger than at anytime since the 1970s muscle-car era. The Mustang's sales leapt a whopping 53.6 percent, while the Challenger saw a gain of 56 percent. Several factors are weighing down Camaro sales, including its lame duck status. Chevy is launching a new generation of the Camaro this year that's more than 200 pounds lighter, offers a new turbo four-cylinder engine option, and has a nicer interior than the outgoing model. Put simply: wait a few months and you can get a better car. It's also unlikely Chevy will jack up the price much, as it's historically kept the Camaro within reach of everyday enthusiasts. While Chevy fans wait in anticipation for their new sports car, Ford and Dodge have downshifted. The new Mustang, which went on sale last year, is faster and more sophisticated than its predecessor. It also offers a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, which Ford has credited for the Mustang's recent uptick and makes up 36 percent of the car's sales, Ford analyst Erich Merkle said. View 17 Photos June's performance allowed the Mustang to widen its sales gap with the Camaro this year. Through the first five months, Ford sold 68,290 Mustangs, a 54.4-percent increased compared with 2014. Chevy sold 42,593 Camaros, an 8.7-percent decrease. The Challenger – long the No. 3 pony car in sales volume – has seen its sales surge 41 percent this year to 37,011 units. Spokesman Monte Doran said Chevy expected that 2015 would be a "relatively soft year" for the Camaro. "Mustang is taking advantage of years' worth of pent-up demand for an independent rear suspension," he said. "When Camaro introduced an IRS, in 2009, it helped make us the best-selling performance car in America.

Ford sued by Versata over alleged software trade secret theft

Automakers are routinely subject to intellectual property and patent disputes, whether over design similarities or pieces of tech. Ford is now facing a lawsuit for alleged IP theft over a piece of software from a company called Versata, and the business wants $1 billion from the Blue Oval for the violation. With such huge amount of money at stake, the legal situation is already getting complicated. According to The Detroit Free Press, Versata's software is designed to help automakers improve product development by making sure all of a car's countless components work together. The company and Ford had a contract for the system for many years, and they were negotiating an extension at the end of 2014. However, the deal fell through, and the Blue Oval ended the two business' arrangement. Making the legal situation especially tricky is that Ford developed and patented its own software for the same task. The automaker then filed a lawsuit in Michigan to have the court check whether the program violated Versata's IP, according to The Detroit Free Press. Later, the software company registered a lawsuit in Texas and alleged the Blue Oval stole proprietary code. Versata has asked for an injunction against Ford and restitution. "Ford's patented software does not use or infringe any Versata intellectual property and Versata has provided no basis for their claims against us," the automaker said in a statement to Autoblog. "We are confident that we will ultimately prevail in this case and we look forward to the opportunity to present our evidence at trial." With both sides in dispute, that leaves Ford pushing for a hearing in Michigan and Versata for Texas. According to The Detroit Free Press, it could be at least a year before a trial, if not longer. Of course in the meantime, the two sides could conceivably reach a settlement, and the whole issue would disappear.

Electric pickups compared: 2025 Ram 1500 REV specs vs. Silverado EV, F-150 Lightning

Now that the 2025 Ram 1500 REV has been revealed, along with its most important specifications, we now have information on all of the mainline Big 3 electric full-size pickup trucks. So it's time to see how the numbers stack up, because trucks are all about numbers. We'll see how the Ram compares to the power, battery capacity, payload, towing and other features of the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV and the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning. Power and torque The Ram has just one powertrain option. It features two electric motors making 654 horsepower and 620 pound-feet. That gives it the most powerful standard powertrain, if not the most torque, as the Chevy Silverado EV has 510 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque, while the F-150 Lighting has 452 horsepower and 775 pound-feet. But the Chevy and Ford each have upgraded motor combinations. The Silverado is the most potent with 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet, and the F-150 has 580 horsepower and 775 pound-feet. The GMC Sierra EV will also be available with this more powerful pair of motors, and most of its specifications will be the same as the Silverado. There are a couple of exceptions which we'll note when they come up. All three trucks come standard with dual motors and all-wheel drive, regardless of output, battery or trim level. They're all available with locking rear differentials, too. Ford F-150 Lightning front low View 48 Photos Battery, range and charging The Ram is packing some serious packs of batteries. The standard model gets 168 kWh and an estimated range of 350 miles. And the optional 229-kWh pack is estimated to deliver 500 miles of range. That's more capacity and range than the others. It also boasts an 800-volt battery system that allows for close to 350-kW charging. The Ford F-150 Lightning has a base battery of 98 kWh with a range around 230 miles. Optional is a 131-kWh pack with between 300 and 330 miles of range, depending on other vehicle specifications. It's the slowest charger, only allowing 150-kW charging maximum. The Silverado EV's battery specs are a bit nebulous. At launch, it will only be available with one battery pack option that GM claims will provide around 400 miles of range. The company didn't give an exact capacity, though. We would guess its size falls between the Ram's 168 and 229 kWh packs. A smaller battery pack will be offered later, with a shorter but unknown range. The Silverado can use 350-kW fast charging like the Ram.