Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video]
Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Government/Legal, Ford
We'd guess a thief's favorite Ford Mustang is whichever one he happens to be hooning around in - ahead of either illegally selling it, stripping it for parts or falsifying its VIN to pass it off as a legit car. But the 'Stang that's attracted the most attention from this scourge of society is none other than the 2000 Mustang.
While we're not sure what it is about the venerable Ford pony car in that model year that's caused it to rise to the top of the inaugural National Insurance Crime Bureau "Hot Wheels Classics" report on Mustangs, we are finding the study to be compelling reading. Who knew that 411,155 Mustangs have been stolen since 1981? The report is similar to NICB's annual report on the most stolen cars, but focused on just Mustang thefts, with data dating all the way back to 1964. Apparently NICB got the idea to do a Mustang-centric report after being asked for data from MustangEvolution last year.
Even more interesting than the report, however, is that NICB has also posted a six-minute documentary about how it helped reunite a Shelby GT350 with its rightful owner some 25 years after the car had been stolen. While not exactly part of the report, the video is a pretty cool showpiece for the nonprofit group that investigates car theft and insurance fraud.
To read the full press release and check out the NICB's video, click past the jump.
Continue reading Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video]
Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVaughn Gittin Jr. almost out-drifted by RC car
Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford, Celebrities, Racing
We've finally come to accept the fact that we'll never be Vaughn Gittin Jr. There can be only one one pure-bred drift hooligan of his caliber on this planet and truth be told, our sideways skills are paltry at best. That doesn't mean we can't pretend, though. Gittin Jr. has teamed up with a smattering of companies to give away five very limited-edition RC cars made up in the image of his sinister Ford Mustang GT drift machine. Only 5,000 of the HPI RC Ford Mustang cars will be produced in total, and Gittin Jr. is giving five of them away to Facebook fans.
To get the word out, Gittin Jr., K&N, Monster Energy and Falken Tire crafted a video demonstrating just what happens when the drifter can't get his hands on the scale Mustang. An epic chase ensues, with the RC car taking a little "How it's Made" tour of the K&N factory. The clip also features a few outtakes worth watching, as well. We won't spoil it for you, but we will say more than one RC car gave its life in the making of the film. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself. If you want to enter the sweepstakes, head over to the K&N Facebook page for more information.
Continue reading Vaughn Gittin Jr. almost out-drifted by RC car
Vaughn Gittin Jr. almost out-drifted by RC car originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsMotorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2 debuts, someone called the cops
Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Ford, Motorcycle
We all know sideways is slow. Kicking the tail out and sending the rear tires blazing may take a heaping helping of skill, but it won't win you any races. That doesn't make it any less awesome, however.
Icon has gone through the trouble of crafting yet another drift battle between motorcycle and car, and this time, two specially built Triumph Speed Triple bikes throw down against a 550-horsepower Ford Mustang Cobra piloted by a fictional officer of the law. The trio commence tearing through the rolling hills of mythical High Plains County before facing off.
Admittedly, the drift scene isn't typically our bag of tricks, but this is one of the more entertaining videos we've seen in a good while. Between the bark of the FoMoCo V8 and the wail of the big-bore Triumph Triples, there's enough audio glory on hand to keep us up at night. Throw in some excellent tunes and better videography, and you've got us hooked. Watch the video all the way through to the end for some hair-raising outtakes, including at least one roll over. Hit the jump to check it out.
Continue reading Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2 debuts, someone called the cops
Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2 debuts, someone called the cops originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord releases 1967 Mustang Convertible bodyshell
Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Convertible, Performance, Etc., Ford
Ford has expanded its licensed reproduction body shell offerings. The company announced professionals and enthusiasts alike would be able to purchase brand-new 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible shells earlier this year, and now the automaker has added the 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible shell to the mix, as well. Now, instead of being forced to source a shell and repair the inevitable rust, restorers can simply snap up new metal, thereby saving time and money in the process. Like the '65 Convertible, '67 Fastback and '69 Fastback, the '67 Convertible will carry a price tag of $15,995.
That lump of change gets you a shell that meets or exceeds the original specifications, including higher-quality metal than was used when the vehicles first rolled off of the assembly line. Dynacorn International will produce the shells under license from Ford. Hit the jump to view the full press release for yourself.
Continue reading Ford releases 1967 Mustang Convertible bodyshell
Ford releases 1967 Mustang Convertible bodyshell originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsNHTSA closes investigation into 2010-2011 Ford Mustang shifter issues
Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Government/Legal, Safety, Ford
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has concluded its investigation into 2011 Ford Mustang vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The agency looked into a total of 364 reports of shift quality issues supplied by Ford and they've reportedly determined that owners have experienced no loss of mobility or any unreasonable safety risk due to the problems. According to Inside Line, Ford identified several possible issues that could have contributed to difficulty shifting, including cold transmission fluid, clutch stay-out at high engine speeds, gear clash and loosening clutch plate bolts in early production vehicles. Ford has since replaced those fasteners with new hardware currently used in production.
The automaker said that the majority of the gear shift issues were due to the transmission not being up to operating temperature while driving and that the problems sorted themselves out after the drivetrain warmed up. Had NHTSA found any glaring issues with the transmission or clutch in the 2011 and 2012 Ford Mustang models, Ford may have been forced to issue a recall.
NHTSA closes investigation into 2010-2011 Ford Mustang shifter issues originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsWatch what happens when a Ford Mustang driveshaft fails at 135 mph
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Safety, Videos, Ford
Before we get started, we feel the need to repeat the standard issue warning about automotive stupidity: Do not try what's shown in this video, and if you do, make sure it's in the safe confines of a legitimate track facility.
One individual recently learned firsthand what happens when you remove the factory's 112-mph speed limiter on the Ford Mustang V6 and proceed to accelerate to 135 mph. The vehicle lost its driveshaft, which turned itself into a spinning hunk of metal that tore into the floorpan, bashed through its interior bits and generally caused mechanical mayhem.
The term for this type of failure is "catastrophic."
So, what happened? Well, we might first point out that the driver of this particular Mustang was clearly still accelerating after the drivetrain started making suspect noises - never a good idea. We have to imagine the vehicle was vibrating like an overloaded Magic Fingers bed before things went sideways.
As it turns out, the 305-horsepower and 280-pound-feet of torque 3.7-liter V6 Mustang is built with a 2.73 rear gear ratio and a lightweight, one-piece driveshaft that's engineered to toe the line between fuel economy and performance. That driveshaft is part of the recipe that allows the coupe to yield 31 mpg highway - it simply isn't built to handle the type of speeds the owner in the video after the jump submitted it to.
In a statement to Autoblog, Ford said that the Mustang V6 is "the ultimate in fuel economy and performance," noting that owners looking for more speed should look toward the Mustang GT with its 412-horsepower V8, heavy-duty two-piece drive shaft and variety of rear axle ratio choices. The Mustang GT is speed limited to 145 mph from the factory.
As an aside, we would also like to point out the idiocy of trying to film oneself at triple digits by hand. While the YouTube description says that the impromptu test course is a "closed" road, it looks like it might be a public roadway. The videographer is lucky to be alive. Keep it on the track, people, and hit the jump to see the clip for yourself.
Continue reading Watch what happens when a Ford Mustang driveshaft fails at 135 mph
Watch what happens when a Ford Mustang driveshaft fails at 135 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsMustang Club of Poland returns with musical number
Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Europe, Videos, Ford
A little less than a year ago, the Mustang Club of Poland shocked us with an amazing fan-made video documenting some of the organization's headier hardware. Now the club is back with a different sort of video. The director has managed to direct the entire crowd to craft a Stomp-style musical sound collage made up of the various clicks, chimes, slams, squeaks, roars and honks of a crowd of very stylish ponies. We'd rather watch the cars prowling around the cramped streets and open countryside of Europe, but we still commend the group for what must have been a very challenging video to shoot and edit.
The group says we can expect to see a making-of clip to come along soon as well. In the mean time, hit the jump to check out the new video, and be sure to click back for a little refresher on the club's first cinematic endeavor as well. You'll be glad you did.
Continue reading Mustang Club of Poland returns with musical number
Mustang Club of Poland returns with musical number originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2013 Ford Mustang redefines "badge engineering" with logo projector
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Technology, Ford, Design/Style
Most car marques can be easily recognized by their emblems. But some model lines have their own emblems, too. The Mustang stands out as a clear example, and now Ford is projecting that image even further. And we mean that quite literally.
For the new 2013 Mustang, Ford has fitted a tiny projector lamp into the side mirror that casts the shape of the galloping horse logo onto the ground beside the vehicle when the driver unlocks the doors. This illuminated "Easter egg" seems simple enough, but apparently it took Dearborn's engineers quite a while to get it just right, going through six or seven designs before managing to get it to work.
The result was apparently so captivating that it shut down Ford's Flat Rock assembly line when one of the auto workers hit the button and everyone came to look. We'll be interested to see it for ourselves when we get our hands on the new model. It might be purely aesthetic and almost entirely without function, but something tells us this could be one of those new gimmicks - like, say, illuminated sill plates or ambient cabin lighting - that we may see proliferating across the industry.
2013 Ford Mustang redefines "badge engineering" with logo projector originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2013 Ford Mustang and Boss 302 nose into LA Convention Center
Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Ford
Ford has officially unveiled the 2013 Mustang at the 2011 LA Auto Show, complete with its new nose. The design incorporates a more upright, prominent grille with redesigned fenders and a hood to match. Speaking of the hood, GT models feature functional heat extractors to keep the engine bay as cool as possible. That's a good thing considering that the 5.0-liter V8 now produces 420 horsepower in the GT and 444 horsepower in the Boss 302. Inside, drivers can take advantage of the new TrackApp technology to keep an eye on quarter-mile times and the like, and those buyers who opt for the automatic can now select their own gears through a new rocker-switch on the shifter (we still want paddles, guys). There's also a set of trick new LED taillamps out back.
The 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302, meanwhile, also receives a new hood with heat extractors and a more aggressive front splitter. The Boss also rocks SYNC for the first time, and new reflective hockey-stick graphics are are also available. Boss 302 buyers will also be able to choose a new Parnelli-Jones-approved School Bus Yellow paint scheme. We like it. Expect to see the 2013 Ford Mustang land on dealer lots in the spring of 2012. Hit the jump for the full press releases.
Continue reading 2013 Ford Mustang and Boss 302 nose into LA Convention Center
2013 Ford Mustang and Boss 302 nose into LA Convention Center originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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