Japan's Subaru BRZ Declares War on the 2013 Ford Mustang V6

After we learned how much Subaru's all-new BRZ costs in the States, someone was bound to put the Japanese sports coupe up against the quintessential American pony car, the 2013 Ford Mustang in V6 trim. And that someone was Angus MacKenzie from MotorTrend magazine. The similarities between the two sports coupes begin with their price and end with their front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout.
The 2013 Ford Mustang is a modernized version of an old formula that combines a solid rear axle with a contemporary 3.7-liter V6 that churns out 305hp at 6,500rpm and 280 lb-ft (380Nm). Ford's pony car tips the scales at 3,511 pounds (1,593kg).
In the U.S., the Mustang V6 starts at $22,995 (€17,400), with the model tested by MT in this comparo priced at $30,830 (€29,400).
The BRZ was designed by Toyota and Subaru from a clean sheet of paper with the goal of creating a modern and reasonably priced, nimble sports car for the masses. It sports a Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter flat-four with direct-injection that generates 200hp at 7,000 rpm and a peak torque of 151 lb.-ft. (205Nm) at 6,400 rpm. It has a curb weight of 2,747 lbs (1,246kg).
Pricing for the BRZ begins at $25,495 (€19,300), with MT's tester listed at $28,245 (€21,400).
If you believe that the Ford's 105-horsepower advantage over the BRZ (despite the weight handicap) matters when it comes to straight-line acceleration and track times, you are right, but does that make it a better sports car?
You probably already know the answer to that question, but if you want to hear it for yourself in detail, hop over the break to watch MT's video test.

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Ford Mustang Drifts Over Cement Median and Peugeot 107

Did the driver of this modded, fifth gen Ford Mustang attempt to drift on purpose or did he simply enter the turn a bit too fast and lost control of the car? Who knows. The end result is that he (or she, we can't be sure) slid right over the cement median and crashed into a Peugeot 107 on the other side of the road. Bet the Peugeot driver didn't see this coming.
And if you haven't figured it out already from the dashcam-mounted camera, this accident took place in mother Russia.
The video awaits your curiosity right past the break. 

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2013 Ford F-Series Super Duty, gets New Plush Platinum Model Costing Upwards of $64k

Gas prices may be on the rise but Ford still enjoys a success with its F-Series Super Duty models. On Friday, the Blue Oval revealed the latest addition to the range, the 2013 F-Series Super Duty Platinum. While Ford has not yet released pricing, the company said the plush truck will be positioned on top of the lineup meaning it will cost more than the current flagship model, the $64,030 F-450 Super Duty King Ranch.
"The F-Series Super Duty Platinum is the latest expression of Built Ford Tough truck luxury," commented Brian Rathsburg, F-Series Super Duty Marketing manager. "It has a distinct appearance and a long list of features to deliver a superior experience. Along with that, it has all of the capability F-Series trucks are famous for."
The Platinum model is available only in the Super Duty crew cab as an F-250, F-350 or F-450 pickup with either a 400hp 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engine or the 385hp 6.2-liter V8 gasoline unit.
On the outside, the flagship truck model gets a unique grille with a satin chrome surround and perforated mesh inside, a monochromatic bumper and chrome tow hooks, plus bespoke 20-inch polished-aluminum wheels with painted black inserts. More chrome can be found on the door handles, mirror caps, running boards and exhaust tip as well as on the "Platinum" badges,
The more lavish interior is slathered in leather and wood trim while there's also a new storage area on top of the dash that includes two USB ports, audio-video connections, SD card slot and a 12-volt charging port for cell phones and other digital devices.
Other extras include a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, the MyFord Touch telematics system that includes navigation and a new 8-inch, high-resolution touch screen display, power-adjustable pedals, rear view camera and a universal garage door.
Sales of the 2013 Ford F-Series Super Duty Platinum will start later this year.

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Aussie Ford Falcon XA Coupe's Colorful Burnout

The Summernats is an annual festival for gearheads that takes place in the Australian capital city of Canberra in January drawing some 1,500 heavily modded street machines along with more than 80,000 visitors from Australia and overseas. Among the highlights of the four-day long car fest is the burnout battle. In this year's event, one of the more impressive burnouts came courtesy of Gary Myers who fitted his tuned 1972 Ford Falcon XA Coupe with a set of purple tires.You can see the result in the video that follows after the break. 

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Gisele Keeps Abreast of Detroit's Sports Car Offerings [Video]

In today's world, when you have a good thing going, you don't want to put the pause button on it. After seeing the success of Gisele's spin in a Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, the hooter-loving crew over at Hightechcorvette called in the young lady for another high-speed run, this time in a turbocharged Ford Mustang. Gisele was apparently more than willing to place the seatbelt under her arm to get a taste of the Blue Oval's signature pony car, no doubt to compare it with Cadillac's V8-powered sports coupe.
We'll have to wait and see if she completes the trilogy with a ride in a Chrysler Group sports car in the not so far future. For now, head over the break for some bouncing action. 

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With government agencies enforcing stricter emission regulations every year and auto manufacturers doing their best to prove that their cars are as eco-friendly as possible, hyperbole is part of the game.

A common saying is that the modern cars are cleaner than lawn equipment and that the carbon dioxide emissions they release are actually lower than that present in the air that comes into the combustion chamber.
Edmund's Insideline decided to put the theories to the test. Since cars come in all shapes and sizes, they chose two examples from the opposite side of the spectrum: a Fiat 500 mini and a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Crew Cab pickup.
The diminutive Fiat is powered by a 1.4-liter four with 100HP, while the big and menacing-looking Raptor sports a 411HP 6.2-liter V8.
They also bought along two leaf blowers: one with a single-cylinder 50.8 cc two-stroke engine and the other with a 30cc four-stroke engine.
The contest took place at the Automotive Research Center of the American Automobile Association Auto Club of Southern California, which runs the FTP 75 emissions cycles test that is one of the primary standards in U.S. light-car emissions and fuel economy certification.
So what do you think? Are modern cars and trucks as clean as their makers claim them to be, beating even a common lawn blower? No spoilers here: just watch the video to find out the answer.

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