This Mustang Shelby Shooting Brake is Coming as a One-Off; Have Salt Grains Close at Hand…

Working on the internet has taught us not to believe anything we find even mildly unbelievable, without being presented with some kind of satisfactory proof that can attest it. That’s why when we look at the amateurish render you see posted here, we are not won over by feelings of certainty as to its translation into reality as a one-off model.

Yes, that’s right, this Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 shooting brake model is apparently going to become a real car made by Strand Craft, a company whose site is full of renderings, plans and dead links. We were skeptical, so we asked for official confirmation, and we got it in email form.

Company president, Kurt Strand, told Carscoops that it is “a 2014 GT 500 Super Snake Shooting Brake… wide body kit, station wagon style,” and it is indeed being made “in  collaboration with a show car builder in LA,” without providing any names.

We’re looking forward to receiving some photos of it when completed, because the idea is frankly not bad at all. Let’s just hope the metal interpretation is more successful than the…MS Paint…renderings...

By Andrei Nedelea

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Ford's SEMA Fleet of Custom F-Series, Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Mustang Concepts

Ford has detailed more of its 57 custom concepts that will be on display at this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Besides the 10 Transit Connect tunes we’ve presented earlier this week, Ford will also bring six different interpretations of its F-Series trucks. There will also be concepts based on the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Mustang. You’re invited to scroll down and check them out one by one.

Ford F-350 from Cars by Kris

The heavy duty truck gets an extensive list of modifications, including Carli Suspension upgrades to the chassis to handle 22-inch, eight-lug wheels from American Force Wheels, custom upholstery with hexagon stitched seats, painted interior accents and custom floor mats, as well as technical modifications like the Banks Power Ram-Air Intake, Straight-Shot Water-Methanol Injection System and iQ Man-Machine Interface.

Ford F-350 by EcoTrek

This is an environmentally-friendly truck with a 6.7-liter V8 diesel engine – no, we're not joking; it’s what Ford says. It features two additional fuel tanks that have a range of 1,800 (2,897 km) miles each, a rooftop shelter, refrigerator, stoves and flexible solar panels that allow it to be used in some of the most rugged locations. The truck can run on diesel, biodiesel or algae-based biodiesel.

Ford F-250 by Hulst Customs

This mean-looking F-250 features powertrain upgrades via Banks Power, 22-inch wheels from American Rebel MFG and a two-tone leather interior that matches the custom-painted black panels and chrome accents.

Ford F-150 by JR Consulting

Equipped for adventures at hunting, fishing, hiking and camping, this F-150 features an 11,000-pound (4,989-kg) winch from Superwinch, a CargoGlide storage cargo management system, 20-inch Dick Cepek all-terrain wheels and tires and more.

Ford F-150 by Skyjacker Suspensions

Aimed at people who are into the backwoods lifestyle, this F-150 features a 6-inch lift kit from Skyjacker Suspensions, locked storage area from TruckVault, bumpers from Fab Fours Inc. and BMF wheels with BFGoodrich Tires.

Ford F-150 by Fatal Clothing

A full-size pickup posing as a street racer, the F-150 by Fatal Clothing features a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine matched with twin-screw supercharger from Whipple Industries and performance exhaust system from CGS Motorsports for a total output of 650 hp. Huge 24-inch DUB wheels somehow fit beneath the wheelarches, while the Katzkin Leather interior has Fatal Clothing logo embroidered in the seats.

Ford Fusion Concepts

Two interpretations of the Ford sedan will be on display at SEMA, a 400-hp racer concept by Full-Race Motorsports that gets turbocharger and exhaust upgrades, and a blingy tune from DSO Eyewear.

Ford Focus Concepts

The main theme for the Focus is motorsport: there’s one with a Lotus livery, one with a Gulf racing livery and a rally-inspired Focus ST for law enforcement. The fourth Focus concept is one that celebrates Southern California’s car culture.

Ford Fiesta Concepts

There are five Fiesta interpretations: a 3Dcarbon tune that mixes elements from European road touring cars and American muscle cars, a rally race-ready Fiesta ST from Ice Nine Group, a Fiesta ST that will be featured in the upcoming Forza Motorsport 5 video game, a model dedicated to the U.S. military by COBB Tuning/Tanner Foust Racing and a Fiesta ST with a custom BASF paint job by Bojix Design.

Ford Mustang Concepts

Finally, there are three Mustang tunes, starting with Vortech Superchargers’ 605hp Project Yellow Jacket Ford Mustang. There’s also the spectacular Hollywood Hot Rods Mustang GT Convertible with 750 horsepower and a handsome concept from Nitto.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Vandemonium: Ford's 10 Custom Transit Connect Vehicles for SEMA 2013

Ford will be quite busy at this year’s SEMA Show, bringing no less than…57 custom concepts. Quite surprisingly, 10 of these will be based on the all-new2014 Ford Transit Connect van. Under the tagline “Vandemonium”, the exhibition dedicated to Transit Connect tuning will include customized van and wagon models.

Aftermarket specialists will present a variety of ideas, from a mobile upscale clothing boutique to an on-the-go hot rod repair shop. Custom builders transformed six Transit Connect vans and four wagons by adding elaborate interior reconstructions, blazing graphics and eccentric exteriors.

By letting tuning companies work on the Transit Connect, Ford says it wants to show the van’s versatility and creative potential – especially for commercial use.

Here are the 10 stars for Ford’s Vandemonium exhibit at the SEMA Show 2013:

1. Blood & Grease took a Transit Connect cargo van and transformed it into a high-end fashion boutique on four wheels

2. CGS Motorsports envisioned a mobile speed shop for the drag strip

3. eJudged made a stylish mobile hot spot of the Transit Connect and loaded it with technology for the road

4. Impulse Marketing & Media transformed a Transit Connect cargo van into a baked goods delivery vehicle

5. K-Daddyz Kustomz created a mobile workplace for graphic design

6. LGE*CTS Motorsports turned a Transit Connect wagon into a Cross Country cruiser complete with top-of-the-line technology

7. Mobsteel chopped and lowered the Transit Connect cargo van and created the ultimate mobile billboard promoting the Detroit Steel Wheel Company

8. Pentech Automotive turned a Transit Connect Wagon into a vehicle for video game addicts

9. Strange Motion designed a Transit Connect Wagon especially for its BMX team, with room to haul six bikes and six people

10. The last custom concept is still a mystery, with Ford probably looking to unveil it directly at SEMA next month.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Ford Goes Bananas for 2013 SEMA with 57 Tuned Concepts

As you can see, there will be no shortage of Blue Oval models at the upcoming 2013 edition of the SEMA aftermarket and tuning show in Las Vegas from November 5 to 8, with Ford having confirmed no less than 57 debuts laid out on more than 27,000 square feet (2,510 sq.m) of space inside the Las Vegas Convention.

And that's not all, as Ford will also occupy more than 110,000 square feet (10,220 sq.m.) of the convention center’s Silver Lot, where "company-sponsored racing schools from Miller Motorsports Park will take center stage in 'Ford Out Front'", according to the release.

We don’t need to tell you that among these 57 concepts will be plenty of Mustangs, ST models (Fiesta and Focus) and F-150s, but we will mention that there will be a special exhibit dubbed "Vandemonium" with specially tuned 10 Transit Connect Wagons and cargo vans.

Another highlight at Ford's presentation will be special guest Gene Simmons of KISS fame and his wife, actress Shannon Tweed, who will reveal a 1956 F100 truck to be featured in a charity auction.

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New Shelby Cobra Design Study Looks Like a Viper Killer

For more than five decades now, the classic AC Cobra, more commonly known as Shelby Cobra in the United States, has captured the imagination of many drivers and car enthusiasts alike, having earned its place in automotive history. Super powerful yet as light as a feather (or so to speak), the Cobra was never a car for the faint hearted.

Ford itself attempted to resurrect the Cobra with a concept in 2004 featuring a 6.4-liter V10 thumping out 605 horsepower, but it never came into fruition production-wise.

Today, Detroit native and industrial design student Daniel Couttolenc emailed us a new concept he made for a Shelby Cobra of the 21st century, a car that in our view, could offer Ford the halo sports car it's been looking for ever since the death of the GT 40, placing it against the Corvette and even more so, the Chrysler Group's SRT Viper.

"The project objective is to design a new Shelby Cobra. One that remains true to its racing DNA," says Couttolenc. "Designed for the current racing enthusiast. The design needs to merge cohesively both; the original Shelby Cobra design cues and Ford´s current design language."

The design blends the traditional styling elements and shapes of the classic Cobra with Ford's new philosophy as portrayed in the Evos Concept.

Designer Daniel Couttolenc

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