Ford created this one-of-a-kind Red Tails edition Mustang in honor of the black Tuskegee Airmen who flew P51 Mustangs in World War II. Featuring aluminum-look paint and a red tail, this pony also sports a Quad Exhaust System from SVT, 20-inch Forgiotto wheels and a Whipple supercharger. VIN number 00051 is expected to fetch as much as $500,000 at auction, and proceeds will go to the Young Eagles, which gives kids a chance to experience general aviation flying. More pics and the press release after the jump! Via Autoblog

The first official pic of the production version of Mazda's totally revamped 6 has appeared. It is based on, and has apparently not strayed too far from, the Takeri concept we showed you back in March. And it'll be one of the few cars in Mazda's lineup to get the full suite of SKYACTIV technologies--body, chassis, and powertrain--rather than only getting piecemeal components of this package like most of the current cars do. And yes, it looks like we'll be getting the SKYACTIV diesel as an option in North America! Detail shot below the jump, via CarScoop.

Apparently Nissan is working on a compact FWD sports car known internally as the "Mini-Z," which is set to compete with the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins. This makes absolutely no sense to me, and I really hope they reconsider building a new RWD Silvia/240SX instead. Full article at Motor Trend.

Nearly 500,000 Chevy Cruze sedans will be recalled in the US and Canada over fears about engine fires. A fire can start, Chevy says, when oil drained during an oil change becomes trapped in one of the plastic shields covering lower parts of the engine. Now will they believe us when we say it's a bad idea to clad modern motors in annoying and unnecessary plastic crap? A video of one of the casualties can be viewed below the jump. Via Carscoop.

Next year Toyota will start shipping a French-built Yaris to North America--the first time the Japanese manufacturer has sent cars over from Europe. This is a result of shrinking auto sales in Europe combined with a very strong Yen. Via Detroit News

Why? Because the Fit is made in Japan, and the current exchange rate is really hurting Honda. "Under the current exchange rate of 80 yen per dollar, our export business doesn't make any profit," Honda CFO Fumihiko Ike told Automotive News. "Definitely, the absolute number of exports to the United States will be decreasing." Honda currently builds 85 percent of the cars it sells in North America in North American factories, and Fit production is slated to move to Mexico in 2014. Read the full article at Automotive News.

I guess that shouldn't be a huge surprise. Actually, I was expecting more of a price increase. According to the new Ford Fusion configurator, the base 2013 S with automatic is $22,495 (vs. $21,700 for the 2012 car with auto). But you get steel wheels on the 2013 S (the 2012 S had 16" alloy wheels). Check out all the models and pricing at Ford.com

After being bit by the STI bug on the autocross down at Fontana, I've been trying to stay on top of the next gen WRX/STI rumors. Details are few and far between--maybe because right now all the focus is on the BRZ? But here's a weird one: electric turbo for the next WRX? According to Autoblog:

...heat from the exhaust would be captured, but instead of using the exhaust pressure to turn the turbocharger's turbine, the heat energy would be converted to electricity, which would then spin the impellers. This could be more efficient, as well as eliminating the piping and turbo lag.

Hey, whatever works... Just make it look good and keep it affordable, ok?

Don't be glum, Ford. Your electric Focus will sell. Hell, I'd buy one myself in an instant if I had an extra $39K lying around. Ever since driving a pre-production prototype back in 2010, I've had a special heart full of love for the Focus EV. Back then, it struck me as just a way more convincing stab at the whole electric-car thing than either the Leaf, the Volt, or the jokey Mitsubishi MiEV, all of which I've since become acquainted with. The Focus had more snap to the acceleration, a somewhat more realistic battery range, and just seemed more car than giant iPhone: more like what a saleable EV should be. (Also, I see the electric Focus as the evolutionary descendant of my Escorts, which may be part of why I have a soft spot for it). Things may have changed some with the production version—I wouldn't know, I haven't driven one yet. And Ford CEO Alan Mulally is predicting that fewer than 5,000 units will sell in the first year of production—less than half of the Leaf's first-year sales figure. And in a sense, he may be right: Ford was always a Johnny-come-lately to the EV game, and the electric tide may have already crested, leaving Ford to pick up what's left now that the early adopters are smugly ensconced in their Volts and their Leaves. On the other hand, they could be looking at electric vehicles, as they well should be, as a "long-term strategy," in which case starting with small sales shouldn't be that big a deal. But whatever the reasoning, I really hope they're not planning to pull one of these self-fulfilling prophecies like automakers are known for contriving around new technologies they have no financial interest in adopting. You know: haphazard R&D process, + endlessly deferred production schedule + weak marketing campaign = flat sales and then "Yep, there, see? The public will never be interested in buying these things." I hate it when they do that. Come on, Ford, give it a real shot before you go getting all depressed! Full story at Autoblog.

Car and Driver is claiming that the next Miata will drop 300 pounds to bring the weight down to featherweight 2,200 pounds. Power will come from a turbo 1.3-liter four banger rated near the current car's 167 hp. And they are expecting the look to be heavily influenced by the Kodo design language of the Shinari and Takeri concept cars. Take that, BRZ!