2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show

• Competes with: Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 convertible
• Looks like: A faster way to get a suntan
• Drivetrain: 650-hp, supercharged 5.8-liter V-8 with six-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Early summer 2012

Despite the balmy winter temperatures in Chicago this year, the convertible season is still a few months away. Ford is gearing up for top-down driving by launching a new convertible variant of its high-powered Mustang: the Shelby GT500.

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First shown in coupe form at the L.A. Auto Show last year, the Shelby GT500 convertible uses the same supercharged V-8 engine that delivers an impressive 650 horsepower and a top track speed of more than 200 mph.

Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: January 2012

After capping 2011 with four decent months, the auto industry hit 2012 running. Analysts expect auto sales to outpace 2011 figures anywhere from 6% to 10%, which could make 2012 the best sales year since 2007.

January enticed consumers with total incentives — including financing offers, automaker and dealer cash, and trade-in bonuses — amounting to 16% off the average car’s MSRP, CNW Marketing Research reports. That beats January 2011, when shoppers saw only 13.5% off the average MSRP.

Shoppers took advantage. January sales jumped 11%, beating Tuesday’s expectations. This marks the best annualized month since 2009, Automotive News reports. Chrysler, Nissan and Hyundai-Kia saw double-digit sales gains, with GM the only top-seven automaker to post a loss.

2013 Ford Escape Goes Green, Literally

The eco-friendly gimmick war continues to rage on. On the heels of Chevrolet unveiling eco-impact labels on its new vehicles, Ford has announced that its new-for-2013 Escape will be made with plant material.

Ford is replacing some of the materials in the Escape's doors with kenaf, a tropical plant related to cotton and okra. Kenaf is edible and looks like bamboo; it's currently used in making cosmetics and paper products.

Ford says using the plant improves the vehicle's fuel economy because it reduces the weight of the door bolsters by 25%. Its fuel economy gains weren't specified, however. The automaker says kenaf will help save oil in other ways, too. Because the plant replaces oil-based materials previously used in Escape’s doors, "the use of kenaf is anticipated to offset 300,000 pounds of oil-based resin per year in North America," Ford said in a press release.

When the redesigned compact SUV goes on sale this spring, kenaf will join Escape's soy foam seats and head restraints, recycled-tire climate gauges and carpet made from plastic bottles. 

Ford's Escape certainly isn't the first green vehicle. Land Rover's new-for-2012 Range Rover Evoque, for example, is made with 35.2 pounds of recycled plastic, or about 1,000 16.9-ounce plastic bottles.

Consumer Reports Study: Perception Gap Narrows Between Car Brands

Consumer perceptions between the best and worst car brands are narrowing, says a new study from Consumer Reports. The magazine's 2012 Car-Brand Perception Survey found top brands like Chevrolet, Ford, Honda and Toyota kept their lead but fell closer to other automakers' scores.

The telephone survey — CR's fifth — took place last December and included more than 2,000 adults with at least one vehicle in their household. Surveyors gauged brand perceptions across seven automotive categories: safety, quality, value, performance, environmental friendliness, design and technology/innovation. It's important to note that overall scores reflect perceptions among respondents who could name a given brand, deputy editor Jeff Bartlett told Cars.com.

"We've made awareness a non-factor, so we've equalized it across the brands," Bartlett said. "So everyone knows Toyota, [but] a few people know Fiat. The question is, of those brands that you're aware of, which stand as exemplary in each of the seven categories that we're looking at?"

Recall Alert: 2001-02 Ford Escapes

Ford is recalling 244,530 model-year 2001-02 Ford Escapes over a potential brake fluid leak that could cause a car fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On vehicles manufactured from Oct. 22, 1999, through July 19, 2002, the brake master cylinder reservoir cap could leak brake fluid. If the fluid comes into contact with the antilock braking system module, an electrical fire could result.

Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder reservoir cap and the antilock braking system will be modified. Ford will start notifying affected owners starting the week of Jan. 23. For more info, owners can call Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

Recall Alert: 2004-05 Ford Freestar, Mercury Monterey

Ford is recalling 205,896 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans from the 2004-05 model years because the torque converter output shaft may fail, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If the shaft fails, the driver may experience a sudden loss of motive power without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.

Ford or Lincoln dealers will replace the torque converter for free. The recall is expected to begin in the spring because the parts needed for repairs will not be available until then. Owners can call Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

2013 Ford Fusion: Photo Gallery

The midsize-sedan market has always been one of the most competitive segments in the United States, and Ford ratchets up expectations with its 2013 Fusion.

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The Fusion features luxury-like styling, a unique and tech-ladened interior, and the first plug-in midsize hybrid with the redesign.

2013 Ford Fusion: Up Close

Last year, Ford design chief J Mays said he thought headlights on cars were getting out of hand. They're functional elements; there's no reason they need to be huge, Mays (no relation to me) said.

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You can see the results for yourself on the 2013 Ford Fusion, whose thin headlights are only as big as they need to be. The Fusion's grille, on the other hand, is huge and slung forward, perched atop a lower inlet. At least most of it is functional, which is something I couldn't say for the grille on Ford's 2013 Lincoln MKS.

2013 Ford Fusion Video

The redesigned 2013 Ford Fusion is all-new for the model year, featuring unique Euro-influenced styling. The new midsize Fusion will be sold nearly unchanged in Europe as the Ford Mondeo, according to Cars.com Industry Analyst Kelsey Mays. Its looks aren't the only thing that’s changed; the model no longer features a V-6 option but instead opts for five fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines, including a hybrid and Ford's first plug-in hybrid powertrain.

2013 Ford Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Fusion Energi at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

• Competes with: Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu
• Looks like: Ford's Evos Concept bore fruit ... right away
• Drivetrain: 170-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder, 179-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder or 237-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual (1.6-liter only) or six-speed automatic; front- or all-wheel drive (Fusion); 185-hp (combined), 2.0-liter four-cylinder with electric motor (Fusion Hybrid, Energi)
• Hits dealerships: Fall 2012

Car shoppers returned to family sedans in December, and a fresh round of products will greet them in 2012. Ford kicks things off with the next-generation Fusion, which hits U.S. dealers this fall and international markets as the Mondeo in early 2013.

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Ford says 70% of consumers see midsize sedans as a lookalike group, and 43% who trade theirs in say they did so just to have something different. The Fusion cuts through this, falling into Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata territory for outside-the-box styling. Design cues mirror the Evos Concept from last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, with thin headlamps that sweep clear toward the front fenders and a low, forward grille. The beltline stays visually flat — in contrast to the rising lines on most sedans — and the bumper runs flush with the trunk lid, with integrated tailpipes beneath. Wheels range from 16 to 19 inches, and trim levels include the S, SE and Titanium. There will also be Fusion Hybrid and plug-in Energi models; the Energi arrives closer to the end of the year.