The annual EAA AirVenture event held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is a mecca for aviation enthusiasts, but as it turns out, it’s a pretty big deal for gearheads as well. For the last nine years, Ford has developed a special edition Mustang to auction at each event, including space-themed models and those that take inspiration from fighter jets. This year, the brand may have outdone itself.
Read more: Ford invests in vehicle mapping to advance safe, smooth autonomous driving
Ford’s “Ole Yeller” pony car is the most track-ready road-legal Mustang ever produced, a statement that makes much more sense when you realize it starts off in life as a Shelby GT350. Inspired by the P-51D Mustang aircraft — more specifically the “Ole Yeller” pace and safety plane for the Reno National Championship Air Races — the car features a custom yellow exterior, carbon fiber accents, and of course, an enormous rear spoiler.
The ‘Stang’s story goes a bit deeper than that, because it also serves as a tribute to renowned Air Force pilot and air show performer Bob Hoover. Hoover flew the original “Ole Yeller” safety plane for more than 20 years, which adds up to more than 1,000 air show performances.
“This year’s one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang honors two aviation greats, the iconic and historic P-51D Mustang fighter plane, and highly decorated fighter pilot, test pilot, and air show performer, Bob Hoover, who is referred to by many as one of the greatest pilots ever to have lived,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of Ford’s Board of Directors. “The Shelby GT350 Mustang, with its nimbleness, speed and aerodynamics, provided us with the perfect platform to create this tribute to the P-51D aircraft.”
Underneath the eye-catching and underglow-accented skin lies a monstrous, 5.2-liter V8 that produces 526 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. The GT350 was bred for the track as well, which means this car has the performance to back up its name.
“Ole Yeller” is set to be auctioned off on July 28, with the proceeds going to the EAA’s youth education programs.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.