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First 1K next-gen Mustangs to carry 2014 1/2 model year?

A new report from Mustangs Daily, citing insider sources at Ford, tells us that the Blue Oval will produce 1,000 next-generation Mustangs with the model year designation of 2014 ½, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the storied marque. The commemorative half-year designation is a rumor that's been swirling in Mustang forums for quite some time now, and seems more plausible than ever with this most recent report. Certainly it's not far-fetched to believe that Ford will want to make a big deal of the golden anniversary for its most-loved model.
The story (compiled by Drew Phillips, who runs the aforementioned Mustang site when he's not directing the photography on these pages) goes on to say that the limited-run cars will be the first built on the new Mustang platform internally known as S550 (and spied testing in the attached gallery). Each car is said to carry a "special" VIN and build number, though no performance upgrades versus the 2015 cars to follow are in the works. A collector's dream then, rather than a weekend racer's.

Ford recalling nearly 700k Escape CUVs, C-Max hybrids over two separate safety issues

Poor Escape. Ever since its launch in 2012, Ford's small CUV has been the subject of many, many, many recalls. And today, The Detroit News is reporting that Ford is adding two more recalls to the 2013-14 model year Escape's permanent record, one of them also involves the C-Max hybrid hatchback.
The first recall, covering 692,500 Escape and C-Max vehicles, is due to a software glitch that could cause the airbags - specifically, the safety canopy - to not deploy in a timely fashion during rollover crashes. According to the News, Ford says no crashes or injuries have been reported in relation to this problem.
The second recall, covering 692,700 Escapes, is related to the door handles. The News reports that the exterior door handles could open while the vehicle is in motion, and could also fail to latch properly. Once again, no crashes or injuries have occurred because of this. The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration has not issued an official notice on either recall as of this writing.

Ken Block walks you through his new 'Hoonigan Racing' HQ

Ken Block seems like one hell of a nice guy. I ran into him at CES this past January, and he dropped the video games he was playing to chat with me for a while. His crew also recently gave our Steve Ewing a tour of the offices you're about to see on this video. Good guy to know.
As it turns out, they're some fairly cool new digs. Dubbed 'Hoonigan Racing Division HQ,' the office is open to Ford Focus ST and Fiesta ST owners who attend the driving program offered out at Miller Motorsports Park. The very same program that Ewing reported on just recently.
Or, if you've no plans to buy an ST or travel to Utah any time soon, you can let Block show you around himself in this MTV Cribs-style video. With interior decorating that relies heavily on shipping containers and luxurious amenities like a ping pong table, 10 refrigerators and a bear(?), there's no lack of eye-candy in the driverly HQ. (Judging by Block's outfit, you'll probably not go thirsty if you're a Monster drinker, either.) Take the tour along with the Gymkhana master, below.