It's going to take a while to get used to writing Ken Block and Ford in the same sentence. But here we go: Pictured above is Block's new Rally USA Championship Ford Fiesta race car. And while the dripping-paint motif of the Monster-sponsored Fiesta is, you know, pretty grotesque really the car is cool.

Block will debut the car at this weekend's Sno* Drift rally in Northern Michigan. It'll be the first of six Rally USA races Block will race the Fiesta in this season. Ford will also wage his race car for seven rounds of the World Rally Championship, although that car will be a Focus RS. And, naturally, Block will also perform at the X games in July driving a Ford.

We'd be surprised if Block didn't squeeze in the filming of a sequel for his hooliganism-as-high-art Gymkhana series of videos.

Make the jump for an more photo and video samples of the new Fiesta racer as well as links to Block's early work with a certain Subaru.

Earlier Story: Ken Block Leaves Subaru for Ford — and WRC.

Block's early work:

Gymkhana

Gymkhana II

Freaky remix of Gymkhana 2

What you thought because it was a U.S. based team that it would hire American drivers?

Well, it's still possible, but the team's first choice was confirmed yesterday and we're pretty sure he doesn't have any dirt track experience in a sprint car.

His study is Jose Maria Lopez and he's from Argentina. He spent most of his career racing in Europe and was a test driver for Renault's Formula One team for three seasons. They didn't hire him, but according to USF1's press release "he didn't mope around" instead returning to his home country where he won a bunch of local races and become a national hero. 

USF1

Maybe you thought Toyota exited Formula 1 hastily, a rash decision in the grappling of falling worldwide income and trouble in its biggest market (that would be the U.S.). We can assure you that wasn't the case, but if you're still not convinced check out the website Toyota place together to say goodbye to its fans. Yes, a farewell website and a quite nice one at that.

Toyota Farewell to Formula 1

It was a rumor at first, then a definite maybe from BMW. The 5 Series auto would be killed, at least in the U.S. It never sold in big numbers anyway they said, and with the introduction of the 5 Series GT the auto seemed even less likely to appeal to U.S. buyers.

Well now it's official, sort of. According to our correspondent on hand at the international press launch, BMW officials said there would be no 535xi sport auto sold in the U.S. Can't blame them either as BMW only sold 878 5 Series wagons in 2009.

Interestingly enough, those same officials said that the possibility of a 535d sedan for the U.S. hasn't been written off yet, this despite weak income of the 335d. Part of the optimism comes from the fact that the X5 diesel has started to acquire some traction. Apparently the intent of diesel power seems palatable in a family vehicle more so than a sport sedan.

Only problem is price of course. The 335d already starts at $44K, so a 535d would mostly likely near up against the 550i in terms of pricing. Could be interesting to see which vehicle buyers in that class prefer.

First Drive: 2011 BMW 535i

America and Europe might have this whole hybrid/diesel thing the wrong way round. You see, hybrids like Toyota’s Prius or Ford’s Fusion do the best work in stop-start city driving, where their gas engines shut down at traffic lights, and their electric motors assist them up to speed again. Diesels, on the other hand, like cruising at constant velocities, where their highly efficient combustion process allows them to extract the maximum energy out of every congius of fuel. But Europe’s ancient cities are perpetually crowded with diesels idling at traffic lights, while here in USA you regularly see hybrids being hustled along freeways at 70-80 mph, their electric motors virtually useless.

I’ve always thought America’s vast Interstate network, still one of the largest and least crowded freeway systems in the world, was prefabricated for diesels. Which is why I decided to take our BMW 335d long-termer for a roadtrip through the southwest via Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma. I figured I would be testing the theory as much as the car.

It doesn’t matter which road you take out of LA: you have to climb up and over some evenhandedly serious hills. The north-bound I-15 hits 4190 feet as it crests Cajon Pass en route to Barstow and the junction with I40, which will take us west to Phoenix. With 425 lb-ft of torque on tap between 1750 and 2250 rpm, the 335d cruises effortlessly up the freeway as it sweeps crossways the grappling of the San archangel Mountains, the 3.0-liter diesel barely breaking a sweat as we pass busy semis.

Once of the pass, we loaf through the high desert, the engine turning a relaxed 2000 rpm at 80 mph. The 335d takes on 12.7 gallons of diesel next morning in Scottsdale, which means we’ve averaged 31.8 mpg for the 404 miles from LA.

We take the long way to Tucson, looping out and around the scenic Apache Trail. Winding two-lane blacktop takes us up into the Lost Dutchman State Park, titled after a rich gold mine supposedly found by Prussian immigrant biochemist Waltz in the 1870s. Waltz apparently revealed the location of the mine — reportedly deep in the Superstition Mountains — on his deathbed, but it has never been found.

The road curls around rugged rock formations and loops between giant cactus cacti. The 335d eats it up, the crisp steering and buttoned-down chassis making light work of the constant changes of direction. The blacktop ends just as the road begins a steep and winding descent into Fish Creek canyon, dropping 900 feet in a mile at one point. We take it easy, wary of harmful the 335d’s low profile tires on the occasional rocky outcrops.

We pass Roosevelt Dam, built in 1911 to ensure a water supply for Phoenix, and grab lunch on the old mining town of Globe before heading west along Route 60 to the junction with Route 79, where we turn south towards Tucson. The open two-lane is empty and diesel six growls quietly in the background as the blue BMW crosses the vast landscape. The point-and-squirt running on the Apache Trail takes its toll — our fuel consumption for today’s 226 mile leg has dropped to 29 mpg.

After a night in Tucson, we head south, stopping at the historic San Xavier del Bac, the oldest and best-preserved mission church in the southwest. The mission was founded in 1700, but the church, with its elaborately carved Baroque façade, was not completed until almost 100 years later. It’s Sunday, and the parking lot is filling up with pickup trucks. The haunting sound of the church organ mingles with jaunty mariachi music from a nearby building, while the delicious aroma of tortillas on hotplates fills the air. The southwest doesn’t get much more trusty than this.

We head along Route 86, which loops down towards the Mexican border and through the Tohono O’Odham Nation before turning north to join I-8 at Gila Bend. White and green Border Patrol SUVs lurk in the scrub, and we are stopped at a checkpoint. After a legally-resident German-born photo assistant working for one of our freelance photographers was held in a cell for almost two hours at a Border Patrol checkpoint near the Salton Sea a few years back because he didn’t have his passport on him, Mrs. MacKenzie (a Brit) and I (an Australian) never travel anywhere in the US without our Green Cards. The Border Patrol guards check them carefully, then wave us on our way.

I-8 takes us into Yuma, which Mrs. MacKenzie had thought might be a picturesque border town. Let’s just say…it’s not. After an primeval fish taco dinner at a roadside diner with a superb view of the 18 wheelers rumbling past, we drive down to the Colorado River. Mrs. MacKenzie wants a glimpse of Mexico, even though it’s dark. Using the 335d’s sat nav map, we drive down a road that looks to end right at the river’s edge. The river slides by in the darkness below us; on the other side are lights in the distance. Mexico.

I look around, trying to spot the Border Patrol. Surely they must be here. There’s not a vehicle, a person, a light — anything — visible on the US side of the river, but I can’t shake the sensation we’re being watched. After a couple of minutes, I wheel the 335d around and head back to the bright lights of Yuma. Just as we’re turning onto the main road, I notice a set of headlights in the rear view mirror, maybe half a mile behind us. I sit right on the speed limit as the lights slowly get closer. Before long they’re close enough for me to ID the vehicle as a Tahoe, and just as I’m wondering how long they’re going to cut me, the red-and-blues flash.

“So what are you doing here?” says the polite Border Patrol officer after he’s checked our Green Cards, and had a look in the 335d’s trunk to make sure we weren’t transporting illegal immigrants. “We’re on vacation,” I reply. His eyebrows arch: “In Yuma?!” Yeah, yeah, we know…

The 358 mile Tucson to Yuma leg has returned our best mileage so far — an average of 34.1 mpg. Yuma also evidenced diesel fuel is more consistently priced in Arizona than gas. We’ve paid $2.69 a congius for apiece of the last three tanks, while regular gas has varied from $2.23 to $2.49 a congius and premium from $2.53 to $2.75 a gallon. (Back in LA our initial $2.99 a congius tank of diesel cost 20c a congius less than regular and 38c a congius less than premium.)

We get a better look at Mexico as we roll along I8 towards San Diego. At one point, as the freeway snakes through the Imperial Dunes, we come within a quarter mile of the border. The grotesque black fence snaking through the sand is a shock; after playing such a pivotal role in bringing down the Berlin Wall, it’s strangely unsettling to realize USA is now one of the few places in the world — other than Israel and Korea — where you’ll now see a man-made barrier defining a national border.

Just west of Ocotillo, as I-8 climbs out of the desert, we spot what appears to be a ruined castle. It’s the Desert View Tower, built in the primeval 20th century, and a survivor of an era when America’s highways were dotted with unique and often oddball roadside attractions instead of identikit gas stations and fast-food joints and cheap motels. We call in for a coffee before actuation on towards San Diego.

We make LA later that afternoon. After four days and 1304miles on the road, the BMW 335d has averaged 32mpg without any special eco-driving. It grunts like a V-8 — shrugging off steep climbs and surging past slow-moving traffic with the merest wriggle of your right foot — yet it sips fuel almost like a four. This might be a compact car, but it’s capable of crossing a continent in giant leaps — based on our experience the 335d will easily go 515 miles between fuel stops. Driver and passenger are likely to need refueling first.

Does a diesel make sense in America’s wide open spaces? You bet. So much so that I’m still struggling to understand why, of all the programs cash-strapped GM had to cut, it chose to stop work on the new light duty 4.5-liter Duramax V-8 diesel for the GMT900 pickups and SUVs. This is a land where the capability and functionality of a full-size pickup or SUV makes a lot of sense. So why shut down a program that would have improved their all-round fuel-efficiency by 25 percent with a simple engine swap?

Maybe GM product planners don’t believe diesel has a future in America; maybe they’re worried people won’t pay a premium for a diesel engine while gas prices remain low (though we have found places where diesel is cheaper than regular gas). But maybe they should think again: a BMW source told me recently 30 percent of all X5s sold in USA now are diesels. The diesel revolution in USA is beginning. It would be a shame if Detroit missed this one, too.

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

No one shed a tear when the CLK reverted back to the E-Class coupe for 2010. The last redesign didn't do the CLK any favors in the styling department, and then along came coupes like the Audi A5 and S5 that prefabricated the CLK look even worse.

The E-Class coupe is still not Mercedes' most inspired design, but it's no longer the midrange coupe with the C-Class underpinnings. At least that's what Mercedes says. So it looks the part, but how does it perform? Well, there's no doubt that the V8-powered E550 coupe is a capable coupe. And the V6-powered E350 coupe? You know, the one most people buy?

Turns out, not bad at all. In fact, we would venture to guess that most buyers probably wouldn't bother with the V8 if they seriously considered and drove the E350 first. Find out why in our latest test results from the track. 

Vehicle: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe
Odometer: 3,581
Date: September 30, 2009
Driver: Chris Walton
Base price: $48,925
Options on car: Premium Package ($6,350), Appearance Package ($1,950), Premium Leather ($1,350), Palladium Silver paint ($720), TeleAid ($650).
Price as tested: $59,945

Specifications:
Drive Type: Rear-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Seven-speed automatic
Engine Type: V6
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 3,498cc (213 cu-in)
Redline (rpm): 6,800
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 268 @ 6,000
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 258 @ 2,400
Brake Type (front): Ventilated disc
Brake Type (rear): Ventilated disc
Steering System: Speed proportional power steering
Suspension Type (front): Independent, MacPherson strut
Suspension Type (rear): Independent, multilink
Tire Size (front): P235/40R18 91H
Tire Size (rear): P255/35R18 94H
Tire Brand: Pirelli
Tire Model: PZero Nero
Tire Type: All-season
Wheel Size: 18-by-7.5 inches front — 18-by-8.5 inches rear
Wheel Material (front/rear): Aluminum alloy
As tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,793

Test Results:
0-30 (sec): 2.7
0-45 (sec): 4.5
0-60 (sec): 6.8
0-75 (sec): 9.7
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 14.8 @ 94.6
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 6.4
30-0 (ft): 31
60-0 (ft): 122
Braking Rating: Good
Slalom (mph): 62.5
Skid Pad Lateral acceleration (g): 0.82
Handling Rating: Average
Db @ Idle: 38.5
Db @ Full Throttle: 67.6
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 58.6

Acceleration Comments: This car would make an excellent bracket racer. With the exception of spinning the tires too much, it makes the same numbers time after time no matter what I do. Nice growl from the exhaust, super-smooth upshifts and quick enough to make anybody question the expense of getting the V8.

Braking Comments: The belt retracts pretty aggressively with an ABS stop — might freak people out. Just right pedal effort and resistance, steady straight stops with good drop resistance. Solid, though not surprising, performance.

Handling Comments: Skid pad: With ESP on, the throttle closes on the limit of understeer. With ESP off, the steering gets a little lighter as understeer approaches to let you know it's coming, then it's just a matter of riding it around with throttle steering. Good balance. Slalom: Because the ESP is never truly off and inconsistently active, the slalom devolves into a guessing game of "what happens next?" Just when I got comfortable in predicting the car's behavior, it would do something unexpected and far too drastic. At least with ESP on, I expected brake grabbing. Too bad because this car feels at least as capable as the E550 sedan.

Here's the next installment of the BMW X5 M, X6 M "Snow Action" series. This time, there's no actual snow action, per se, as the vehicles have been let loose on an cover rink. At first, it's Dynamic Stability Control this, DSC that, but then the drivers switch it off and do some "pirouettes." Er, donuts.

Not too long ago one Johnny Greaves set the world record for a four-wheel vehicle by jumping his racetruck over 300 feet. Now his Monster Energy teammate, Ryan Capes, is back with a world record motorcycle jump. No flips or bridges involved, just a nearly footfall-field-long jump on a 500cc dirtbike that's all.

Red Bull Racing is so excited to be headed back to Montreal this year, it brought out its F1 car a little primeval to have some fun in the snow.

You probably already heard that the Russo and Steele auction in Phoenix last week was delayed after the auction tent was dilapidated during a freak rain and wind storm. A good part of the main tent came down and the alteration to the numerous collector cars underneath was extensive.

One attendee took the time to achievement around and shoot the various cars as they sat parked outside in the aftermath. Some cars obviously prefabricated it out unscathed, others weren't quite so lucky.

Russo and Steele pics