The high-powered Ford Focus ST hatchback will debut at the Paris Motor Show, but it isn’t a Europe-only model. It will go on sale in the U.S. sometime in 2012. Besides the unique paint color, the Focus ST’s larger wheels, unique front end, center-mounted dual exhaust pipe and large rear spoiler all alert you to the performance aspects of the model. The engine will be a modified version of Ford’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, which is good for 246 horsepower.

Essentially a middle ground between the pedestrian Focus and the unhinged Focus RS, the Focus ST has traditionally offered more power and a sportier look and drive than your average Focus.  Ford, to its credit, sees no reason to alter this formula. It will show an “early preview” of the next-generation ST, the first car  born from the company’s new global Performance Vehicles strategy, in Paris ahead of the car’s global launch at the end of 2011 or early 2012. For now, Ford calls it the “range-topping” Focus, a nod to the retirement of the current Focus RS, whose successor is not yet confirmed.

is starting to release its Software Development Kit (SDK) to a new set of interested smartphone app developers so they can modify existing apps to work hands-free using voice recognition through Ford SYNC for safer command and control while driving. The SDK release marks the latest move by Ford to forge a more open collaborative bond with the wireless, consumer electronics and app developer communities to create a safer and smarter in-car connectivity experience that leverages the mobile devices customers own and love.

Understanding the potential of the SYNC application programming interface (API), app developers have been clamoring for the Ford SDK since the company announced the launch of the SYNC Developer website.  Since then, Ford has received and is reviewing more than 1,000 submissions from interested parties looking to modify existing apps or create all-new apps that can successfully interface with Ford SYNC through AppLink. As the software that leverages the SYNC API, AppLink can access mobile apps stored on a user’s smartphone, and allows them to be controlled through the SYNC voice recognition system.

Pandora Internet radio, Stitcher smart radio and Orangatame’s OpenBeak are the first apps to incorporate the SYNC API, with more on the way in coming months. To keep the user experience seamless, Ford will leverage existing app stores for distribution of updated SYNC-enabled versions of apps. Owners of SYNC AppLink-equipped cars simply download the enabled app through the appropriate app store for their smartphone’s operating system.

The 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 is in stock now at Dewey Ford of Iowa!!

The Shelby GT500 remains the most potent version of the Mustang, and it receives an all-new aluminum engine for 2011 that’s 102 pounds lighter and 10 hp more powerful. The supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 now makes 550 hp and 510 pounds-feet of torque. The V-8 takes premium gas, and its estimated fuel economy has improved to 15/23 mpg thanks to weight reduction, the use of an electric power-steering system and better underbody air management. The gas mileage improvement means the Shelby GT500 isn’t subject to a gas-guzzler tax anymore.

A new SVT Performance Package features Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar G:2 tires on lightweight 19-inch front and 20-inch rear forged-aluminum wheels, a 3.73 axle ratio, a limited-slip differential, firmer springs and a lowered ride height. Also new for 2011, the Shelby GT500 can have an optional panoramic glass roof — a feature that’s been available for the regular Mustang — and high-intensity-discharge headlights are now standard.