Drive Wire: February 3, 2016

Ford GT qualifications, a new BMW 1-Series, Fiat-Chrysler success, the best gloves, and F1 rugby.

byThe Drive Staff|
Drive Wire: February 3, 2016
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Hey guys, it’s Christina Thompson and this is Drive Wire for Wednesday, February 3rd.

The Ford GT has finally arrived but only for the rich and popular. Ford is set to open up the pre-order process for the new Ford GT, and it seems it’s more of an audition than anything. In order to be sure the 250 supercars they make each year are going to the most worthy drivers, ford is going to ask potential owners how many Fords they’ve previously owned, with special attention to the previous Ford GT. Ford also wants to be sure the cars are driven, not stashed away as investments, so the sales contract will prevent people from selling their new GT for a set period of time. On top of ownership history, your online popularity will be taken into account. Although Ford didn’t use the buzzword “influencers,” the company says a robust online presence will increase your odds of ownership. At any rate, if you want a GT, you’ll likely need about $400,000 when the ordering website launches later this month.

In luxury car news, what appears to be the new compact BMW 1-Series has been spotted undergoing testing. Although there’s some skepticism about having standard front-wheel-drive with an all-wheel-drive option, we feel this spunky little BMW will hold its own. BMW needs a car to compete with the Mercedes CLA and the Audi A-3, and there’s no reason this car couldn’t be the fun one in the segment. The compact sedan is expected to start around $30,000.

In business news, Fiat-Chrysler America has announced its 70th straight month of sales gains. The Jeep brand continues to contribute more than its fair share of profits for the company. The performance is particularly impressive when considering Fiat sales, which continue to struggle. With successful sales records as these, it’s not surprising to see Fiat-Chrysler directing more of their attention to the truck segment.

There have been blizzards on the East Coast and thundersnow in the Midwest, so there’s never been a better time to get yourself the best gloves possible. The Heat 3 gloves were designed for Austrian combat forces and feature pouches for heating packs, drawstrings for a precise snow-free fit, and of course touchscreen capability— so you can still watch Drive Wire even if you’re climbing the Alps.

Today’s ridiculous video is from the high octane, big muscle athletes of Red Bull. Watch as F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo faces off against the Bath Rugby team in a tire-smoking scrum for the ages, 8 men versus 1000 horsepower. I guess we’ve solved an age old question of who is more powerful, a rugby squad or an F1 car.

That’s it for today’s edition of Drive Wire. For more, be sure to come back to thedrive.com, and follow us @thedrive on all your favorite social media platforms.

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