Focus RS – get 345 Mountune horses from your Ford dealer

The Focus RS Mountune Power Kit gives you the power of an RS500 If you’re busy spitting feathers because you’re one of the unlucky thousands who tried to throw £35k at Ford for one of the limited edition Focus RS500s last week, worry not. You can save yourself a not inconsiderable chunk of change by taking your current Focus RS off to your local RS dealer and getting a Mountune Performance Upgrade Package and match the RS500 performance for rather less than the extra £10k the RS500 costs. Ford have a long history of working with Mountune to get more out of their production cars – Mountune even supplied the engines for the original Sierra RS500 BTCC entries –  and there are already Mountune kits available to get more from your Ford – without screwing with the warranty – for the Focus ST, the old Fiesta ST and even the latest Fiesta.

Dodge debuts a collector's-edition Mopar Charger

Banking on the success of last year's Mopar version of the Dodge Challenger, the company is now ready to launch the high-performance 2011 Mopar Charger. Chrysler's Hemi V8 powers the four-door sedan, pumping out 370 hp and an upgraded 395 lb-ft of torque. The specially equipped Charger includes the Super Trac Pac option that adds the performance-calibrated engine controller, larger front and rear stabilizer bars, specific 20-inch wheels and upgraded brakes.

Car sales rise as shutdown ends

DETROIT -- Combined U.S. sales by the Detroit 3 rose 14 percent last month, helped by strong demand for sedans and pickups and an increase in showroom traffic after the partial government shutdown ended. General Motors reported a 16 percent gain after losing market share in August and September.