Ford has named Jamie Allison as the new director of its North American Motorsports programs. Set to replace Brian Wolfe, Allison has been working in Ford Racing for six years and has been with the Dearborn automaker for 22 years. While part of the racing group, Allison has worked in one of the more profitable segments of the business, selling racing performance parts. During his tenure Allison oversaw the launch of Ford selling turn-key race cars like the FR500C, the FR500S and of course the Cobra Jet drag race car.

The race car program has been very successful both in terms of sales and on the track, with both the 2008 and 2010 runs of 50 Cobra Jets sold out before the cars were even built. The announcement of Allison’s promotion came during a media event this week where Allison revealed the next product from Ford Racing, which you’ll here more about next week. Wolfe has been named to a new position in the product development organization.

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Dan Neil drives the Audi eTron, tells Musk and Fisker to watch out

The LA Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning auto critic, Dan Neil, had a chance to sample the Audi e-tron while the electric R8 (R8e?) was down in So. Cal. for the LA Auto Show, and he’s suitably impressed with the nine-month-old prototype that — unlike your average concept — is actually functional.

Not only does it go, stop and turn, the e-tron has a fully functional climate control system, power windows, MMI system and a host of other gadgets on board, making it a rarity in the world of one-off concepts. Granted, it’s still just an overly-stylized mule (thankfully, the million-spoke wheels were dispatched in favor of the R8 V10’s hoops), but this is less about the driving experience (although Neil raves about the dynamics and power delivery) and more about the world’s largest automakers getting into the electric vehicle game.

Neil’s primary point is that while Tesla and Fisker are laying the foundation for EV proliferation, automakers like Audi, Ford, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen all have electric whips in the works. Neil contends that the standards set by the major OEMs are what’s going to drive EVs into the mainstream and if the e-tron (and the forthcoming electric Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG) are any indication, enthusiasts can have their cake and eat it too. Check out the full write-up and hit the jump for Dan’s video review.

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2011 Ford Mustang GT to offer 412-horsepower 5.0-liter V8

Thanks to a loose-lipped Facebookian that couldn’t help sharing insider information and a quick follow-up post from Inside Line, we can now confirm the return of the iconic 5.0-liter Mustang GT for 2011. Even better news is the fact that the Mustang GT’s new mill will crank out an impressive 412 horsepower.

By way of comparison, the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS has a 6.2-liter V8 with as much as 422 horses when mated to a six-speed manual and the 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 has a 6.1-liter Hemi that offers 425 ponies. And remember, both of those rivals are considerably heavier than the Mustang.

As much as we’d like to unload more goods on the 2011 Mustang, you’ll just have to wait until Ford’s good and ready. Or someone blows another embargo, whichever comes first.

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