The financial peril that currently faces the U.S. domestic automakers is no secret, and according to Wall Street Journal report published yesterday, Ford is mulling over the possibility of unloading at least part of its controlling stake in Mazda to raise cash. Japanese media, via the AP, said that Ford would likely keep some interests in the Japanese automaker after such a move — no surprise when you consider how closely tied Ford and Madza are right now in terms of shared technology. The Oval’s third-quarter numbers are expected to be pretty ugly, and the Journal’s source said that the potential sale of its Mazda holdings is one of many moves reportedly under consideration as Dearborn looks for ways to add to its cash on hand. For its part, Mazda denies that any decision has been made (a non-denial, really — no outlets reported that a deal had yet been completed) and Ford weighed in with a to-be-expected “no comment.” As they say, to be continued…

General Motors and Ford just concluded an absolutely brutal business day on Wall Street, which echoed the performance of the markets in general as the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid another 678.91 points to close below 9,000 at 8,579.19 points. GM closed the day at 4.94 after having dipped as low as 4.72 just minutes before the bell rang at 4PM, while Ford ended today at just 2.14. Analysts are noting that GM shares haven’t been this cheap since the 1950s and that a single share of Ford stock costs less than a gallon of gas at the moment. We are most certainly not financial analysts, but we do know these companies are heading in the wrong direction fast and that a brighter future is not weeks but months and years away.

Every time we see a Flex on the road, it looks cartoonish to us – those two massive rectangles sitting on cute little wheels. We wouldn’t be surprised if, a la CARS, a Flex started talking to us. The “ReFlex” above, designed by Sean Smith of SS Designs and being prepared by CGS Motorsports for this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas, looks like it could have something interesting to say. Who knew that a minimal body kit, a drop, and a set of 22s could give the Flex that personality it’s been missing. The custom DuPont-painted CUV is also getting a suede interior, a Kicker sound system, and even new door solenoids from SPAL. We’ll take it, or at least a ride in it.

Ford Performance Vehicles, otherwise known as FPV, is celebrating its fifth birthday as being the sharp end of Ford Australia’s performance stick. FPV presented itself with a gift at this week’s Australian International Motor Show in the form of a special edition FPV 5th Anniversary model. Only 200 units will be produced of the rear-wheel-drive Falcon-based birthday present, ensuring instant collector car status for the discerning Aussie buyer. The car features Alpine Silver 19-inch multi-spoke wheels, 6-piston Brembo brakes, sports seats upholstered in Nudo leather and special “5th Anniversary” decals on the trunk, ahead of the rear wheels, embossed on the front headrests and on the floormats. The FPV 5th Anniversary model will be available in Lightning Strike or Silhouette, both with striping, and starts at $71,890 in Australian dollars, which FPV says equates to $9,600 worth of extra goodies for only $5,300 more than the FPV GT sedan. So happy birthday to FPV, and we hope that Ford invites us to your rear-wheel-drive performance sedan party some time soon.

Ford Chief Financial Officer Don Leclair has decided to hang up his spreadsheets after an illustrious career at the Blue Oval. Leclair worked at Ford for 32 years and has held the top financial post there since 2003. Succeeding Leclair will be Ford of Europe President Lewis Booth. Booth has helped lead Ford’s positive transformation in Europe and grow Mazda’s success around the world, which are probably Ford’s two largest successes of the past decade. Excruciatingly tough times in North America await Booth upon his arrival Stateside, and team Ford needs some of that same magic he had in Europe to pull the 105-year-old automaker out of its current situation. Leclair and Booth will be working together over the next few weeks to ensure that no balls drop during the transfer of power.

We’re sure Mr. Leclair would have loved to leave the Blue Oval during happier times, and we hope his retirement is a long and enjoyable one. If stocks are part of his exit package, though, it may be some time before he has a chance to relax.

Whether you like it or not, Ford is revealing the 2010 Mustang nice and slow. So far we’ve got fairly clear shots of the wheel, seats, rear deck lid badge, front end, and steering wheel. The latest photo to be released shows a clear, full front view of the dash, and we have to say that we like what we see. Like the new Pony badge, Ford has given the interior an edgier look with rectangular center air vents and more futuristic looking gauges. There are still six images yet to be unveiled, and we’re hoping for a decent shot underneath the hood or of the rear fender soon. Of course, the car will be officially introduced at the LA Auto Show in November, and we’ll be there to bring you all the photos and details.

We’re really excited for the new Ford Fiesta to hit U.S. shores, but unfortunately we have almost two more years to wait. Our friends overseas don’t have to wait at all, though, so marketing for the attractive sub-compact has already started in the UK. One such publicity stunt involved a pair of three-door Fiestas that tore up the dance floor recently near the Tower of London at the Tango at the Tower event while a 20-piece orchestra jammed the classic tune. That’s right – cars doing the tango. Hit the jump to view the well-choreographed video of the two Fiestas going toe to toe in the rain. We’re tempted to quip that these Fiestas have better moves than Kim Kardashian, but we have no desire to admit watching Dancing with the Stars.

If the super-tuned F-350 Striker diesel dually doesn’t float your boat, the specialty tuners at Performance West will have a tire shredder of smaller proportions for you at SEMA next month. The F-150 Striker R will be unleashed on attendees of the Las Vegas tuner spectacular with Shelby GT500KR-inspired styling similar to its big brother and a power story all its own. Our friend Mike Levine from Pickuptrucks.com gave us the low-down on the Striker R’s power numbers, and they’re pretty impressive. It gains motivation from Ford’s 5.4L V8 mated to a massive 2.4L Kenne Bell Blowzilla supercharger and intercooler, giving it a healthy 500 ponies. Other power enhancers include a cold air intake, Boost-a-Pump, Optimizer II electronic engine management system and a Corsa Cat-Back exhaust.

The Sriker R will be kept pinned to the pavement with a Bell Tech suspension package, and the rear differential will receive a Striker R alloy cover. Stopping force for this powerful pickup comes via 15-inch Big Bite cross-drilled rotors. A vehicle isn’t SEMA-worthy without great-looking wheels and tires, and Performance West went to Pirelli for the proper equipment – stylish 22-inch alloy wheels and Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico ultra-high-performance tires.

In our humble opinion, the GT500KR treatment translates better to the F-150 than the F-350, as the Striker R incorporates big upper and lower front air dams and two imposing hood scoops to keep the air flowing. No GT500KR look-alike would be worth its weight in spit without dual racing stripes, and the Striker R uses the Badass Blue variety with contrasting silver paint directly from the Shelby Mustang concept.

Ford has finally begun production of the all-new 2009 Ford Fiesta in Cologne, Germany, today. After an investment of 455 million Euros (about $674 million) to restructure and modernize the plant, Ford is expecting its 4,000 employees will be able to roll out 148,000 Fiestas by the end of the year, which is an impressive 1,900 cars each day). In January 2009, the Valencia plant in Spain will also begin building the Fiesta. There are also production plants in China, Thailand, and Mexico that are tooling up for the newest small Ford in order to meet worldwide demand, which finally includes the U.S. where it will also be sold in both sedan and hatchback configurations around 2010. Based on the Verve concept, the new compact is exactly what the automaker needs in today’s efficiency-conscious marketplace, and its stylish enough not to be considered a cheapskate or eco-geek while driving.