The new Ford Atlas Concept, which previews the future of America's best-selling pickup truck for the past 36 years and the best-selling vehicle overall for 31 straight years, the F-150, has been named by the editors of Autoweek magazine, the "Most Significant vehicle of the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)".

Bob Gritzinger, Autoweek executive editor, explains why:

“The Atlas Concept is clearly Most Significant winner for the things you don’t see, like hidden aerodynamic improvements and weight savings from high-strength steel and interior parts, like thinner seats. Those things add up to significant fuel savings for pickup trucks down the road. A next-generation EcoBoost with Auto Start-Stop technology also signals why Atlas is a real game changer.”

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Ford yanked the covers off a new concept model at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show on Tuesday morning showcasing the brand's evolved styling language but more importantly, its future vision for pickup trucks and how they'll improve fuel economy.

The Blue Oval won't say (yet) if the new EcoBoost-powered Atlas Concept directly previews the next generation of its best-selling F-150 series, but the truck's size and overall presence suggests that it does.

“The Ford Atlas Concept previews the innovations that will transform what people expect from their pickup,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “With 36 years as America’s best-selling pickup, we are absolutely committed to setting the agenda in the truck market.”

While the exterior design of the Atlas Concept aptly evolves Ford's current DNA, the devil is in the details with the automaker making use of an assortment of active aerodynamic elements to reduce wind resistance.

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The Blue Oval has announced that U.S. sales of its Ford brand will surpass the 2.2 million mark in the year that ends today, adding that it has three vehicle nameplates in the global top 10, according to the latest vehicle registration data from research firm Polk.

This is the second year in a row that the Ford sells more than 2 million vehicles in the States, the only brand to do so since 2007.

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Recently, CarScoop reader Anrev stumbled upon an unusually large gathering of Ford prototype models in Denver, Colorado, some of which were in full camouflage while others sported strange features that caught his, and ultimately, our attention as well.

Anrev explains what he saw and snapped with his camera:

"The Ford Test mule fleet is in Denver. Mustangs, Fusion, Fiesta, Ecosport with Japanese emblems, F150, Mondeo, Ranger and 2 other cars that are heavily padded and were covered. One was the size of the ecosport but more boxy. The other was the size of the Mustang but had a sharper nose and longer back roof line.

He continued: "The engineer that asked me to stop taking pics said they were in town for a few days. He started the Mustang while I was there and gave it a little gas. It may have SAID 5.0 on the side. But there's no way it was. Sounded like a V6."

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The countdown for the grand opening of the 2012 edition of the annual automotive aftermarket extravaganza known as the SEMA Show has begun. In less than a week's time, the Las Vegas Convention Center will open its doors to thousands of tuned and custom concept and production cars.

Besides its own products, Toyo Tires plans to host four specially customized cars at its booth, including two proposals from Japan's Wald International that are making their debut on U.S. soil.

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If there was ever a facepalm moment, this would be it – no question. In the early morning hours of Friday, a Memphis police officer stopped an old Ford pickup truck on a routine patrol for driving with antique-issue license plates.

The reason why the driver was pulled over is that this type of plates are issued for automobiles that are considered classics or of historic value and allow owners to drive them only during weekends and special occasions. However, that wasn't the only violation that the cops discovered…

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