The Young and the Restless: Noah Newman Fights for His Life After Sabotaged Crash — A Chilling Criminal Plot Rocks Genoa City
Genoa City has been plunged into panic and disbelief following a horrifying car crash that left Noah Newman, son of power couple Nick Newman and Sharon Collins, clinging to life. What began as a heartbreaking family tragedy has now spiraled into a chilling criminal investigation — one that threatens to uncover a conspiracy rooted in revenge, deceit, and long-buried secrets.
A Night of Horror and a Father’s Desperation
The ordeal began with a frantic call that no parent should ever receive. Sharon’s voice, shaking and desperate, screamed through the phone: “COME HERE BEFORE NOAH DIES!” The plea sent Nick into a frenzy, racing to the hospital where chaos reigned as doctors fought to save his son’s life.
Inside the trauma bay, the scene was described as “nightmarish.” Noah flatlined for nearly a full minute before being miraculously revived by the medical team’s quick intervention. Though alive, he was placed into an induced coma to stabilize his critical condition as Sharon and Nick stood helplessly by, watching the machines that now sustained their child.
But relief quickly gave way to dread. A nurse quietly confirmed the unthinkable — Noah’s brakes had been cut. What initially seemed like a tragic accident was now a calculated act of violence. The discovery transformed the hospital into a command center for investigators, with Detective Chance Chancellor leading the charge to uncover who wanted Noah dead.
A Twisted Case of Mistaken Identity
As the investigation deepened, shocking revelations began to surface. The car Noah was driving that night wasn’t his — it belonged to Holden Novax, a new face in Genoa City whose charm had masked a dangerous secret. Surveillance footage uncovered by Chancellor showed a shadowy figure tampering with the vehicle just hours before the crash, triggering the first major lead.
Under interrogation, Audra Charles broke her silence and dropped the bombshell that changed everything: Holden Novax is an alias. His real name is Liam Harrow, a former enforcer for the late and infamous business mogul Ashland Locke. Harrow, it turns out, has been living under a false identity for years, hiding from Locke’s ruthless former associates.
Audra’s confession painted a disturbing picture — Harrow had recently resurfaced in Genoa City carrying a digital file known as the Genesis Protocol, a blackmail database that could expose criminal dealings across the business world. Locke’s old network wanted it back, and they were willing to kill to get it.
The evidence now points to a chilling conclusion: Noah wasn’t the intended target. The saboteurs meant to kill Harrow. But when Noah unknowingly drove the swapped vehicle, he became collateral damage — the innocent victim of another man’s deadly past.
Noah’s Awakening and the Terrifying Truth
Hours later, as dawn broke over the hospital, Noah stirred for the first time since the crash. In a fragile, whispered voice, he confirmed everyone’s worst fears. “The car,” he gasped, “it wasn’t an accident… they wanted to send a message.” His words sent a ripple of dread through his parents.
For Nick and Sharon, the nightmare has only just begun. Nick, torn between grief and fury, has vowed to uncover who’s behind the attack. “The person who did this isn’t finished,” he warned Chance. “They’ll come back to finish the job.”
Meanwhile, the Genesis Protocol — and the secrets it holds — have become the most dangerous weapon in Genoa City. With Harrow’s enemies closing in, the Newmans are now unwillingly entangled in a deadly war that could destroy more than just reputations.
As the family keeps vigil over Noah’s fragile recovery, one question looms over the city: how far will Nick go to protect his family when the next strike comes?
With the shadows of Ashland Locke’s empire rising once more, the Newmans’ fight for justice may become their most dangerous battle yet.
The 10 Fastest Mustangs MotorTrend Has Ever Tested
The Ford Mustang has dramatically transformed from an entry-level muscle car to high-performance sports car over the course of the past 25 years. Although V-8 power has always been in the mix, modern engine controls, improved tire technology, and incredibly quick-shifting automatic transmissions have conspired to boost the Mustang’s straight-line speed as never before.
Of course, it’s not all automatics and electronic trickery, as we found plenty of quick manual-transmission Mustangs when poring over our decades of test results—especially among those models most capable of taking advantage of the recent handling upgrades that have been made to the Mustang’s chassis.
Before we get to the cars, a note about how we do what we do. The MotorTrend test team measures the acceleration of more than 200 vehicles every year to inform the rigorous, unbiased reviews written by our experienced editors. To ensure our 0–60 and quarter mile times are accurate, we hold ourselves to high standards. We test at automotive proving grounds in California and Michigan with Racelogic Vbox Touch data loggers that record a vehicle’s speed 25 times per second using high-accuracy GPS. All our acceleration times are weather-corrected using the methodologies outlined by SAE International, the standards organization formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers. The weather correction defined in SAE J1349 allows MotorTrend acceleration numbers collected on a Michigan winter day to be directly compared with those captured during summer testing in California.
After sorting through our exhaustive database to ID the top-performing Ford pony cars, here are the 10 fastest Mustangs MotorTrend has ever tested. In the event of a tie, the car with the higher trap speed was used to break it. Which of these Mustangs would you want in your stable?
10. 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 | 12.3 seconds at 115.8 mph
Ford had been building special-edition Mustangs for decades, but the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 showed how serious the company was about reimagining the muscle icon as a potential sports car competitor. The Boss 302’s name called back to the heady days of 1970s Trans Am racing, yet the extensive list of upgrades and alterations made to the 2012 car’s suspension, engine, and aero were cutting edge, rather than throwback, when experienced on a road course.
The first Mustang to come with a special key that unlocked TracMode engine management and a two-stage launch control—and the only Ford at the time with functional side pipes—the Boss 302 was able to fully leverage the 444 horsepower produced by its 5.0-liter V-8, cracking the quarter mile in 12.3 seconds at 115.8 mph. Pretty impressive for a car that was designed to do the opposite of a straight-line shot.
2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302
MOTOR TYPE
5.0L naturally aspirated V-8
POWER (SAE NET)
444 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
380 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
3,621 lb (55/45%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
3/2/11
LOCATION
CAL
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.6
0-40
2.3
0-50
3.1
0-60
4.0
0-70
5.0
0-80
6.2
0-90
7.6
0-100
9.2
QUARTER MILE
12.3 seconds at 115.8 mph
TOP SPEED
155 mph (mfr claim)
9. 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 | 12.3 seconds at 117.0
Ford never followed up on the Boss 302 after its two years of production, but it did replace it with an equally potent, track-oriented model, the Shelby GT350. Get used to that name, because you’ll be seeing it often on our list of the fastest Mustangs.
The Shelby GT350 was an even more radical departure from the standard version of the car, swapping in a 5.2-liter V-8 in place of the factory 5.0 and taking advantage of a flat-plane crank design to spin the engine all the way up to an 8,250-rpm redline. The upper reaches of the tachometer yielded 526 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque, and that was enough to achieve a 12.3-second quarter mile at 117.0 mph. This edges it past the Boss 302, using our trap speed tiebreaker.
Read the First Drive review of the 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
MOTOR TYPE
5.2L naturally aspirated V-8
POWER (SAE NET)
526 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
429 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
3,825 lb (53/47%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
7/10/19
LOCATION
CAL
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.7
0-40
2.4
0-50
3.1
0-60
4.0
0-70
5.0
0-80
6.2
0-90
7.5
0-100
9.0
QUARTER MILE
12.3 seconds at 117.0 mph
TOP SPEED
180 mph (mfr claim)
8. 2024 Ford Mustang GT Convertible (10A Premium w/ Performance Package) | 12.2 seconds at 116.8 mph
How is it possible that the 2024 Ford Mustang GT convertible–even one equipped with Ford’s Performance package—was able to best the lighter and more powerful Shelby GT350 at the dragstrip by a tenth of a second?
The answer is the car’s 10-speed automatic transmission, a gearbox so much better at managing torque than the launch control built into the manual-equipped Shelby that it doesn’t even have a dedicated launch feature. Then there’s the fact that the GT makes more of its power down low compared to the soaring scream of the GT350’s slightly larger V-8, which makes it less frenetic off the line. The result for sun-loving Mustang fans is a 12.2-second quarter mile with a trap speed of 116.8 mph.
Read the First Test of the 2024 Mustang GT Convertible
2024 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
MOTOR TYPE
5.0L naturally aspirated V-8
POWER (SAE NET)
486 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
418 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
4,096 lb (54/46%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
9/11/23
LOCATION
HPG
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.6
0-40
2.3
0-50
3.1
0-60
3.9
0-70
4.9
0-80
6.0
0-90
7.4
0-100
8.9
QUARTER MILE
12.2 seconds at 116.8 mph
TOP SPEED
155 mph (mfr claim)
7. 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R | 12.2 seconds at 119.0 mph
For those seeking the utmost in track performance, Ford sharpened its hooves of the GT350 with the GT350R model. This version of the Mustang made no changes under the hood but instead focused on weight savings through the inclusion of carbon-fiber wheels and a rear seat delete. It also improved downforce by way of additional aero equipment, and it tweaked the suspension to dial out whatever remaining concessions to street comfort were left in the S550 Mustang’s platform.
Our testing revealed the GT350R to be a better fit for turning in hot laps rather than stacking up time slips, but with a performance of 12.2 seconds at 119 mph, this version of the Shelby is far from a slouch at the dragstrip.
Read the 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R vs. 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 comparison test
2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R
MOTOR TYPE
5.2L naturally aspirated V-8
POWER (SAE NET)
526 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
429 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
3,713 lb (54/46%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
4/26/17
LOCATION
CAL
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.8
0-40
2.4
0-50
3.1
0-60
4.0
0-70
4.9
0-80
6.1
0-90
7.3
0-100
8.7
QUARTER MILE
12.2 seconds at 119.0 mph
TOP SPEED
175 mph (mfr claim)
6. 2018 Ford Mustang GT | 12.1 seconds at 118.8 mph
What happens when you lose some of the weight added by the Ford Mustang GT convertible but keep the slick-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission in the mix? The answer, according to our test of the 2018 Ford Mustang GT coupe, is another tenth of a second at the dragstrip.
The 460 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque from the Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter V-8 do good work in partnership with its autobox (which features more aggressive gearing than the manual), making it a full half-second quicker by the end of the quarter mile than the same car with a six-speed gearbox installed. We saw 12.1 seconds at 118.8 mph during our testing. That’s better than even the Performance Pack 1 and Performance Pack 2 versions of the 6MT Mustang GT that we tested later that same year.
Read the First Test of the 2018 Ford Mustang GT
2018 Ford Mustang GT
MOTOR TYPE
5.0L naturally aspirated V-8
POWER (SAE NET)
460 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
420 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
3,860 lb (55/45%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
5/16/18
LOCATION
CAL
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.7
0-40
2.4
0-50
3.1
0-60
3.9
0-70
4.8
0-80
5.9
0-90
7.2
0-100
8.7
QUARTER MILE
12.1 seconds at 118.8 mph
TOP SPEED
155 mph (mfr claim)
5. 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R | 12.1 seconds at 119.6 mph
The second appearance for the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R hails from the year it debuted, and it turns out our initial test was a tenth of a second quicker than what we could manage with the 2017 edition of the car. Our best efforts yielded a 12.1-second quarter mile with a trap speed of 119.6 mph (though a test with a different car brought us closer to the 2017 model with a result of 12.2 seconds at 118.9 mph).
What’s the takeaway? Variables like weather conditions, remaining tire life, vehicle break-in periods, and even driver skill can all impact the test results of even seemingly identical cars.
Read the First Drive review of the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang
2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R
MOTOR TYPE
5.2L naturally aspirated V-8
POWER (SAE NET)
526 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
429 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
3,714 lb (54/46%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
9/28/15
LOCATION
CAL
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.6
0-40
2.3
0-50
3.0
0-60
3.9
0-70
4.8
0-80
5.9
0-90
7.2
0-100
8.5
QUARTER MILE
12.1 seconds at 119.6 mph
TOP SPEED
175 mph (mfr claim)
4. 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse (10A Premium) | 12.0 seconds at 118.4 mph
Sure, the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is one of the heaviest editions of the coupe to ever hit the streets, but you wouldn’t know it based on its quarter-mile performance. In our testing, the Dark Horse posted a 12.0-second dragstrip run with a trap speed of 118.4 mph, good enough for fourth place all-time on our fastest Mustangs list.
It certainly helps that the Ford Mustang Dark Horse comes with a 500-horsepower version of the pony car’s 5.0-liter V-8 (though torque is down just a smidge versus the standard Mustang GT), as well as sticky Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires as part of the Handling pack on the car we tested. As with other 10-speed automatic Mustangs, there’s no launch control required to achieve the best results off the line, as the car’s Drag Strip mode sets up the transmission for maximum swiftness when swapping cogs.
Read the First Test of the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
MOTOR TYPE
5.0L naturally aspirated V-8
POWER (SAE NET)
500 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
418 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
4,028 lb (55/45%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
8/10/23
LOCATION
CPG
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.6
0-40
2.2
0-50
3.0
0-60
3.7
0-70
4.7
0-80
5.8
0-90
7.1
0-100
8.5
QUARTER MILE
12.0 seconds at 118.4 mph
TOP SPEED
166 mph (mfr claim)
3. 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Super Snake | 12.0 seconds at 129.2 mph
Before the Shelby name expanded to the GT350, it ruled supreme on the GT500 as a warning that you were about to be completely overwhelmed by horsepower. No vehicle better represents this philosophy than the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Super Snake, which delivered 850 horsepower and 613 lb-ft of torque from a 5.8-liter supercharged V-8.
That’s a significant step up over the 662 horsepower generated by the “standard” Shelby GT500 version of the car, and it’s enough to push the Mustang to a 12-second flat e.t. for the first time on our list. Officially, we squeezed 12.0 seconds at 129.2 mph from the GT500 Super Snake and its six-speed manual gearbox. Given its huge power advantage over the similarly quick, automatic-equipped Mustangs we’ve seen so far, this result shows just how difficult it can be to corral all that output with a clutch pedal.
Read the First Drive review of the 2013 Shelby GT500 Super Snake
2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Super Snake
MOTOR TYPE
5.8L supercharged V-8
POWER (SAE NET)
850 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
613 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
3,929 lb (57/43%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
8/14/13
LOCATION
CAL
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.9
0-40
3.0
0-50
3.6
0-60
4.3
0-70
5.0
0-80
5.8
0-90
7.0
0-100
8.0
QUARTER MILE
12.0 seconds at 129.2 mph
TOP SPEED
200 mph (mfr claim)
2. 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally | 11.9 seconds at 115.2 mph
It might shock you to find out that there are only two factory-spec Mustangs to slip under the 12.0-second mark in all our years of testing at MotorTrend—and one of them is electric. The Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally is a contentious model among brand purists, especially given its tall-riding SUV stature and four doors, but that doesn’t change the fact that it turned in a time slip of 11.9 seconds at 115.2 mph during our quarter-mile testing.
As that trap speed might indicate, the Mach-E Rally is all about hooking up and making the most of its instant-on electric torque, which comes courtesy of two motors churning out a heady 700 lb-ft. With no gear shifts to worry about, the EV Mustang just hooks up and goes, melting your face like the climactic scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark in the process.
Read the First Test of the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally
2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally
MOTOR TYPE
2-motor electric
POWER (SAE NET)
480 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
700 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
1-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
4,975 lb (50/50%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
8/19/24
LOCATION
Honda Proving Center (Cantil, CA)
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.3
0-40
1.8
0-50
2.5
0-60
3.3
0-70
4.3
0-80
5.5
0-90
6.9
0-100
8.5
QUARTER MILE
11.8 seconds at 115.2 mph
TOP SPEED
124 mph (mfr claim)
1. 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (Carbon Fiber Track Package) | 11.3 seconds at 131.6 mph
Here it is: the fastest Mustang we’ve ever tested, and one that combines huge horsepower with the traction-grabbing certainty and lightning-quick shifts of an automatic gearbox. The Mustang Shelby GT500 lassos its 760 horses and 625 lb-ft of torque with a seven-speed dual-clutch autobox that features not just the Drag Mode found with the 10-speed automatic but also an actual launch control.
All that electronic overwatch, and this pony is still a bear to launch. Our best result, after an afternoon of learning the ins and outs of maximizing the Mustang’s traction, was 11.3 seconds at 131.6 mph. Our second-best time was just two-tenths off that figure. That’s exceptional for a street car, especially one that, like the GT350R, is intended to lap the competition rather than pound dragstrip asphalt into submission.
Read the First Test of the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
MOTOR TYPE
5.2L supercharged V-8
POWER (SAE NET)
760 hp
TORQUE (SAE NET)
625 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
7-speed twin clutch
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)
4,054 lb (56/44%)
TEST DATA
DATE TESTED
12/11/19
LOCATION
CAL
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30
1.8
0-40
2.4
0-50
3.0
0-60
3.6
0-70
4.3
0-80
5.1
0-90
6.0
0-100
7.0
QUARTER MILE
11.3 seconds at 131.6 mph
TOP SPEED
180 mph (mfr claim)
A Couple More Mustangs, Just for Fun
2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra | 13.12 seconds at 109.6 mph
The SVT Cobra was the first super Mustang for the masses. It was a car that punched well above its weight with a supercharged V-8 remarkably amenable to power-boosting modifications. Of course, if you stuck with the stock 390 ponies and 390 lb-ft of torque, you certainly weren’t complaining, as those were monster numbers at the time for any car, let alone an affordable Ford.
When we took a convertible version of the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra to the dragstrip, we managed a quarter-mile time of 13.12 seconds at 109.6 mph. That’s a few ticks slower than the coupe, but you get to hear that 4.6-liter motor at full gallop, unfettered by a sheetmetal cocoon. It’s no wonder the SVT Cobra quickly earned the nickname “Terminator.”
2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R | 12.9 seconds at 110.8 mph
The Cobra R was a low-production project intended to build the nastiest Mustang that had ever seen the inside of a showroom. With no back seat, a huge rigid wing affixed to the trunk, a track-ready suspension and brake setup, and a 5.4-liter naturally aspirated engine under the hood, this was the most focused version of Ford’s muscle coupe to have ever emerged from the factory.
The Cobra R was able to nearly match the Terminator under the hood, where it produced 385 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque. Combined with its weight savings, that was enough for a 12.9-second quarter mile with a 110.8 mph trap speed in our testing.
