As well as it was promised, company Ford has brought the latest hot hatchback to try to establish a record of time of passage of a circle for front-wheel cars which belongs now Renault sport Megane R26.R and makes 8 minutes of 17 seconds. You will find the arrival, which video shooting more low, were spent together with German automagazine Sport-Auto, whose editor-in-chief Horst a background of
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The Iosis MAX concept first shown at the Geneva auto salon is the first external clue as to the Ford’s global C-car—the nextgeneration Focus. Due for 2011, it will replace the two very different models currently sold in North America and Europe and provide the basis for Mazdas and Volvos,even though Ford has sold its equity stake in Mazda and might well be out of Volvo in the next year.
The Iosis MAX is a tallish hatchback. Ignore the insanely complex and expensive parallelogram-hinged door frippery, which is strictly concept; the car does provide some design clues. Its height is about halfway between the hatchback and the current C-Max, which sells in the very large compact minivan class in Europe. Ford insiders claim the Iosis MAX is neither a concept version of the next Focus nor the next C-Max. But the strong lower grille, with three horizontal bars, the graphics of the front and rear lights that stretch far along the sides of the car, and the rising beltline and tapering side glass DLO are all elements that will feature on the next Focus.
So too is the form of the body surfacing, which is less angular than on recent Euro-designed Fords such as the Fiesta. This is how Ford’s new-generation C-cars can share some design character with the U.S.-designed cars like the new Taurus. A key element of the new platform is powertrain adaptability.
The concept has a production-intent 180-horse, 1.6-liter four-cylinder Ecoboost engine. It features an idle-stop system with intelligent alternator (charges aggresively when coasting and minimally under acceleration) and mates to a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission. Ford will progressively roll out this powertrain to replace its larger-displacement gasoline fourcylinder versions from 2010 and claims it will post a 20-percent economy improvement. Besides Ecoboost, the platform has been engineered for diesel, gasoline-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and pure electric powertrains.
© Source: motortrend
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Ford released a new promotional video of the Ford Focus RS to help give the Europeans a little more detail on the car, but it also taunts us in the U.S. with a hot hatch we can’t have. Because the Focus RS is powered by a 2.5-liter 20-valve DOHC engine that delivers 300 hp at 6500 and a peak torque of 440 NM (325 lb-ft.), we were hoping that Ford was at least going to show us a little front wheel burnout.
© Source: topspeed
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Here’s the first official video of the new Ford Focus RS and while we think you’d actually need to drive this snappy hot hatch to get a feel for its 300hp (and it may have been nice to have the lights on in this video), we’ll wait for dynamic footage to get a good idea of the 265km/hr top speed.
© Source: eurocarblog
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Hurry up with the Focus RS, Ford. If ever there was a car to whet the appetite for next year’s Evo-killer, the Focus ST Mountune is it: concrete proof that a front-wheel drive Focus can handle 300bhp without torque-steering itself intoan Armco-flavoured double-knot.
Mountune – the Ford tuning firm better known Stateside as Roush – has fitted the standard Focus ST with a larger intercooler, a high-flow air filter and revised ECU. That’s all. No suspension mods, no limited-slip diff, just a few engine tweaks to take power up from 222bhp to 256bhp.
That should spell torque-steer galore, but the Mountune is incredibly composed. Yes, flatten the accelerator in the wet, and the front gets a touch squirmy, but for the most part the power all goes where you want it: forwards. Quickly.
The Mountune is a full half-second quicker than the stock ST, but it’s the in-gear punch that really impresses. It’s not a revvy little loon like the Mountune Fiesta, but hit the turbo and the Focus piles on speed in a manner that’ll embarrass some seriously expensive machinery. All for just over a grand (plus fitting), and it won’t invalidate your warranty either. Your ST wants it.
And, importantly, it’s proof that the Focus can handle plenty of power. OK, the RS is likely to add another 50bhp or so, but don’t forget that it’ll get a diff and clever new ‘RevoKnuckle’ suspension. We can’t wait. In the meantime, though, this will do just fine.
© Source: topgear
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For the people who consider that the European Ford Focus ST to be bordering on perfection, Loder1899 is trying to tip the scales with its new customization kit for the stylish hatchback. This consists of a new suspension kit that lowers the vehicle for better handling, a new stainless steel sport exhaust system, a new set of 20 inch “IRA” wheels.
Probably the best part is the engine management system upgrade and a new sports air intake. The 2.5-liter engine now makes an extra 45 hp, bringing the total to 270.
© Source: topspeed
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Ford has announced today an approved Mountune performance upgrade for the Focus ST hatchback.
The Mountune Performance package comprises a larger intercooler, a high-flow air filter and re-mapped engine management software, increasing power to 256bhp and torque to 400Nm – lifting the fast Ford right into Audi S3 territory. The standard ST makes do with 222bhp and 320Nm.
The increases mean the 0-62mph sprint is shaved by 0.6 seconds to 5.9 seconds, and because the upgrade is Ford approved it does not affect the manufacturer’s warranty.
Priced at £1,120 plus fitting, the kit can be fitted to new or used cars by a select group of specialist dealers, a list of whom can be found at www.mountuneperformance.com. A performance suspension kit for the Focus ST is also under development, as well as upgrade packages for other Ford models.
© Source: autoexpress
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A lot of so called sports cars these days comprise of little more than a badge, a spoiler kit and a set of alloy wheels - an anodyne, half baked attempt at attracting the brain dead if you ask me. But if instead you’re the type whose right foot gets a little itchy at the mere idea of pounding down a twisty country road in a no holds barred bona fide hot hatch, then perhaps you’d better take a look at this.
The face-lifted LV Focus XR5 Turbo, unlike its LT series South African siblings, is a completely German designed and manufactured five-door, five-seater boasting not only the sporty good looks deserved of wearing the XR badge, but a tremendous and dynamic engine and handling package sure to delight the driver in all of us.
The 2.5-litre, in-line five-cylinder, turbocharged engine is the embodiment of all that’s right in forced induction. Strong, linear boost and flat, early torque delivery make the 166kW, 320Nm, at 6000rpm and 1600rpm respectively, offering a lithesome, overtly usable affair that has an uncanny habit of putting on more pace than you’d at first give heed to. Whilst the sub-seven second 0-to-100km/h time may at first seem a little off pace, it’s worth remembering this is but a small part of the overall equation and the car should not be penalised in the eye of a potential buyer for this fact alone. This engine shines for other, better reasons.
The ESP (or Dynamic Stability Control in Ford speak) calibration compliments the car perfectly, and isn’t as overly obtrusive as some systems tend to be. Traction too isn’t overtly sustained but still provides enough grab without being too sensitive on take-off. Adding to the usual raft of three letter acronyms (ABS, EBA, EBD, ESP & TCS), there’s also dual front, side and curtain airbags to keep you safe which have contributed in earning Focus a Four Star ANCAP rating.
I’d very much like to have seen cruise control fitted, or at least made optional. Given it’s available in the Mondeo XR5 Turbo and Volvo C30 (which both share this engine) I cannot see why it isn’t included here. The instrumentation back lighting is also a nuisance on the open road as the central multi-function display on the cluster has a red hue which does not dim with the gauges, making for an unpleasant and distracting glow in your peripheral vision. That said though, I still love this car.
© Source: caradvice
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The Focus RS will be equipped with a tweaked version of the turbocharged Duratec 2.5-liter inline-five found in the ST, and will send between 280 and 300 hp, along with 300+ lb.-ft. of torque, through the front wheels via a six-speed gearbox equipped with a Quaife limited-slip differential. With that kind of power, the RS should be able to make the run to 60 in less than six seconds – assuming you don't torque-steer yourself into a tree in the process.
The dynamic body kit, complete with gaping maw, flared fenders, side sills, rear diffuser and wing, and unfortunate fender vents, compliments the lowered ride height, 19-inch, 15-spoke wheels and upgraded brakes. Inside, color-matched, two-tone Recaro thrones join an RS-specific instrument cluster and smaller diameter steering wheel.
© Source: autoblog
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Take a look at the best picture yet of Ford’s Focus RS! Just a few months after bosses gave the new hot hatch the green light (Issue 992), we caught this striking prototype testing in Germany.
While the car wears a previous-generation Focus ST bodykit, there’s a big giveaway that it’s no ordinary model – check out the giant scoop on the bonnet, which feeds the modified 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine with cool air.
Twin bonnet air vents, harking back to the Escort RS Cosworth, will replace the scoop on the production car. Blistered wheelarches, a rear wing and a low front splitter will also feature.
With a larger turbocharger, remapped electronics and a bigger intercooler, the 2.5-litre Focus ST-derived unit will produce around 280bhp, enabling the RS to sprint from 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph.
It’s likely that Ford will equip the newcomer with a clever electronic differential, giving the front-wheel-drive layout excellent traction.
A six-speed manual box will be fitted, but Ford’s new twin-clutch VW DSG-style Powershift transmission could appear, too. The RS will go on sale next year, priced around £25,000. A concept will be revealed at the British Motor Show in London in July.
© Source: autoexpress
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There's a Dacia coming to the UK that promises to offer a cut price alternative to Ford's Focus.
Replacing the existing Logan – which reaches our shores in the form of the supermini-sized Sandero hatchback next year – it’s bigger and much better-looking, and has enough space inside for a family of five. Buyers can also expect a far more modern cabin, with a step up in quality and plenty of equipment as standard.
The engine range will comprise a 1.6-litre petrol, while there are plans for a turbodiesel, too. All models get stability control as standard.
Crucially, though, it will still carry a budget price. The range, due here in 2010, is likely to start at around £8,000. And as well as the hatchback in our main picture, our spies have seen a prototype version of a saloon being put through its paces in Romania, where the current Logan is built. An estate will be offered, too.
While the new Logan hatchback won’t be arriving here for a couple of years, Renault’s first UK-bound Dacia, the Sandero, will reach showrooms in less than 12 months’ time.
Unveiled at last autumn’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the budget supermini is based on the current Logan. It’s similar in size to a Fiesta, yet will carry a price tag in the region of £6,000.
While saloon and seven-seat estate variants are offered in Europe, the hatch is the only Logan-based model destined for the UK. It will be sold in selected Renault main dealers.
© Source: autoexpress
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Nothing turns heads like a sexy convertible wearing Pininfarina badges on its flanks. The Italian design firm is world famous for creating pulse-quickening exotic cars such as the Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano and Maserati GranTurismo. However, the Pininfarina-badged droptop we recently took for a spin proudly wears a blue oval in the center of its grille. The Ford Focus coupe-cabriolet is designed and built by Pininfarina at its factory in Turin, Italy, at a rate of roughly 20,000 per year.
It might not have a prancing horse or trident on its hood, but the Focus is hardly a shrinking violet when it comes to drawing attention. As we drove through posh Parisian neighborhoods—where any other Ford would be considered so déclassé—the coupe-cabriolet got plenty of admiring glances.
Interesting Design
The front end is filled with four large grilles, a pair of fog lights, and just the right amount of chrome to be tasteful but not tarty. A bold crease flows up from the headlights and hood before working its way to the C-pillar and over the trunk. Aggressive wheel-arch blisters add visual muscle without making the car look steroidal.
Driven at six-tenths and keeping wheels firmly on the pavement, the coupe-cabriolet is a relaxed, refined ride. One reason for this composure came about purely by chance, when Ford France was unable to provide us a coupe-cabriolet with the 143-hp, 2.0-liter Duratec inline-four. The company suggested we try the turbocharged 2.0-liter Duratorq diesel. A diesel-powered convertible? We had images of the Italian-chic Ford rattling and wheezing down the road like an asthmatic Fiat Panda. As it turned out, our worries were unfounded. With 134 horsepower at 4000 rpm and 236 pound-feet of torque at only 2000 rpm, the diesel makes easy work of stop-and-start city traffic and revs lazily at highway speeds. A short dip into the throttle at 50 mph, and suddenly the Ford lunges ahead as though a small V-6 were under the hood. Other than some valve clatter at idle, the torque-rich turbo-diesel proved a perfect match for the car.
© Source: caranddriver
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Making the right choice in a market of more than 200 cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs is no easy task – not without us, that is. Here at the online edition to Automobile Magazine, you can find all 2008 Ford Focus research you need to make an informed buying decision. Select an option below to learn more about this vehicle.
We've all been hankering for a new Focus for a while now. We loved the Focus when it first rolled off the assembly line (Focus won Automobile of the Year in 2000.) Since then, though, Ford's small car has become a bit dated. OK, really dated.
The 2008 model will be the first update to the Focus line since a freshening in 2003. The styling, while certainly new and unique, hasn't won many fans in our office. New safety features include standard side and side curtain air bags, but the really exciting upgrade is the Ford Sync system. The Focus is the first member of the Ford family to get the cool new technology, which integrates all of the car's electronics and makes them accessible through voice commands. The Sync will also connect to cell phones and portable music players.
Prices for the new Focus start at $14,695. If the options stay in line with last year, a fully loaded Focus will run about $19,000. Even if it is a bit strange looking, we don't think Ford will have any problem selling lots of the cars. The real question is whether or not the new Focus can capture our affection the way the first one did.
© Source: automobilemag
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We've all been hankering for a new Focus for a while now. We loved the Focus when it first rolled off the assembly line (Focus won Automobile of the Year in 2000.) Since then, though, Ford's small car has become a bit dated. OK, really dated.
The 2008 model will be the first update to the Focus line since a freshening in 2003. The styling, while certainly new and unique, hasn't won many fans in our office. New safety features include standard side and side curtain air bags, but the really exciting upgrade is the Ford Sync system. The Focus is the first member of the Ford family to get the cool new technology, which integrates all of the car's electronics and makes them accessible through voice commands. The Sync will also connect to cell phones and portable music players.
Prices for the new Focus start at $14,695. If the options stay in line with last year, a fully loaded Focus will run about $19,000. Even if it is a bit strange looking, we don't think Ford will have any problem selling lots of the cars. The real question is whether or not the new Focus can capture our affection the way the first one did.
© Source: automobilemag
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These are the first pictures of the Ford Focus ST facelift. With the freshened up car the brand wants to keep fighting german hot-hatches such as VW Golf GTI and Opel Astra OPC. Under the hood we still find the 2,5-liter five cylinder turbocharged unit that outputs 225 bhp, coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox.
The sprint from 0-100 km/h still takes 6.5 seconds, CO2 emissions are 224 g/km and the weight is 1,392 kg for the three-door and 1,437 for the five-door version.
A spokesman from Ford communicated that the engineers have changed little in the new model: "The old Ford Focus ST was still one of the most fun to drive in its class, so there was no reason for changing the steering, or the suspensions."
The new Focus ST will be in showrooms by the end of February, with prices that are said to be similar to those of the previous generation ST.
© Source: eurocarblog
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(from Ford Press Release) Inspired by a love for all things European, 3D Carbon outfits the 2008 Focus four-door sedan with its Euro Series body kit.
The six-piece includes front air dam, side skirts, rear lower skirt, rear deck lid spoiler and upper roof spoiler. A Webasto 900 Series twin-venting sunroof helps open up the interior. The sharp little sedan’s wheel wells are filled with 19-inch, forged aluminum NC wheels wearing Pirelli rubber. The interior is decked out in two-tone Barracuda leather by Katzkin with sound supplied by Balupunkt.
© Source: seriouswheels
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