Ford Focus ST-powered Mastretta MXT cometh

Mastretta is reportedly on the verge of pulling back the covers on its latest creation, the MXT-R, at the Autosport International Racing Car Show. According to Autocar, the Mexican sports car will make use of the 2.0-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder engine lifted from the Ford Focus ST. Tuned to around 285 horsepower, the engine should have no trouble hustling the lightweight MXT-R around a track. Judging from the available photos, the MXT-R will also use the aerodynamic package employed by Mastretta's race car.

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Next Ford Focus RS to Deliver 330 HP

Ford recently lanuched the new Focus ST on the market, but the Blue Oval hot hatch that everybody’s dreaming about is the RS. We’re here to give you the latest rumor on this and things are looking pretty good. The next Focus RS is expected to hide a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine under its hood, with the unit delivering 230 hp.

Matthias Ton, the engineer who’s in charge of global performance vehicles at Ford, admits that the 2.0-liter turbo in the current ST, which delivers 247 hp, is too close to the limit in order to offer a substantial power and torque boost without having its turbo and fuel systems upgraded. Thus, is Ford gives the new RS the green light, we’ll get to see a 2.3-liter Ecoboost engine in action.

The vehicle will probably still use just the front axle to deliver the power to the road (Ford previously said that it could offer 4WD on the RS, but won’t, as it considers that this would make it too expensive), with the car using a mechanical limited slip differential.

Via: Auto Express

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Ford Focus ST: Performance and Economy Figures

We’ve already seen and heard plenty of figures about the Focus ST, Ford’s most important global performance car, developed by the SVT division. Ahead of the market rollout, the Blue Oval has now revealed more details about the car.

We know for a fact now that in Britain it will be cheaper than a Renault Mergane RS. But let’s see how the acceleration stacks up. First off, the Focus ST will hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.5 seconds, while the top speed is an impressive 248 km/h (154 mph).

That makes it a bit slower than the Megane RS, which plays with those six seconds a bit better. But to be fare Ford never set out to create a true rival for the Renault.

Of far more importance is the fact that Ford expects the car to offer a 20 percent improvement in fuel economy over the previous generation, as the 250 horsepower 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine will reportedly do 7.2 l/100 km (39 mpg UK). Meanwhile CO2 emissions sit at only 169 g/km. So the car seems to strike a fine balance between economy and performance.

“This is the car that performance Ford fans across the world have been waiting for,” said Matthias Tonn, chief program engineer, Ford of Europe. “We’ve worked hard to make sure drivers will experience the true essence of what the ST badge represents — wherever they are.”

“This channels a really sporty note into the cabin,” said Tonn. “It leaves the driver in no doubt that this is a special car. The new Focus ST is improved over the previous European model in every department – and we had to ensure the sound was just as exciting for the driver too.”

via: autoevolution

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Ford Focus ST: First TV Ad Filmed by Fans

Ford has understood that the hot hatch phenomenon is all about the fans, with the company's latest marketing effort for the fresh Focus ST demonstrating this. To be more precise, the Blue Oval has released the first TV ad for the 2013 Focus ST, with this being based exclusively on footage coming from fans.

Ford took a Focus ST hatch and a wagon to Key West, Florida and asked X Games rally gold medalist Tanner FOust and racing stunt driver Greg Tracy to drive the two head to head on the narrow streets.

While this showed that the ST was dipped in street racing from its very inception (even though Ford advises you not to attempt this), the most interesting fact about the ad is that it is a crowdsourced project that even includes mobile phone footage. Click the “play” button above to see what the people caught on camera.

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Ford taking Focus ST around America with free Performance Academy

Ford is giving the public at large a chance to jump behind the wheel of its upcoming 2013 Focus ST. The company is hosting a slew of consumer driving events around the country where consumers will be able to take the wheel for a little driving training and timed laps on an autocross course. The tour starts on June 30 in New York before moving on to Washington, D.C., Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Each event starts at 9am. and features a full day of getting cozy with the new sport hatch. Festivities close out at 6pm sharp.

If you want to get in on the fun yourself, you'll need to preregister for the event by heading over to shindig's site. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and considering it's free, we'd be willing to wager that spaces will fill up quickly. We can think of worse ways to spend a Summer Saturday. Check out the full press blast for yourself, including a complete schedule. 

Ford to Host Five-City Focus ST Performance Academy

• Consumer driving events to feature 2013 Ford Focus ST in New York; Washington, D.C.; Boston; San Francisco and Los Angeles this summer

• Event to feature two driving courses – first is performance training, second is timed autocross

• Consumers interested in attending can sign up at http://www.drivefocusst.com/


DEARBORN, Mich., May 30, 2012 – For sport compact fans, the only thing better than driving the new Ford Focus ST is driving the Focus ST on a course with professional instruction and timed autocross hot laps.

That, and more, is what Ford is bringing to driving enthusiasts in New York; Washington, D.C.; Boston; San Francisco and Los Angeles this summer, beginning June 30 in New York.

The events will happen on Saturdays in June, July and August in each market. Events will include 48-foot race trailers, a fleet of Focus STs for training, timed competition, as well as pre-event racing instruction.

Events will open at 9 a.m. and run all day through 6 p.m. Locations and dates are:

• New York, IZOD Center, June 30
• Washington, D.C., FedEx Field, July 14
• Boston, Gillette Stadium, July 21
• San Francisco, Candlestick Park, Aug. 4
• Los Angeles, Dodgers Stadium, Aug. 11
Pre-registration is live at http://www.drivefocusst.com/. Participation will be limited and will be honored on a first-registered, first-served basis.

"Our fans have expressed extremely high interest in this car, but we know the proof is in the pudding," said Lisa Schoder, Ford Focus ST Marketing manager. "We want ST fans, as well as drivers of competitive vehicles, to be able to taste this car firsthand.

"What better way to do it," she added, "than to bring the car to the people with the help of professional driver instruction on closed courses."

Focus ST, Ford's first global performance car, will integrate a collection of advanced and sport-oriented technologies previously unavailable to North American customers. The combination of these technologies into a refined, yet high-performance sport compact will elevate the category and further cement Focus as the most complete compact car range sold in North America.

Among the more visible options will be the Tangerine Scream metallic color that will be offered exclusively on Focus ST, as well as race-inspired Recaro® seats with matching color accents.

Ford is offering drivers who preorder a 2013 Focus ST the GoPro® HD Hero2 Motorsports Edition camera pack upon delivery. Already a staple in the motorsports and action sport communities, a GoPro is the ideal camera to capture a spirited drive or Focus ST track day. The first 1,000 presale orders placed between May 1 and Aug. 20 are eligible for the GoPro HD Hero2 camera system. Cameras will be sent after vehicle delivery.

More information regarding Focus ST can be found at http://www.ford.com/cars/focus/focusst/ or https://www.facebook.com/OfficialFordST.

Via: Ford

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Ford Focus ST UK Pricing Announced

Ford’s British division has just released the pricing for the all-new, 250 hp Focus ST, placing the car on the podium of desirable hot hatches. The Focus ST comes with a starting price of GBP21,995, in a hatchback form, while the estate version of the car can be your starting from GBP23,095.

The vehicle is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Ecoboost engine, which produces 250 hp, while returning an average fuel efficiency of 39.2 mg and emitting 169 grams of CO2 per km, thus beating its predecessor by 20 percent

The list of standard features of the UK Focus ST includes Ford Power keyless start, Recaro seats, DAB radio, Bluetooth and 18in alloy wheels, while the the range-topping ST3 model brings heated, leather seats, Bi-Xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights and keyless entry. The other optional features include rado-grey alloys wheels, red brake callipers and illuminated scuff plates.

The Focus might not have a mechanical limited slip front differential like the Renault Megane RS, and now that the latter has been updated, it is also 15 hp short on power compared to it, but it is also significantly easier to purchase, as the Megane RS starts at GBP24,840.

Via: autoevolution

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Average 2012 Ford Focus Can Do a Two-Minute Burnout

If you had to perform a burnout, an average 2012 Ford Focus would probably be the last car you’d choose. People always imagine that you need hundreds of HP to be able to tear apart a pair of tires, but we’ve brought along a video that proves this isn’t true.

The clip, which comes from Youtube user eautocad, shows a 2012 Ford Focus powered by a two-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 160 hp, performing a two-minute burnout. The driver initiates the “maneuver” and keeps the gas pedal to the metal until the vehicle automatically shuts itself down, probably due to overheating. A pair of cheap used tires were used for this, but what the creators of the video don’t tell you is that this puts a lot of stress on both the engine and the transmission, so it’s best to leave this kind of initiatives on your computer. 

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