The 2009 Focus is equipped with a 2.5 liter 5-cylinder engine under the hood that can push out 300 horsepower and 325 ft-pound of torque. This engine also allows it to rev from 0 – 62 mph in less then six seconds and can reach a top speed of 162 mph.

The front-wheel-drive pocket rocket will channel all that energy to the ground through a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip diff and what Ford calls the ‘RevoKnuckle’ front suspension. We aren’t able to explain how it works – but Ford found the system so effective at reducing torque steer that a heavier all-wheel-drive was taken off the table during development.

Thanks to Ford trying to bring it into the lime light even more then they have they have released more pictures of the new model. They also stated that consumers will not only be able to order their RS in the Frozen White and Performance Blue colors. Cars will begin to arrive at dealerships in early of 2009.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!

Exterior additions include a new front fascia, mesh grille, rear spoiler, side skirts and 18-inch wheels with Bridgestone tires. It will also get suspension modifications with the addition of stiffer springs, high-performance valves and larger sway bars.

No official numbers have been released yet, but AutoWeek reports that the RC2 will get a 15-horsepower boost over the stock 143-hp rating, thanks to the dual-tipped exhaust and cold-air intake. The RC2 will begin production in the first quarter of 2009 with a base price of under $20,000.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!

For now the Focus has not been scheduled to have an RS version – but we have heard through the grapevine that it will adopt the ST badge and even a few mods in the future. It will come available in three, four, and five door variants, convertible, and wagon models.

Resident of Spain will be getting a special edition diesel Focus WRC-S equipped with a 4-cylinder 2.0 liter with 134 bhp. All of the 666 samples will be signed by Marcus Gronholm – Ford’s WRC driver. No prices have been released.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!

The “Black Magic” edition will come with 17” alloy wheels that have been mounted to a sport suspension, tinted headlights, and fog lamps. The interior of the vehicle will have black leather and will be bundled with a Bluetooth/MP3 compatible stereo, a wind deflector, and parking sensors. There will only be 1500 of the “Black Magic” car available in Europe. Consumers will have a choice between the 2 liter engine that runs on diesel or gasoline.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!

This ingenious ad was created by two American composers who have taken the concept of car sounds to the extreme. Hollywood film composer Craig Richey and New York sound designer Bill Milbrodt turned 21 parts from the new Ford Focus into musical instruments and arranged them to be played by an orchestra.

Milbrodt’s team took apart a Ford Focus five-door hatchback that had just come off the production line. “When we got it to the mechanics shop, it had less than a mile on the clock. We took the doors and fenders off, but we had the body shell intact and we later cut out of that the parts we wanted,” said Bill Milbrodt.

By the time the orchestra had been assembled for the photo shoot at Universal Studios in California, Milbrodt’s team had constructed 31 instruments. Each has a name that instantly identified its origins, such as the Transmission Case Cello-Dulcimer, Clutch Guitar, Rear Suspension Spike Fiddle, Fender Bass, Hatchback Kick Drum, Handheld Gear Tambourine and Door Harp. The commercial airs February 4th in the UK.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!

The Ford Focus will use the 2.5-litre turbocharged engine from the Ford Focus ST but with much more power – expected to be around 300bhp. Modifications to the turbo, air filter and exhaust will place the RS in direct competition with the new Subaru Impreza STi and Mitsubishi Evolution.

It is hoped the Ford Focus RS will also benefit from the addition of four-wheel-drive. If fitted it will give the fast Focus the tools it needs to fully harness its power and deliver it to the road. The teaser photo shows the RS with the new family face, but an even more aggressive lower grille split into three sections to channel air more effectively.

The bonnet has louvered air vents to take hot air from the engine bay and the wheelarches have swelled to hide wide wheels. The Focus’ track (the width between wheels) has almost certainly been stretched to provide more grip and stability. There have been numerous reports a new Focus RS is on its way over several years – but this is the first official confirmation from Ford Europe with a launch declared in 2009.

Its development is in the capable hands of Ford Team RS, led by Jost Capito – the man in charge of the hot Fiesta and Focus ST projects. “We want the new Focus RS to own the road, so we have the major competitors in our sights as we develop the car’s performance, design, handling and braking,” said Jost Capito. “With two consecutive Manufacturers’ World Rally Championship titles under our belt, the time is right to create a new Focus RS,” said John Fleming, Ford of Europe’s President and CEO.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!

A low ride height will compromise the newcomer’s abilities as a true off-roader, but it does bode well for tarmac performance, where the X-MAX promises to uphold Ford’s reputation for class-leading handling. Even so, buyers will still be able to rely on long-travel suspension and an all-wheel-drive transmission to tackle moderate rough terrain.

Inside, the cabin design borrows from the all-new Mondeo, with high-quality switchgear and soft-touch plastics on the dash. A stretched Focus platform will provide plenty of space for five adults to travel in comfort.

Under the bonnet, engine options will include 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrol engines, while the 2.5-litre five-cylinder unit from the Focus ST should provide the performance highlight. Those after a more frugal option will have the opportunity to opt for a 2.0 TDCi diesel model. Prices will be typically competitive, with entry-level models likely to start from around £16,000.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!

The previous generation Focus RS was a belting car, but came at the end of the Focus’ life and was a limited run car that Ford reputedly lost money on. This new-generation Focus has a range topper very quickly after launch. This ST boasts over 50 more horses than the previous model’s 170bhp, although the omission of the RS moniker may be a key tell-tale for the future.

Styling is subtly reworked from the standard car. Lurid colours are available, but darker hues such as the black of our test car are a lot more discreet and less attention seeking. Spoilers, alloys and grilles aside this car doesn’t stand out hugely from the crowd. I like that in a hot hatch, although the overt aggression of the Astra VXR is also appealing, as is the restraint and class of a Golf GTi. It’s a matter of personal preference.

The ST borrows a selection of components from the huge Ford Group parts bin. Up front lurks a turbocharged Volvo 2.5-litre engine normally found in T5 models. Has Ford lost the plot? Well, no. Funnily enough the Editor and I discussed this very combination when we drove the V50 T5 a long while ago. We both mused as to what an excellent powerplant it would be in a lighter shell, like a hatch. Lo and behold someone else agreed and, increase in turning circle aside, we have been proven right.

Linear nature makes the T5 unit an excellent foil for a hot hatch; the added flexibility is a stark contrast to something like the outgoing Civic Type R and, whilst some of the fun of a hugely revvy unit is missed, the strength and breadth of the torque curve is excellent. The overboost facility can be watched on the boost gauge in the centre of the dash and on this same dial you can see how quickly the boost builds, even at low revs. The pull does increase at certain points, such as around the 4000rpm mark, but for the most part as long as there is more than 2000rpm on the tacho a strong response will greet a prod of the throttle.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!

Ford dominated passenger vehicle sales in New Zealand in August capturing overall new vehicle market leadership and passenger market leadership the Ford Falcon (558 units) and Focus (369 units) were the two most popular vehicles in the country.

It was the second month in a row that Falcon was the number one selling car in New Zealand and sales of 558 units is the second highest monthly individual car result in New Zealand this year. “The Ford Falcon is an exceptional family car that delivers outstanding performance, refinement, fuel economy and safety,” said Richard Matheson, Managing Director Ford New Zealand.

“August was a strong month for all passenger vehicles Fiesta (74 units) recorded its equal highest monthly result this year, Mondeo (125 units) was third in its segment and Territory (158 units) improved its segment share 1.5 percentage points year-on-year.” Ford ended August with a passenger market share of 19.8%, 435 units ahead of its nearest rival which bought Ford within 33 units year-to-date of the number one position in the passenger segment.

“Our light commercial sales were also strong we captured 17.1% of the light commercial truck segment securing second place in year-to-date.” “This overall result was Ford’s highest volume and highest total share year-to-date this just demonstrates out ability to bring the best Ford products from around the world to New Zealand,” said Matheson.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!

Most of the changes for next year will be cosmetic, with a new three-bar grille up front similar to the larger Ford Fusion midsize sedan. A new character line down each side will give the profile a slightly different look while reshaped taillights spruce up the rear.

If there’s any big news with this Focus refresh, it’s the introduction of a new coupe body style similar to the old Ford Escort ZX2. Unlike the current Focus ZX3 hatchback, the new coupe has a traditional trunk, that cuts down on overall utility in favor of a sleeker profile. There’s no word yet whether the coupe will be positioned as the high-performance model of the lineup, but the prototypes look as though they have higher-spec wheel and tire combinations than the sedans.

No changes under the hood are expected. Base models will most likely continue with the 130-horsepower 2.0-liter Duratec while upgraded models will get the 2.3-liter four-cylinder with 151 hp. These new models might also provide an opportunity for Ford to highlight the PZEV version of the 2.0-liter Duratec, which is one of the cleanest gas engines on the market. Look for these new Focus models to make their official debut at the Detroit auto show in early January.

Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!