GLOBAL HIGH-PERFORMANCE FORD FOCUS ST

• Ford’s first global performance car, the new five-door Focus ST, debuts in production-ready form at Frankfurt, and is joined by a stylish ST Wagon for the European market


• Focus ST five-door will launch around the world in 2012 and be sold in over 40 markets


• Performance comes from a powerful 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost engine, providing impressive levels of power – 250 PS – and 360 Nm of torque


• The fuel-efficient new 4-cylinder engine helps Focus ST cut CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption by more than 20 per cent compared to the previous-generation European Focus ST


• Focus ST builds on the DNA of the Sport Technologies badge, combining strong performance, fine handling dynamics, eye-catching style and the refinement needed for everyday use

The covers finally came off the production version of the dramatic new Focus ST five-door today at the Frankfurt Motor Show, revealing the performance car that enthusiasts around the globe are waiting for.

European customers can also choose a stylish wagon version of the Focus ST, which will launch alongside the five-door model in 2012.

The Focus ST is Ford’s first truly global performance car, building on the heritage of previous Focus ST models in Europe and evolving it to allow drivers around the world to experience and enjoy the exhilarating performance, unrivaled handling, addictive sound and muscular sports design that the ST badge represents.

With innovative design and technology throughout, the new Focus ST will be more powerful and surprisingly fuel efficient, raising the bar once again when it comes to handling too. For drivers who want refinement for everyday use but with exhilarating performance on tap, the passion, enthusiasm and expertise of Ford’s Global Performance Vehicles group shines through and makes the new Focus ST the most rewarding and obvious choice.

“The new Focus ST is a really exciting car for Ford,” said Jost Capito, director of Global Performance Vehicles. “It’s the first performance model to build upon the design and technology strengths of one of our new global production vehicles. It’s a car built for driving enthusiasts all around the world and they will not be disappointed.”

Categories: Focus ST, ford

FORD REVEALS FIESTA ST CONCEPT AT FRANKFURT

Ford is revealing its vision for a future high-performance Fiesta ST at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. The Ford Fiesta ST Concept signals the next step in Ford Motor Company’s global performance vehicle strategy and hints at how a future Fiesta ST performance model might look when it joins the Focus ST in the global Ford small car portfolio.

The Fiesta ST Concept combines eye-catching, muscular and sporty styling with a dynamic sports chassis and a high-performance powertrain capable of delivering impressive fuel economy with low CO₂ emissions.

A global Fiesta ST would continue the proud, 35-year Fiesta history of delivering high performance thrills to small car customers. Iconic past models have included the Fiesta XR2 and XR2i, Fiesta RS1800 and RS Turbo and more recently the first generation Fiesta ST.

The bold and distinctive new three-door Fiesta ST Concept embodies the spirit of Fiesta’s high-performance history while infusing the latest model with dynamic, futuristic looks and innovative technology.

“The Fiesta has a rich history of high-performance models so a new ST performance model is a logical next step in our performance vehicle strategy for our global small cars,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “The Fiesta ST Concept continues that tradition by showing how a global performance version of our best-selling B-car can be both technically advanced and dramatically styled.

“With a racing silhouette inspired by the global Fiesta race and rally cars currently competing on the world stage, and influenced by the unique appearance of the all-new Focus ST, the new Fiesta ST Concept is an exciting demonstration of the road-going Fiesta’s future potential.”

WRC-inspired, EcoBoost-powered
With the Fiesta RS World Rally Car and Fiesta Rallycross cars currently demonstrating the potential of Ford’s global small car in the toughest of international motorsport events, there could be no better time for Ford to offer customers a glimpse of what is also technically possible with the road-going Fiesta.

Like Ford’s World Rally Championship contender, the Fiesta RS WRC, Fiesta ST Concept uses a 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost petrol engine to deliver performance every bit as breathtaking as the vehicle’s striking design.

The use of a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit in the Fiesta ST Concept and Ford’s EcoBoost downsizing strategy in general reflects not only the current WRC engine guidelines, but also the trend within international motorsport to deliver greater fuel economy through technical advancement.

As with all engines in the EcoBoost family, the Fiesta ST Concept’s advanced engine combines turbocharging and direct injection to deliver the powerful performance of a larger capacity traditional petrol engine.

Like the 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine that will power the forthcoming Ford Focus ST, the 1.6-litre EcoBoost in the Fiesta ST Concept also features Twin-independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) and has been specially developed to provide power and torque worthy of the ST badge.

For the Fiesta ST Concept, the 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost engine achieves a target power output of 180PS with 240Nm of torque, enough to propel the concept vehicle from 0-100km/h in less than 7 seconds. A top speed exceeding 220km/h is possible.

Yet the advanced design of the turbocharged, 4-cylinder engine – connected to a 6-speed manual transmission – means the Fiesta ST Concept is also able to deliver target CO₂ emissions of lower than 140g/km.

Improving fuel economy and emissions remains one of the driving factors behind Ford’s continuing development of the EcoBoost engine family, with the Fiesta ST Concept proving that responsible and attractive fuel economy need not come at the expense of performance.

Categories: Fiesta ST, ford, Ford Fiesta

FORD FIESTA GETS A HOT METAL SPECIAL EDITION

• Fiesta Metal special edition on sale now priced from £15,695


• Produces 134PS from 1.6-litre, Duratec Ti-VCT petrol engine


• 17-in black alloy wheels


• Piano Black painted centre stack bezel, air vent rings and interior door handles


• Ebony Black leather sports seats with silver contrast stitching


• Limited edition of 1,000 on sale in three colours

The latest Ford Fiesta range includes a new special edition 134PS hot hatch in the Metal model now on sale.

Priced from £15,695 on the road, and limited to just 1000 examples, the Ford Fiesta Metal boasts 134PS at 6,700rpm and 160Nm of torque at 4,250rpm from its 1.6-litre, Duratec      Ti-VCT petrol engine, and can reach 62mph in just 8.7 seconds.

Anthony Ireson, Ford of Britain’s marketing director, said: “This Ford Fiesta special edition gives the customer great exterior styling with an enhanced performance engine. Customers love that we create Fiestas with special features that prove to be real head-turners.”

Based on the popular three-door 120PS Ford Fiesta Zetec-S, the Fiesta Metal boasts: chrome twin exhaust pipes, silver-painted front grille surround, front aerofoil and front fog light bezels, Piano Black painted centre stack bezel, air vent rings and door pulls, Ebony Black leather sports seats with silver contrast stitching, unique floor mats with silver piping, stainless steel door scuff plates with Fiesta logo, 17″ Black alloy wheels and sports tuning with lowered ride height.

The new Ford Fiesta Metal’s standard specification includes: Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Home Safe headlights, Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS), Intelligent Protection System (IPS), front, side and knee airbags and anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).  It is available in Panther Black, Midnight Sky and Frozen White.

Categories: fiesta, ford

Ford Adds New Metal Special Edition with 134HP to Fiesta's Range in the UK

Looking for a more special Fiesta supermini? Ford has you covered in the United Kingdom with the launch of yet another limited edition model, called the Fiesta Metal of which only 1,000 examples will be built.

The new car is based on the three-door variant and is powered by a 1.6-liter Duratec petrol engine that generates 134-horses at 6,700rpm and 160Nm (118 lb-ft) of torque at 4,250rpm allowing it to complete the 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint in 8.7 seconds.

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Categories: ford, Ford Fiesta, New Cars, UK

SCOOP: We Snag 2012 Ford B-MAX Small MPV's Interior

As Ford continues to test the upcoming 2012 B-MAX small MPV, our spies are getting closer to the prototype models revealing more details about the company's Honda Jazz/Fit and Citroen C3 Picasso rival.

This time, they were able to snap a photo of the car's interior confirming our hypothesis that only a few minor things will change over the concept model we first saw at the Geneva Salon earlier this year.

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Categories: ford, Ford B-MAX, Ford Scoops, Scoops

Ford Mondeo 2.0-liter EcoBoost 203HP & 240HP to be Available with Six-Speed Manual Gearbox

The top-of-the-line Mondeo editions Titanium and Titanium S, which are powered by Ford's 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine, will soon be available with a six-speed manual gearbox in addition to the dual-clutch PowerShift transmission. Read more »

Categories: ford, Ford Mondeo, New Cars, Reports

Ford Mondeo 2.0-liter EcoBoost 203HP & 240HP to be Available with Six-Speed Manual Gearbox

The top-of-the-line Mondeo editions Titanium and Titanium S, which are powered by Ford's 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine, will soon be available with a six-speed manual gearbox in addition to the dual-clutch PowerShift transmission. Read more »

Categories: ford, Ford Mondeo, New Cars, Reports

Ford Police Interceptors Reporting For Duty in Michigan

Michigan outlaws beware: State Police is getting ready to add another weapon in its armory, or rather two: the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor Sedan and the Explorer Police Interceptor Utility, which today passed the two-day State Police tests and are ready to enter service.

Although the Taurus Interceptor was tested just as thoroughly, it was the Explorer SUV Utility version that received most of the attention.

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Categories: ford, Ford Taurus, Ford Explorer, New Cars, Police Cars, Reports

Ford Police Interceptors Reporting For Duty in Michigan

Michigan outlaws beware: State Police is getting ready to add another weapon in its armory, or rather two: the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor Sedan and the Explorer Police Interceptor Utility, which today passed the two-day State Police tests and are ready to enter service.

Although the Taurus Interceptor was tested just as thoroughly, it was the Explorer SUV Utility version that received most of the attention.

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Categories: ford, Ford Taurus, Ford Explorer, New Cars, Police Cars, Reports

SCOOP: New Ford Mondeo Prototype Spotted Out in the Open, will Replace the U.S. Fusion as Well

Our spy photographers captured a development prototype of Ford's new global mid-size sedan sporting a modified platform but with most body parts sourced from the current Mondeo saloon, during testing in Europe.

In the likes of the latest Fiesta and more recently, the new Focus that are available in more or less the same form worldwide, the next generation of the Mondeo will serve as truly global model for Ford in the popular mid-size segment.

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Categories: Diesel, ford, Ford Fusion, Ford Mondeo, Ford Scoops, Hybrids, Scoops

IAA 2011: Ford’s New Focus ST gets ST-R Racing Version

Even though the brand-new Focus ST was just launched at the 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt, the hot hatch which will also be available as a Wagon in Europe, already has a racing sibling: the Focus ST-R that also made its world premiere in Germany. Read more »

Categories: ford, Ford Focus, Frankfurt Motor Show, New Cars, Racing

IAA 2011: Ford’s New Focus ST gets ST-R Racing Version

Even though the brand-new Focus ST was just launched at the 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt, the hot hatch which will also be available as a Wagon in Europe, already has a racing sibling: the Focus ST-R that also made its world premiere in Germany. Read more »

Categories: ford, Ford Focus, Frankfurt Motor Show, New Cars, Racing

IAA 2011: Ford Introduces New Focus ST in Both Hatchback and Station Wagon Flavors

Almost a year after appearing at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in concept form, Ford has lifted the covers off the production version of its new global performance model, the Focus ST. If you remember the showcar's looks and specifications, there is nothing surprising about the production version of the five-door hatchback.

What comes as a surprise though is the introduction of a station wagon body style of the Focus ST. However, unlike the hatch that will be sold across the globe, the Focus ST Wagon will be offered exclusively in Europe - at least for now.

Both the Focus ST hatch and Wagon sport the same 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine delivering a maximum output of 250-horsepower and a peak torque of 360Nm (265.5 lb-ft), matched to a 6-speed manual transmission that delivers power to the front wheels only.

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Categories: ford, Ford Focus, Frankfurt Motor Show, New Cars

SCOOP: Ford Working on Baby CUV Based on the Fiesta

The new B-Max small MPV isn’t the only Fiesta-based model that Ford is currently developing. Our spy shooters captured a fleet of small crossover prototypes while resting on a parking lot in Pikes Peak Country in Colorado, USA.

The baby CUV is based on the platform architecture of the latest Fiesta and it is believed that it will utilize a similar engine range to the subcompact model enhanced with Ford's newest EcoBoost powerplants such as the upcoming 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine.

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Categories: ford, Ford Fiesta, Ford Scoops, Scoops

Ford Fiesta and Focus with Fuel-Saving ECOnetic Tech Coming to Europe

Hybrid cars are the readily available solution to drastically reduce fuel consumption and, thus, CO2 emissions. But they are also much more expensive than regular vehicles powered only by internal combustion engines. And the truth is they are not the only solution as some carmakers would have you believe.

Ford will introduce its ECOnetic range in Europe with the Focus and Fiesta, proving that an internal combustion-engine powered car can be as “green” as a hybrid. The company says half of all Ford cars sold in Europe by late next year will carry the ECOnetic Technology badge, increasing to two-thirds by 2013.

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Categories: Diesel, ford, Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, New Cars, Reports

1,308bhp Monster Truck with Scooter Firing Air Canon to Star at Top Gear Live Event

One of the stars of this year's edition of the Top Gear Live show that takes place at the NEC Birmingham from November 11 to 13, and at the ExCel London from November 24 to 27, will be the Red Dragon monster truck.

Hand-built by former European Monster Truck Champion, Rob Williams, this beast made its stage debut at the Top Gear Live event in South Africa last year.

The Red Dragon is based on the Ford F-350 Super Duty but power come courtesy of a bespoke 9.5-liter supercharged V8 engine from Chevrolet that delivers 1,308bhp and 1,040 lb-ft while burning through a gallon of methanol fuel every 50-60 yards (!).

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Categories: Chevrolet, ford, Ford F-150, Offbeat News, tuning

German Tuner Breathes New Colors to Ford Mustang 5.0 GT

While the Mustang has many fans in Europe, Ford's pony car never really caught up with buyers across the Atlantic for a great number of reasons, one being that it is available only with large displacement engines that negatively affect pricing as well as other costs associated with ownership.

Nevertheless, Europe's tuning industry does offer owners some options for customization. This here package is for the latest Mustang 5.0 GT and it comes from a German company called Design World.

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Categories: ford, Ford Mustang, tuning

Ford Begins Countdown for the Launch of 2012 Focus ST Hot Hatch with New Video

Unless Ford is preparing an even bigger surpRiSe for us, the company's recent announcement on the unveiling of the "next performance Focus" at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show strongly suggests that we will see the final production version of the Focus ST in Germany.

But until then, Ford has unleashed yet another media campaign on the internet that marks the final (or at least we hope it’s the final…) countdown for the release of the new Focus ST, which we saw in showcar form in Paris last year.

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Categories: ford, Ford Focus, Ford Videos, Frankfurt Motor Show, New Cars, video

Spied: 2013 Ford B-MAX Small MPV Based on Fiesta Starts Taking Shape

Ford is putting the final development touches on the production version of its Fiesta-based B-MAX small MPV that was snagged with a funky color scheme and very few parts covered up while testing in Europe.

The subtle camouflage does little to hide the fact that the B-MAX's design is very close to the original concept displayed at the Geneva Salon earlier this year right up to the sliding rear-doors.

The only noteworthy changes over the Blue Oval's concept study concern the addition of door handles and the much smaller alloy wheel and tire combos. From these pictures, we can't be sure if Ford has equipped the tall five-door model with B-pillars.

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Categories: ford, Ford B-MAX, Ford Fiesta, Ford Scoops, Scoops

Bad Ass Ford Transit Powered by a 440HP BMW M5 V8

The European market Ford Transit van isn't exactly the first vehicle that springs to mind when it comes to drifting - at least not in stock form. Then again, the modded Transit you're about to enjoy burning a lot of rubber in the videos after the break is far from stock.

This "Made in Poland" monster van packs the almighty 4.9-liter V8 engine from a BMW M5 E39, tuned to deliver around 440-horses, up from the standard model's 400HP.

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Categories: BMW, BMW M5, BMW Videos, ford, Ford Transit, Ford Videos, Offbeat News, Poland, tuning, video