Just got my July issue of R&T mag.

Ford Focus Cosworth shoots for EVO, STi

I don't even have a STi yet, has Ford wrecked our STi parade.
Photo of prototype Focus looks good. "modified 4-cyl. turbo to be OVER! 300bhp, with awd, 6speed, etc...................................

Anybody heard about this car yet? Is it a USDM car? Will it be a 04my?

Now lets chat about it and ponder the future.

Thanks,

 

sounds intriguing

 

Wow! prototype. So exciting.
Maybe Ford should start by bringing the Focus RS over, and replacing that 50 year old chasis on the Mustang.

 

Hmm, wanna start a recall poll?

I say at least 2 dozen in the first 10 months.

 

Who cares. It is a Ford!

 

but it's a cosworth..

although there will certainly be reliability issues

even in Europe Cosworth dont' even produce a 300 hp Focus

RS is only 200+ something.. engaged with Golf R 32 and Type Rs

 

Kudos trebz!

 

It was the driver side rear wheel that came off on the focus. I saw one at the dealership that was bing repaired.
Blue

 

Hello Max and Blue-Adept:

I just had to wade in on this one. I bought a 2000 Ford Focus Wagon with the slightly upgraded 130hp 2 litre powerplant.

Yup, it's been through 10 recalls! Ford service has been great dealing with each one of them. Outside of this, I've had one other problem: a partial electrical failure they traced to a short.

This is my first Ford and even with all that I LOVE the car! The engine has been great and the five-speed box and clutch is as close to European as I've ever felt in a domestic product. It's got a nice ride, the mileage is great (about 29 miles per US gallon), and it can handle a full size Thule for boarding and skiing.

I've just upgraded the wheels to 16" Eagle Alloys and thrown on some Yokohama es100's.

Hard to explain - I've owned quite a few cars Vettes, Hondas, Toyotas and Volvos - yet I've got a soft spot (probably my head) for this simple economy wagon.

Cheers, Phun (Sti arriving 5th June)

 

And thats truely rare these days!
I'm going to transfer my Thule system from my Legacy to the STi for my equally fast and oh so sweet bikes.

Glad to see another Thule fan hangin about.

- Janq

 

I will never own another Ford as long as I live. However, we all benefit by the bar being raised with more and more companies seeing how much performance per $ they can pack into a small fiesty package.

Who would have ever thought a $25K vehicle ('02 WRX) would, or could, outperform and Audi S4 of the same year? Nevermind the S4 had twin-turbos, 250 HP, and cost $15,000 more. The WRX was the little engine that could and did. This car invented its own space in the US market (the rest of the world had enjoyed it for some time), that being the subcompact value sports car segment.

This is a great trend.

A couple of interesting things have happened since the US launch of the WRX:

Pontiac is bringing back the GTO (in name only) - via Holden (maybe more of a Mustang competitor).

Dodge released that turbo neon thing.

Mistubishi Lancer Evo appears stateside.

Ford Focus Cosworth rumors.

Volvo S60 R

350Z/G35 Coupe

And of course the Subaru WRX Sti (insert drool here).

I am sure I missed others that certainly deserve mention. I am also sure the I am going to get flamed for mentioning the Neon.

Just because Dodge decided to enter this market segment, doesn't mean their execution will be flawless or everyone is going to run out and by an SRT-4. However, show me another car for < $20K that puts up similar numbers. Deserves mentioning, but I would never buy one.

Any other car on the list I would consider (maybe not the Pontiac, and the Ford doesn't exist). In fact, if my Sti wasn't coming next week, I would be out test driving all of the other cars on the list.

Bottom line for all of this? There are more and more great performing cars that were not available a just few years back.

The performance cars that have been on the block for a while? They probably have a bigger engine, better performance, and more features for the same price, just so they can keep up. How high can this bar go? I can't wait to find out. Hats off to Ford for recognizing the marketplace that the WRX created and the STi and EVO now own.

 

Yep, Ford also stands for backwards "Drivers Return On Foot".