Official ford ST pic

fordel · 11-02-2005, 11:58 PM

Here we have is what i have seen as the official pic from another site

Doesnt look to bad, not sure on the rims tho

Chris

mitch_lx · 12-02-2005, 10:16 AM

Looks really nice, but just like you im unsure of the rims.

buickman · 12-02-2005, 11:34 AM

It looks heaps better than the slow selling current Focus. I was waiting for the Focus to arrive in 2002 before I bought a new car for my wife. When I had a look at them and the price of the st170. Well I went and got her a Mazda SP. The current Focus suck.

buickman

Timmeh · 13-02-2005, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buickman

The current Focus suck.

buickman

You mean the car that has been the highest selling car in the world for many years, that Europe sells three times Fords total sales of all vehicles in Australia per year? That won Car of the Year in more countries than any other single model? Ah I see...

I agree that the early Australian pricing was too high, but seeing as most St owners got theirs at below 35, you can't complain when the base model VW Golf which is so highly acclaimed starts at 32 for the BASE model with a 1.6! We just bought our second Focus not long ago, find another european import with a comparable equipment list and dynamics, and you can easily add another 8 to 10 grand.

Get some perspective on euro imported cars! Thats all I have to say.

As for the new ST, I like it! I hope they bring orange to the range, I like stand out distinctive colours.

Tim

buickman · 13-02-2005, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timmeh

You mean the car that has been the highest selling car in the world for many years, that Europe sells three times Fords total sales of all vehicles in Australia per year? That won Car of the Year in more countries than any other single model? Ah I see...

I agree that the early Australian pricing was too high, but seeing as most St owners got theirs at below 35, you can't complain when the base model VW Golf which is so highly acclaimed starts at 32 for the BASE model with a 1.6! We just bought our second Focus not long ago, find another european import with a comparable equipment list and dynamics, and you can easily add another 8 to 10 grand.

Get some perspective on euro imported cars! Thats all I have to say.

As for the new ST, I like it! I hope they bring orange to the range, I like stand out distinctive colours.

Tim

I found I coudn't that is why I went for what I personally thought the better looking and priced Mazda SP Australia's third best seller last month under Commodore and Falcon. Plus you buy what appeals to you. But a lot of Focuses are sold to the hire companies in the US and Europe with much larger populations which would account for a fair slice of sales.

I don't dislike them but think in the market they are competing in Australia has very tough opposition and what sells overseas might not sell to the Australians .But if Ford markets the new look Focus right with pricing and quality against the Jap cars it will be a good seller.
Sorry that I have upset any Focus owners but thats only my opinion and problems I had while picking a car for my wife.

buickman

whippet_zetec · 13-02-2005, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buickman

I don't dislike them but think in the market they are competing in Australia has very tough opposition and what sells overseas might not sell to the Australians .But if Ford markets the new look Focus right with pricing and quality against the Jap cars it will be a good seller.
buickman

Buickman, just so you know, Focus was Ford Australia's 3rd highest selling vehicle over the last year. As for your comment being your own opinion I respect that, I just think that maybe the facts on Focus speak a little better than your anecdotal views on the car.

As for the new ST170 I reckon they look great, the rims might grow on me.

WASACL · 15-02-2005, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buickman

The current Focus suck.

buickman

Very brave man jumping in the focus forum and saying this... Have we got his address???

Russ

mitch_lx · 12-02-2005, 01:18 PM

Thats a tad harsh. im really fond of the current focus, look hot lowered on rims.
Probly not the best thing to say in a focus forum eh buick ;)

buickman · 12-02-2005, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitch_lx

Thats a tad harsh. im really fond of the current focus, look hot lowered on rims.
Probly not the best thing to say in a focus forum eh buick ;)

Yes but at $42 grand on the road ST170 the quote I got really sucks. Plus I personally dislike the way the rear lights are situated.I don't now about marketing as Australia is a big car market and the market the Focus is competing in is very tough. To buy a big car with RWD your either red or blue. But in the small car market it gave me a headache going from dealer to dealer testing the cars and working out prices. The V.W golf was my second choice.
On the current Buicks in the USA words fail me

. As with most current passanger cars over there.

buickman

fordel · 12-02-2005, 01:42 PM

Yes a tad harsh, they hardly suck, seen as they were the best selling cars in Europe and the USA for consecutive years

Just not that well marketed over here and not a huge range like they have OS

Chris

tickford2001 · 12-02-2005, 02:21 PM

whether you like the old one or not, that new one looks the goods!

i would have one of those in my driveway no probs what so ever

even the colour looks brilliant, and the interior looks like its pretty damn swisho as well

professorsabre · 12-02-2005, 06:08 PM

Oh I love that pic, the new ST looks great! and those wheels look like the current Astra whells. I like 'em.

Laminge · 12-02-2005, 06:13 PM

Love the look of that

Still way over priced

buickman · 13-02-2005, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laminge

Love the look of that

Still way over priced

Have to agree there. The new look Focus will be a winner for Ford if they keep the price right.

If anyone is intrested I have a US ad brocher booklet that I picked up from a Ford dealer in the US last year. Its for FREE and their top line mtr is a 2.3L in it just email me.

buickman

14-02-2005, 02:46 PM

I got my ST170 at 33k. (+gst & orc). I agree that its a tad expensive, but to be honest with you, I got a whole lot of car for my money. Build quality is fantastic, the driveability is swisho, and for a STOCK car, its ****ing quick. Besides the fact that I'm a hopeless revhead, there isn't much the car needs. I want more power only for the fact that more is never enough. As it is, the car has no glaring faults. Were it 30-40HP more, I'd probably never even consider doing it up. Aesthetically, its pretty cool looking (I just added limo tint), the suspension doesn't need any work (unless you're a serious racer, and see track time, or drift...) and it's teh mint.

Taking my ST170 to the drags on Wednesday 16th (WA, Quit Motorplex). Wish me luck. Here's hoping I can pull sub 15's...

fordel · 14-02-2005, 07:05 PM

yeah i paid less then $32k for my ST, which was a damn good price

good luck at the drags, i was going to goto the heathcote one in april, but have had to pull out due to lack of funds....

hope you have done a bit of work to pull sub 15's and you would only get sub 16's stock out of them

chris

paul7v7 · 15-02-2005, 12:10 AM

i like that pic. looks smicko, i even like the rims. the current focus looks good but the angles in the interior don't do much for me. i like the new focus.

zetec · 15-02-2005, 12:59 PM

That'd be right, you're definitely from Punchbowl aren't you?!!!! Ha ha ha

zetec · 15-02-2005, 01:20 PM

By the way - YUM!!!! Nice looking car that!!

fordel · 15-02-2005, 11:40 PM

Some more pics

whippet_zetec · 16-02-2005, 08:23 AM

oooh...Russ, did you see that, a turbo gauge (3rd pic)....you have to get one now if they bring out the turbo version....

MAGPIE · 16-02-2005, 10:34 AM

PREVIEWING THE NEW FOCUS ST

Addictive performance derivative will join the Focus range before year end

In Brief:

Exciting all-new ST (Sport Technologies) Focus due towards the end of 2005

Turbocharged Duratec ST 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine will deliver around 220PS

Head-turning design signals sporting intent, but Focus ST remains practical for everyday use

Sporty interior communicates purpose and emotion

New Focus provides a strong base for performance road cars, competition models

Quicker to market than previous generation ST thanks to Ford Team RS and the 'shared technolgies' global engineering strategy

Previewing an exciting new performance model – the new Focus ST – Ford is demonstrating to performance enthusiasts they don’t have long to wait for another special model from Ford Team RS. The new Focus ST – sporting around 220PS and finished in brilliant orange for its Geneva preview – will be introduced towards the end of 2005.

Powered by a turbocharged Duratec ST 2.5-litre, 5-cylinder engine and equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, the Focus ST promises, in its specification and its distinctive design features, to raise the new Focus’s reputation as a driver’s car to new heights.

“When performance enthusiasts see this car, they are going to have high expectations. The Focus ST is going to live up to them,” said Jost Capito, who heads Ford’s racing and performance arm, Ford Team RS. “This car looks fast from its design, and every functional attribute is being engineered to deliver on that expectation.”

Focus ST’s stance – low-profile 225/40 performance tyres on sculpted 18x8-inch five-spoke cast aluminium wheels – speaks driving confidence and grip. Inside and out, Focus ST’s design makes its performance attributes clear, but in a manner that also supports refinement, craftsmanship and practicality. Focus ST remains a comfortable car for everyday family driving.

“The new Focus was engineered to provide a flexible base for derivatives and is especially suited to performance models,” said Derrick Kuzak, Vice President, Product Development, Ford of Europe. “Focus ST embodies the ethos of what our Sport Technologies brand stands for: a great-to-drive product that is visually differentiated from the rest of the model range and appeals to performance enthusiasts without losing sight of its everyday practicality and accessibility to own and insure.”

Together with the recently introduced Fiesta ST model and the acclaimed Mondeo ST220, the new Focus ST epitomises the sporty attributes Ford ST models stand for: extending the strengths of their core models and enjoying clear differentiation from rally car inspired RS derivatives.

“We created the Focus ST using the same principles as the Fiesta ST, delivering sporting credentials with full family capability,” Capito said. “It will have performance and handling attributes like those we delivered in the original Focus RS, but will be a truly civilised all-rounder. . Our test drivers are having a lot of fun with it at the Nürburgring -- ocus ST should appeal to everybody who loves cars.”

Previewing the ST model so early in the product cycle demonstrates Ford’s commitment to performance derivatives and building the ST brand, according to Geoff Polites, Ford of Europe’s Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Service.

“We’re serious about extending the ST family under the halo effect of our renewed commitment with Focus in the World Rally Championship,” Polites said.

Strong Visual Performance Appeal

Focus ST communicates an athletic air – toned, taut and balanced – with refined sports styling outside and a stylishly purposeful yet comfortable driver-oriented environment inside.

“Focus is ideally suited to performance derivatives,” said Chris Clements, Chief Designer, Ford Team RS. “With its fast silhouette as a starting point, we added distinctive design cues to communicate its more overt sporting characteristics. The result is a design that begs to be driven.”

Designers evolved certain design cues established on the Fiesta ST to communicate Ford’s competition heritage. They re-emphasised the visual weight of the front bumper to give Focus ST a low centre of gravity and incorporated an aggressive inverted-trapezoid lower grille. The upper grille of Focus ST is taller and narrower than that of core Focus models. Both upper and lower grilles feature a graphite mesh with signature triangular pattern hinting at mechanical power.

Flanking the top of the lower grille, foglamp openings are trimmed in brushed aluminium. At the rear, reversing and rear foglamp features are given similar design treatment, while the lower bumper has been sculpted to create a visual ‘venturi effect’ from which the chrome-tipped dual sport exhausts emerge.

Specially shaped sill mouldings – aligned with the chin of the front bumper – further communicate the low centre of gravity and agility of the Focus ST. Attention to detail – the special ST badge on the front wings – and performance – the highly sculpted, five-spoke, 18-inch wheels – communicate dynamism.

Focus ST also sports a more purposeful tailgate spoiler. Shaped for both aerodynamic and visual effect, the spoiler extends beyond the width of the tailgate to just above the high-mounted tail lamps of the Focus.

“We needed extra width for increased aerodynamic functionality, so we floated the spoiler over the lamps,” Clements said.

Details like the spoiler, plus door handles, mirrors and body side mouldings, are all finished in the insistent, spirited bright orange that is destined to become a signature colour for the first new Focus performance derivative.

Interior of an enthusiast’s Focus

The interior design of the new Focus ST also plays a role in communicating its sporting credentials. Even from the outside, Focus ST’s unique additional instrument pod, incorporated atop the upper instrument panel, creates an immediate visual difference.

The additional instrument pod is one of several special design features inside Focus ST. Under its half-dome ‘eyebrow’ shape, a trio of instruments – turbocharger boost pressure, oil temperature and oil pressure – are grouped. These new gauges, as well as the 160-mph speedometer, rev counter, temperature and fuel gauges in the primary instrument cluster, are given a new graphic design deeply ringed in aluminium opal colour to match other brushed aluminium interior accents.

Focus ST’s black headliner and A-pillars give the interior a dark, purposeful intent, giving the Focus ST a jet fighter cockpit feeling.

“These details are normally only found in the premium segment,” said Narendra Karadia, Focus ST interior designer. “It creates an interesting feeling, making the driver acutely aware of the outside.”

The leather-wrapped steering wheel has increased rim section with bold thumb grips and three brushed aluminium-finished spokes. The bold red ST logo is engraved into the centre spoke.

Focus ST’s leather trimmed, brushed aluminium gear knob also features a red six- speed gate graphic.

Focus ST is fitted with special sport driver and passenger seats trimmed in a combination of leather and grippy orange cloth to provide optimal lateral support during spirited driving. Matching leather inserts differentiate the interior door panels and complement special brushed aluminium ST door pull sills.

Other aluminium details inside Focus ST are its purpose-designed performance pedals with rubber pads set in cast aluminium and its unique ST scuff plate finish panels.

Quick to market from Ford Team RS

Expected within a year of the introduction of the mainstream Focus family, the new Focus ST is quicker to market than previous ST models. It is one of the key benefits from the formation of Ford Team RS, according to Capito.

“Faster delivery time is one of the synergies that have resulted from combining Ford of Europe’s motorsport and performance car engineering teams,” Capito said.

“In the past, ST models came in the middle of a product cycle. Now we’re aligned with the design, vehicle dynamics and powertrain functions to better integrate performance derivative development and take fuller advantage of the vast array of resources made possible by Ford’s global shared technologies approach.”

Full technical details of the new Ford Focus ST will be revealed closer to its launch towards the end of 2005.

WASACL · 16-02-2005, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whippet_zetec

oooh...Russ, did you see that, a turbo gauge (3rd pic)....you have to get one now if they bring out the turbo version....

Funny you say that Todd... i just got a new job... I now have a work car! The CL isnt as quick as i'd like it too be... I am trying to figure out what to do...MOD it up or just pay it off as quick as possible then upgrade... Whens the release of the new ST for Aus? Any idea yet?

Russ

whippet_zetec · 16-02-2005, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WASACL

Funny you say that Todd... i just got a new job... I now have a work car! The CL isnt as quick as i'd like it too be... I am trying to figure out what to do...MOD it up or just pay it off as quick as possible then upgrade... Whens the release of the new ST for Aus? Any idea yet?

Russ

Dude, congrats on the job....I guess now the CL will be the Sunday cruiser?

As for teh ST dont hold your breath, if the base focus is only going to make it out here mid year I, and the ST isnt even out in the UK yet we will be a while...I am just guessing on that but to me sounds logical.

16-02-2005, 10:55 AM

220ps?! D'oh! Wish I'd waited now!! Heh heh, well, actually, nah. I like my car, but wish I could have this one too...

CSV_LS1 · 16-02-2005, 03:43 PM

Looks real nice, good engine but it's still FWD

:

fordel · 16-02-2005, 03:56 PM

and what is wrong with FWD ?

MAGPIE · 16-02-2005, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordel

and what is wrong with FWD ?

Its just plain wrong !

The front wheels shouldn't have to drive, steer & brake.

When they get back to there roots (ie

4X4/RWD Cossies

) thats when I'll get a little more interested.

CSV_LS1 · 16-02-2005, 04:17 PM

It looks to be a great base for making it a very quick car with that engine but there's a limit of how much power it can take. I know the RS was faster stock around a track than a WRX but modified it'll be nicer to have AWD.

WASACL · 16-02-2005, 05:34 PM

Nah give me a quick FWD over any RWD! I'd like to see any of you pretty xr6/8 owners take a corner at 80km/h and not oversteer... LOL!