Gardemeister impressed with the new Focus ST

[MAGPIE]

Focus ST wins driver approval


Gardemeister impressed with the new Focus ST

Ford's all-new Focus ST performance model has been put through its paces by the company's 2005 World Rally Championship team drivers – and they have both given it the thumbs up.

New Focus ST prototypes have been driven hard and fast by Roman Kresta and Toni Gardemeister, who both drive Ford Focus WRCs in the FIA World Rally Championship, along with former British Rally Champion Malcolm Wilson, who is in charge of M-Sport (which operates the official works rally effort on behalf of Ford in the World Rally Championship). All three commented that the Focus ST totally lived up to their high expectations.

Their final exclusive test session was held just before the Rallye Deutschland, and under demanding conditions of torrential rain. But they came back with glowing reports on the ST's abilities.

Malcolm Wilson said: "For me it's one of the best Fords that have ever been produced. It's a car that suits all ages of drivers but with cutting edge performance and driveability."

Wilson was clearly impressed with the engine: "One of the main attributes is the torque of the engine, which is just sensational. I couldn't believe how stable the car is and how it oozes quality in terms of ride, suspension dynamics and most of all driveability."



Roman Kresta commented: "Everything about the Focus ST feels impressive and it feels like a big step up from the base Focus. The handling is precise and safe, while the steering feels extremely sharp and positive."

"The brakes are superb and the traction in the wet is highly impressive," Kresta added. "The suspension gives a stable ride on fast roads, which is what you expect from this type of car. It's not too hard or too soft - it feels just right. For me it is a great car - a sporty vehicle that is fun to drive."

Toni Gardemeister echoed these comments, saying: "The overall feeling is very good. The handling is precise - that's one of the great characteristics of all Focus cars. The gearbox has a good feel to it while the brakes perform superbly, especially when braking hard from high speed."

"The Focus ST feels extremely stable at high speed, even in the wet, and it's a car that offers a good driving experience," added Gardemeister.

Volume production of Focus ST has now started at Ford's Saarlouis production plant in Germany . The availability to order the Focus ST depends on individual market launch dates, with the first customer units being shipped from the plant next week.

The Focus ST is equipped with a strong turbocharged Duratec ST , 2.5 litre, 5-cylinder engine delivering 225PS. With its slick-operating six-speed manual gearbox, it is capable of a top speed in excess of 240 km/h (around 150mph), and needs only 6.8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (6.5 seconds from 0 to 60 mph).

Such performance does not come at the expense of safety. Standard equipment includes an anti-lock braking system, traction control and a full complement of driver and passenger front and side airbags. Distinctive styling cues, low-profile 225/40 R18 tyres mounted on 8x18-inch aluminium wheels, and Recaro seats are among the features that make Focus ST stand out from the crowd.

Press Release

[orsest170]

Well if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me! I had already decided that I would be buying one, but it's nice to hear confirmation of the cars ability from WRC drivers (even if they are a little biased towards Ford).

I just hope that the XR5's we get here are also made in Germany and not South Africa! It seems that there are some real build quality issues with the cars coming from there.

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by orsest170

Well if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me! I had already decided that I would be buying one, but it's nice to hear confirmation of the cars ability from WRC drivers (even if they are a little biased towards Ford).

I just hope that the XR5's we get here are also made in Germany and not South Africa! It seems that there are some real build quality issues with the cars coming from there.

: No need to worry about the ST being African assembled...

New Ford Focus ST production begins

Production of the new Ford Focus ST began today at Ford's assembly plant in Saarlouis , Germany . The new model is due to go on sale later this year and will be offered in all European countries.

Ford plans to manufacture more than 3,600 new Focus ST vehicles through this year. The Focus ST will share the same assembly line as the regular Ford Focus and the Focus C-MAX, both produced in Saarlouis.

The plant has made several modifications to enable ST production. An additional area was installed in the body shop with welding and laser equipment to add A-pillar crash-reinforcement and heat shield fixing. The paint shop installed a new 'electric orange' colour system. New hoists and extraction systems for the ST operations have been fitted to the customer service area of the plant. In addition, the conveyor, connecting the plant with the adjacent supplier park, was adjusted to allow the transport of the new Recaro sport seats and the double tube exhaust system of the new Focus ST .

Ford has invested more than 750 million Euros over the last four years in the Saarlouis plant. The facility was the lead plant for launching the Focus C-MAX in 2003, the second generation Ford Focus in 2004 and now the new Focus ST .

The Saarlouis plant is one of Ford's most efficient in Europe , operating at close to 100 per cent capacity. Producing vehicles on three shifts at a rate of 1,810 units a day, there were more than 370,000 vehicles made in Saarlouis last year. The plant employs approximately 6,800 people.

Saarlouis, together with assembly plants in Valencia , Spain , and St. Petersburg , Russia , are the three Ford facilities in Europe that produce the Focus, Ford's most successful model in Europe . More than 3.3 million Ford Focus models have been sold across Europe since the car's launch in 1998.

Fast and practical, the Ford Focus ST offers a no-compromise package for the performance car driver, while offering a welcome dash of refinement for everyday driving, too. Powered by a turbocharged 2.5 litre 5-cylinder Duratec ST engine with 225 PS, the new Focus ST is the most powerful Focus roadcar Ford has ever launched.

With the introduction of the Fiesta ST in 2004, Ford TeamRS began to redefine Ford's performance models. The exciting new Focus ST is a significant evolution of Ford's ST brand, delivering an addictive personality combined with high performance.

Date: October 4, 2005
Source: Ford Media Site
Category: Manufacturing

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[orsest170]

Well thank God for that! Cheers Magpie.