Europe Rallies to the Cause: Ford Focus ST WRC Edition
click above image for more high-res pics of the Ford Focus ST WRC Edition
Hot hatches and rally cars: two European trends that are only starting to catch on in America, Ford's home market. But that doesn't stop the blue oval from campaigning fiercely in both arenas. The latest point where the two intersect is here, with the Ford Focus ST WRC Edition.
Not to be confused with the 136-hp TDi-powered Focus WRC-S shown last month at the Barcelona show, the ST WRC Edition (as you might well have guessed) starts with the already red-hot European Focus ST and upgrades from there. It's motivated by a 2.5-liter turbocharged Duratec inline-5 mated to a six-speed and coupled with an Eibach suspension kit that drops the ride height by 15mm. The WRC Edition, available only in white and decked out in special stripes and decals, also gets a full body kit with a front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser, plus chrome-tipped exhaust and monster 20" powder-white OZ racing rims.
The only change to the interior is an aluminum plaque on the center console bearing the signatures of Marcus Gronholm and his co-pilot Mikko Hirvonen, victors of the 2006 World Rally Championship, the two drivers who took the 2006 WRC constructors title for Ford, which this car is made to commemorate. Only 50 will be made, and even with the approximately $11,000 premium over the standard Focus ST, they should sell out pretty fast.
[Source: Ford]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Calebe 2:05PM (7/23/2007)
The drift picture is flipp'n sweet
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RDL 5:03PM (7/23/2007)
Looks like a photochop.
Also, 20" wheels? Good $DEITY, what a lack of taste...
Sudasian 2:06PM (7/23/2007)
Hirvonen is not Gronholm's co-driver, but the driver of another Focus that competed in the WRC. Also, IIRC, Sebastian Loeb won the driver's title, but Ford won the manufacturer's title.
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Dave 2:50PM (7/23/2007)
Ditch the dubs.
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Tyo 3:24PM (7/23/2007)
I think the dubs might serve to keep that thing hooked up a little bit better, dont you?
Dave 3:44PM (7/23/2007)
I think they increase unsprung weight and destroy the ride.
They also will probably hurt handling on anything other than a perfectly smooth surface.
zach 4:05PM (7/23/2007)
"dubs" have barely anything to do with improving handling. in some situations the reduced sidewall can make turn-in a little quicker, but as was pointed out already they probably just add unsprung weight in this situation.
tyo - how many race cars do you know of that run on 20's? tire construction is infinitely more important than rim diameter... as an overly simplified example you need only to look at the 13" diameter package used on F1 cars
nagmashot 1:51AM (7/24/2007)
@ zach
F1 race cars are limited to 13" wheels because that is a easy way for the FIA to stop F1 teams going mad with brake size and perfromance... with larger rim size the stoping power of a F1 would increase dramaticly
The DTM drives currently 20" rims, in the early 1990´s they already used 19"...
large rims dramaticly improve handling the reason why all new supersportcars roll on 19-20" rims and not 14-17" next to the fact that smale rims can´t house brake´s able to handle the today drive perfromance and power.
Porsche Carrera GT 19 and 20"
Koenigsegg 19 and 20"
Enzo 19"
FXX 19"
F599 19 and 20"
RUF RT12 19"
CLK DTM AMG 19 and 20"
mike 3:27PM (7/23/2007)
Marcus Gronholm and Mikko Hirvonen are currently drivers 1 and 2 for ford's factory sponsored WRC team - BP Ford. (their co-drivers are timo rautiainen and jarmo lehtinen, respectively).
@Sudasian - precisely correct on the championships - Ford won the manufacturer's title for 2006 but Sebastien Loeb (driving a Citroen) won the driver's title.
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Evotec 3:29PM (7/23/2007)
its still slow..
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revn06 3:49PM (7/23/2007)
Quick question, but isn't the volvo c30 just a detuned euro focus st? It's built in the same platform and duratec 5 cylinder. The exception being that it's actually available in the US.
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Dave 3:47PM (7/23/2007)
Also, real WRC cars are limited to 18" wheels.
http://www.bfgoodrich.com/racing/AfficheServlet?Rubrique=20060213153320&Langue=EN
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TheCleaner 4:09PM (7/23/2007)
So this is an AWD focus?
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