Video: Who's got a 300-horsepower Ford Festiva Shogun? Jay Leno, who else?

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Celebrities, Specialty

Jay Leno's 300-horsepower Ford Festiva - Click above to watch video after the jump

Ford is hosting a round-the-world trip in its new Fiesta, and somehow that led Motor Trend to visit Jay Leno's Garage and have a look at his '80s-era Ford Festiva Shogun. There's no way a bog-standard 63-horsepower runabout could last longer than a fruit fly in Jay's garage, so this one does its best impression of a Renault 5 Turbo down to the engine in the rear and the blistered arches and vents.

For those who don't know what a Shogun is exactly, it's the perfect marriage of a Taurus SHO's original 3.0-liter Yamaha V6 and a Ford Festiva. You take the motor and drivetrain from the Taurus SHO and place it front-to-back in the Festiva, then season to taste with wheels and body kit. Leno's Shogun is also boosted by nitrous oxide for a total of about 300 horsepower, which is pretty good for a Korean-built subcompact from 1989.

Leno cites two compelling reasons for the Shogun: "Because there are certain parts of the world where people are going to chase you," and "I live in a hilly area." Of course, Jay, of course. Follow the jump for the Shogun's story.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Video: Who's got a 300-horsepower Ford Festiva Shogun? Jay Leno, who else?

Video: Who's got a 300-horsepower Ford Festiva Shogun? Jay Leno, who else? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: Ford Festiva SHOgun replica

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Auctions, Hatchback, Ford, Specialty

Ford Festiva SHOgun replica - Click above for image gallery

Way back in the late 1980s, Chuck Beck, who's perhaps best known for his excellent Porsche 550 Spyder replicas, created what in our minds is still one of the greatest hot hatchbacks of all time: the Festiva SHOgun. While nobody would mistake the lowly Ford Festiva as a performance vehicle, the SHOgun packed a 220 horsepower secret behind its front seats in the form of a V6 engine yanked from a Ford Taurus SHO. A legend was born.

There were only seven SHOguns produced in 1989 (number three is still owned by Jay Leno), so it's highly unlikely you'll ever run into one for sale. Of course, the possibility exists that you could just make one yourself... or, alternatively, purchase this replica on eBay.

The car's current owners claim to have purchased their SHOgun replica from a museum and say that it's powered by a 1996 SHO powerplant. We don't think so. The '96 SHO had a V8 engine and this one, like all the real SHOguns, used a Yamaha V6 - in this case mated up to an automatic transmission. Interested? Click here to visit the auction page.

Gallery: Ford Festiva SHOgun replica

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: Ford Festiva SHOgun replica originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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