CarMad Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 Just got the latest copy of Autocar through the door and on the front cover is the new Focus ST. Seems it might be quite good. Has the 2.5 5 Cylinder Volvo engine in it pushing out 217bhp. Should be pretty quick and have a great noise to it. Might be like an early Audi Quattro. They say the price will be around 19k with Recaro Leather seats and even an extra binnacle to house Turbo boost, oil and presure and temperature guages. Should handle quite well if recent Fords are anything to go by. Doesn't look silly sporty in the pictures. Might give the Golf GTI a run for its money especially if its cheaper. Might bring the price down a little and make things more competative. The Focus RS is expected to be 4wd and 300bhp, so that should be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shao_khan Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 Looks good - for a start they remembered to paint all of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 That looks sharp. Probably better in black though ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritey Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 Sorry but I really don't like the lines of the new focus, perhaps the sporty models may change that but the back end just looks wrong IMO. Too high and to angular Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chav Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 i dont like the chrome bits around the lower lights, but the rest looks good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ari Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 If its an Autocar "scoop" then its probably just something the tea boy dreamt up in his lunch hour... Not impressed with Autocars "scoops", they have a habit of predicting everything and anything for "about one to two years time" safe in the knowledge that if it does exist by then they can point to their scoop, and if it doesn't everyone will have forgotten they predicted it anyway! Oh well, sells magazines I suppose... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geo_nr1 Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 [ QUOTE ] i dont like the chrome bits around the lower lights, but the rest looks good [/ QUOTE ] I also think that the practicalities of the chrome there is a waste of money, afterall, in this weather, how easy is it to keep a hatchback clean? The chrome there will just discolour and be covered in tar in the summer. IMO Still, I do think it is a nice looking car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted February 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 [ QUOTE ] If its an Autocar "scoop" then its probably just something the tea boy dreamt up in his lunch hour... Not impressed with Autocars "scoops", they have a habit of predicting everything and anything for "about one to two years time" safe in the knowledge that if it does exist by then they can point to their scoop, and if it doesn't everyone will have forgotten they predicted it anyway! Oh well, sells magazines I suppose... [/ QUOTE ] Ari, Couldn't agree more with Autocar and its many scoops, probably gets about 50% right at best. However this is not a scoop its a properly released model (Or at least will be this year). The pictures above are actually from Autoexpress. Not that keen on Fords myself. But if they can create a car that sparks the car enthusiasts soul then I am all for it the matter who creates it. And a quick good handing car (They say it laps the Nuringburg ring faster than an RS) with hopefully a good exhaust note has all the right ingredients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooby_simon Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 If, and it's a big if, the engine is the same as the one that is in the V70's then it comes as standard up to 260bhp and then is tweaked to 300bhp for the R series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossG Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 I'm looking forward to it. Should be a nice car with that warbly engine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacelord Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 There's an article with more pics, and basically the same info about the car on a dutch car site. http://www.autoweek.nl/newsdisp.php?cache=no&ID=3316 I must say it does look good on paper, might give the GTI a run for its money. The orange color scheme on the pictures on that site looks awful though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max_b Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 those autocar pics are not far off of the real thing...theres an official ford pic knocking about somewhere and some out on the road pics about roll on the RS.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loddrik Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 Christ the new focus is a dull looking thing, really, really dull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g4mot Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 when did autocar start using photos from autoexpress? <font color="red"> </font> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted February 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 Autocar website is a little slow, and no point posting an article about a new car with no pictures. So I did a quick seach and found some .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s4dreamer Posted February 16, 2005 Report Share Posted February 16, 2005 Those tail pipes look puny - the sort of thing I'd expect to see on a Yamaha FS-1E (if anyone remembers them) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikespence Posted February 16, 2005 Report Share Posted February 16, 2005 The front end looks, IMHO, like an angry rabbit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheechy Posted February 16, 2005 Report Share Posted February 16, 2005 I'll bear that in mind when I see my next angry rabbit. I suppose if its not angry when I see it I could always call it names to see if it reacts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Sorry but I really don't like the lines of the new focus, perhaps the sporty models may change that but the back end just looks wrong IMO. Too high and to angular [/ QUOTE ] Thought that as well considering how ground breaking the 1998 original was. However, got a proper look at the 2005 MY on Tuesday. Was in work car park out the back, not an employees I don't think, maybe a lease or demo (Ford Landrover Jag Volvo etc are a big client for us). Was full Zetec spec, nice big 5 spokes, met ice blue. Looked nice, surprisingly low, clever lines, no higher than the 96- Passat parked next to it. Rear lights looked cool. Glad to say I was so impressed when I saw it, I wandered over to have a closer look. Ian C PS. Coincidentally Tuesday was also my first road spot of the C4. Spooky!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32North Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Christ the new focus is a dull looking thing, really, really dull. [/ QUOTE ] Yep saw one the other day and thought, "urrggh, whats that?" Then recognised it as the new focus and it was a bland looking car if ever there was one. Was never a fan of the old one, but at least it had shape (to a degree), but the new one is just dull ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted February 19, 2005 Report Share Posted February 19, 2005 Not sure they'd use such an old engine! More likely to do something which will appeal to company car drivers! I suspect a 2.5 Ltr engine at the front would upset the balance compared to the std car, and make it understeer badly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felixthecat1 Posted February 20, 2005 Report Share Posted February 20, 2005 Just thought I'd chip in as somebody mentioned Volvo. I can vouch for their V5, it is a beauty and sounds great, the Focus is IMHO ugly in any trim and a heavy lump like that will do nothing for the drive in a car like that, it's a mistake. Oh yes, I love my Volvo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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