Ford Previews

6 of 10

Customized Focus
and Fiestas Ahead
of SEMA
By CHRIS DEMORRO | OCTOBER 26,
2011

A nd the rollout of teasers continues ahead

of SEMA. Ford already has several big
announcements planned for next week’s
Speciality Equipment Manufacturers Association
show in sunny Las Vegas. And as usual, Ford has
teamed up with a number of aftermarket parts
makers and tuning shops to bring a buttload of
custom cars to this gathering of gearheads.

Ford is previewing these cars ahead of the show,

so let’s run down the list to see what’s hot…and
what’s not.

2012 Ford Focus by 3d Carbon

First up is this Focus by 3d Carbon, which will

focus a number of exterior enhancements
including 3M mattle vinyl wrap, a 3d Carbon
bodykit, and roof spoiler. On the performance end
are Eibach springs and Pirelli tires. All show, no
go.

2012 Ford Focus by ROUSH

ROUSH, on the other hand, is delivering a car

that is short on exterior modifications, but heavy
on the performance improvements. A ROUSH
supercharger system and high-flow induction
system compliment a dual-exit exhaust system.
ROUSH has also added their own body kit…but
we’re more excited about the supercharger to be
honest.

2012 Ford Focus by The ID Agency

The ID Agency has taken their inspiration from

Japanese and European tuner cars, slamming
their Focus to the ground, shaving the door
handles, and adding some low-key aftermarket
wheels. The only performance upgrades are an
exhaust and big brake system…though it does
come with a Thule bike rack.

2012 Ford Focus by Capaldi Racing

Capaldi Racing has taken their formidable racing

knowledge, and applied it to the Ford Focus.
Their focus is on suspension upgrades, from
sport suspension and Torsen differential to Ford
Racing sway bars. Little touches like Euro-style
headlights, a front splitter, and dual-exit exhaust
bring this Focus to life.

2012 Ford Focus by Steeda

Steeda is a name that is sure to be familiar to

Mustang fans, and this year they’ve take a Focus
and turned it up a notch. Lowering springs, sway
bars, and sticky tires turn this little compact into
quite the corner carver, and all the aluminum
under the hood sure looks sexy.

2012 Ford Focus by Bojix Design

Another Euro-inspired Focus, Bojix Design

concentrated on interior improvements like
Katzkin leather seats and door panels and a
panoramic rearv iew mirror. Handling
improvements come from an H&R lowering kit,
bigger brakes, and 20-inch wheels.

2012 Ford Focus by COBB Tuning

COBB Tuning may be another familiar tuner

name for Ford fans, and their racing experience
has resulted in the Motorsports Challenger Focus.
With forged pistons, a custom turbo kit, intake,
and exhaust system, and a seriously upgraded
suspension with big brakes, this is probably the
closest to an actual racer out of all these
offerings.

2011 Ford Fiesta by M2-Motoring

Now we move on to the Fiestas! M2-Motoring is

bringing a Fiesta that has a new intake and
exhaust system, as well as exterior modifications.
Wilwood big brakes, Megan Racing coil-overs,
and other upgrades make this sub-compact so
cool.

2011 Ford Fiesta by Gold Coast Automotive

Gold Coast Automotive is turning their Fiesta

hatchback into a performance machine with a
supercharger upgrade. Wilwood brakes all around
provide stopping power, a 3d Carbon bodykit
boosts looks, and Hankook tires keep this Fiesta
planted to the tarmac.

2011 Ford Fiesta by Aaron Vaccar Signature

Series

Last, but not least, is the 2011 Fiesta by Aaron

Vaccar. This is all show and no go, with massive
brakes, silver matte metallic (?!) paint and
Portage trim red leather interior. This might be the
most luxurious Fiesta ever…and along with the
rest of these compacts, will be at Ford’s SEMA
booth next week.

And that’s it! Which one of these custom Ford

cars do you like best?

EMAIL ME !

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Demorro
Christopher DeMorro is a freelance writer and
journalist from Connecticut with two passions
in life; writing and anything with an engine.

READ MY ARTICLES !

0 Comments Sort by Newest

Add a comment...

Facebook Comments Plugin

MORE STORIES

First Time for Top 10 Highlights

Everything: 2019 From 2019
Ford Edge ST Goodwood Festival
Review of Speed

Driving A 647HP
Ford GT On
Woodward Avenue
Is A Real
0
SHARES " Dream
# $ %
Cruise
By STEVE TURNER | SEPTEMBER 05,
2019

Driving a Ford GT Supercar o…

F oot to the floor, I flick the paddle shifters

and charge up behind the car far ahead, as
the turbos maximize the potential of the
turbocharged, 3.5-liter powerplant. The dual-
clutch trans shifts to briskly push the car forward
and when the time comes, the binders are up to
the task of keeping this machine’s carbon fiber
nose clean.

“ This car is low, fast, and

riding on carbon fiber
wheels that cost more “
than an automotive scribe
can muster in a lifetime.

Peering in the mirror, I see an opening to change

lanes and go around the slower traffic. I take it,
but the opening doesn’t last long. It’s not because
this is a crowded racetrack, rather it is historic
Woodward Avenue just days before the iconic
Dream Cruise, and I am behind the wheel of a
Ford GT.

It’s no surprise that taking a Ford GT

supercar on a cruise down Woodward
Avenue is an absolute blast, but the real
surprise was just how easy the car is to
drive. (Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company)

Dream Car

It is a moment that I had all but given up on

experiencing. After all, only 1,350 examples of the
company’s flagship supercar are slated for
production through 2022 and all have already
been spoken for in advance. You may recall that
there was a rigorous selection process that
honored those deemed worthy with a shot at
scooping up the $450,000 supercar.

That last tidbit is exactly why I had surrendered

the dream of wheeling one at all. The price and
complexity of these machines makes them rare
even around Ford, and with them all being sold,
it’s not like the company needs any help getting
the word out.

The 647-horsepower EcoBoost six-cylinder

powering the Ford GT provides ample
power to propel the 3,150-pound supercar.
When you are at WOT, you might miss the
V8 sound, but you aren’t left wanting for
power.

Having said that, I have longed for a shot at

driving one. When the previous-generation Ford
GT arrived, I actually drove it on the racetrack
and the street. The latter experience was shared
with my magazine cohorts at the time over more
than a week. Yet, in comparison, more than 4,000
of those cars were built in two years and they sold
for just under $150,000. By today’s standards,
they were plentiful and affordable.

Yet here I was blasting down Woodward in the

supercar that Ford secretly designed in a
basement and shocked the world with in 2015. I
sat in the audience at the Cobo Center when it
debuted at the North American International Auto
Show and my jaw dropped. The car was stunning,
and as we would learn, it is a technical tour de
force as well.

Dreams do come true, and it turns out I felt

right at home behind the wheel of the Ford
GT. It is easy to drive, and it even has
decent rear visibility with the mirrors. The
only trick is its low stature makes seeing
lower obstacles a challenge.

The Machine

Essentially, the Ford GT is a street-legal race car

built by the same group at Multimatic that created
the Le Mans-winning racers, and powered by a
refined version of the EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 first
deployed in the Daytona Prototype road racers.
Backed by a seven-speed dual-clutch
transmission, the twin-turbo six is fueled by a
dual-fuel system — featuring both port and direct
injection — and pumps out 647 horsepower and
550 lb-ft of torque. It resides in an aluminum rear
subframe mounted to a carbon-fiber passenger
cell fronted by an aluminum front subframe and
wrapped in carbon fiber body panels. All told, it
only weighs around 3,150 pounds.

It is easy to dial in the drive modes with

the dial on the side of the wheel, and of
course, the paddle shifters make it easy
to actuate the gear changes at your will.

Quality Controls

Before the party started, I spun the dial on the left

of the steering wheel to change the drive mode
from Normal to Sport to Track. Wet and V-max
modes wouldn’t be necessary, and Track was just
for fun. In Sport, the ground clearance remains at
120 millimeters, but the calibration sharpens.
Switching it to Track, the supercar ratchets down
to just 70mm above the earth’s surface, while the
spring rates ramp up and the rear wing deploys to
increase the downforce in less than two seconds.
It was impractical for cruising the boulevard, so
dialing back to Sport was the move.

More race car cockpit than plush

passenger car cabin, the Ford GT interior
is still plenty comfortable. Once you
adjust the seat angle and pedal-box
height, you are one with the machine.
Push the button, chose your drive mode,
and hit the road.

My level of anticipation and angst were equally

high leading up to my brief tryst with the mystical
machine. It was like a first date with a crush: it
was exciting, but you just don’t want to screw it
up. This car is low, fast, and riding on carbon fiber
wheels that cost more than an automotive scribe
can muster in a lifetime.

Yet, once I navigated the parking lot exit and

pulled onto Woodward Avenue, the nerves faded
away. Maybe it’s because I was buckled into a
seat bolted directly to the heralded carbon fiber
tub, so the nuances of the road transmitted to my
hindquarters. They provided a faint reminder that
this was an all-out race car tamed for the street —
at least when you want it to be.

Sadly my path was straight down

Woodward Avenue, so there weren’t any
good turns, but even a brief cruise in the
supercar made your author long for another
shot in a more challenging environment.

The Experience
0
SHARES " # $ %