| Hendy set to unveil new challenger.
South coast rally driver Steve Hendy is set to unveil a new car for the 2007 season as he launches an assault on the country's leading asphalt rally series.
Hendy is to replace his Ford Escort WRC with a 2000 model Ford Focus and has high hopes that the new car will give him the edge against a tough list of contenders all bidding to lift the rally title.
The car is due to be unveiled next weekend on the Tour of Epynt, the first round of the Legend Fires MSA Asphalt Rally Championship and Hendy said that he and co-driver Aled Davies were eagerly looking forward to giving the Focus WRC its first competitive outing in Hendy Group colours.
"The competition this year is set to be tougher than ever before but our motorsport team has been working hard to prepare a car which is capable of winning the championship,'' Hendy said.
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Grönholm Powers Dominant Ford Focus To Victory In Sweden
Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen won their fifth Swedish Rally today as BP-Ford World Rally Team closed to within a point of the leaders in the FIA World Rally Championship. The Finns dominated this second round of the 16-event series in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car, winning 11 of the 20 snow and ice-bound speed tests. Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed their eighth podium in the last 11 rallies by finishing third in another Focus RS. The 39-year-old Finn led the four-day rally in central Sweden from midway through the first leg. He stamped his authority on the rally with five consecutive special stage victories yesterday and was able to pace himself through today's final leg. Grönholm's 26th career victory took him to equal second in the all-time standings alongside Carlos Sainz.
The All New 2008 Ford Taurus Heritage Edition
Yes, you read that headline correctly. GM (via their fanboys) issued a press release unveiling the 2008 Ford Taurus Heritage Edition. What they didn't note was they were just poking fun at the blue oval for resurrecting the old sedan's namesake after the Five Hundred flopped in the marketplace. I know, Ford hasn't being doing all too well this past little while, with the only exception being the continuing success of Ford F-Series pickup trucks. But this is hitting a little below the belt, isn't it? Well, all you Mustang and Focus owners in the audience shouldn't exactly rush to the post office to send off that hate mail to GM, because it wasn't the automaking conglomerate that drafted up this bogus press release. It was "the GM fanboy community over at Cheers and Gears." Here it is in its entirety, if you want a good chuckle.
1998 Ford Escort GTi from UK and Ireland - Comments
I owned a 96 si and a 97 gti and all I can say is that these cars are not quick at all they are basic ford zetec engines as fitted to the later 115bhp ghia lx etc. from what I can remember the gti was a group 13 insurance that was just for the looks. ford never ever fitted a 105bhp zetec to the gti as wrongly stated earlyer in the thread. The fiesta zetec s is the same sort of thing where it looks good appeals to boy racers (who think they r quick) but wouldn't pull the skin of a rice pudding!! They just look nice which is why they have a lot of fans. I have since owned many fords the last being a fiesta ST and currently a focus ST which is in a different league to the gti The ST is an awsome car which is fun to drive v quick and drinks like a fish exactly how a sports car should be.
2008 Ford Taurus and Ford Taurus X
We remember when the first-generation Ford Taurus arrived. And we don't just mean when it arrived on the market. We remember the actual day when the first one arrived at our local Ford dealer. It was a big deal, and remained so until Ford let the sedan lay fallow and then turned it into something that looked like a big carp. Well, Ford announced today that the Taurus is making a comeback, in name at least. The current Five Hundred will now be called the Taurus. Something tells us that come this summer when the renamed Five Hundred arrives in dealerships, not one preteen car enthusiast will notice. Ford has also renamed the updated 2008 Mercury Montego to — can you guess? ” the Mercury Sable. The Freestyle crossover for 2008 becomes ” less predictably ” the Malcolm, er, Taurus X. In related, but untrue news, the Focus will now be referred to as either the Escort or Pinto.
Ford Focus Specifications |
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| Ford Focus Performance & Efficiency Standard Features |
-1,999 cc 2 liters in-line 4 front engine with 87.4 mm bore, 83.1 mm stroke, 10 compression ratio, double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder Duratec 20
-Unleaded fuel 87
-Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 35 and EPA city (mpg): 26
-Multi-point injection fuel system
-14 gallon main unleaded fuel tank
-Power: 101 kW , 136 HP SAE @ 6,000 rpm; 133 ft lb , 180 Nm @ 4,500 rpm
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| Ford Focus Handling, Ride & Braking Standard Features |
-Two disc brakes including two ventilated discs
-Electronic brake distribution
-Immobilizer
-Spacesaver steel rim internal spare wheel
-Strut front suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs , multi-link rear suspension independent with coil springs
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| Ford Focus Exterior & Aerodynamics Standard Features |
-Body color front and rear bumpers
-Driver and passenger internally adjustable black door mirrors
-External dimensions: overall length (inches): 168.5, overall width (inches): 66.7, overall height (inches): 56.8, wheelbase (inches): 102.9, front track (inches): 58.9, rear track (inches): 58.7 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 34.1
-Complex surface lens halogen bulb headlights
-Heat reflective glass
-Luxury trim
-Metallic paint
-Fixed rear window with defogger and intermittent
-Tinted glass on cabin
-Weights: curb weight (lbs) 2,729
-Windshield wipers with fixed intermittent wipe
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| Ford Focus Interior Standard Features |
-12v power outlet: front and 1
-Roof antenna
-Audio system with AM/FM and CD player CD player reads MP3
-Cargo area cover/rear parcel shelf
-Cargo area light
-Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 40.2 and all seats in place (cu ft): 18
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-Full dashboard console with open storage box
-Delayed/fade courtesy lights
-Front seats and rear seats cup holders fixed
-Door ajar warning
-Door pockets/bins for driver seat and passenger seat
-Floor covering: carpet in load area
-Floor mats
-Driver and passenger front airbag with occupant sensors and multi-stage deployment
-Sports driver seat with height adjustment , sports passenger seat
-Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pre-tensioners
-Glove compartment
-Two height adjustable head restraints on front seats
-Internal dimensions: front headroom (inches): 39.1, rear headroom (inches): 38.6, front hip room (inches): 49.4, rear hip room (inches): 50.7, front leg room (inches): 40.7, rear leg room (inches): 37.6, front shoulder room (inches): 53.5, rear shoulder room (inches): 53.6 and interior volume (cu ft): 94
-Low fuel level warning
-Power steering
-Front and rear power windows
-3-point reel rear seat belts on driver side, passenger side and center side
-Three asymmetrical bench front facing rear seats with zero adjustments
-Rear view mirror
-Electric remote trunk/hatch release
-Front seat back storage
-Upgraded cloth/velour seat upholstery with additional upgraded cloth/velour
-Seating: five seats
-Four speaker(s)
-Plastic steering wheel
-Driver and passenger vanity mirror
-Ventilation system with recirculation setting
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