Tag: focus

Video: Mikko Hirvonen tests WRC Ford Focus, enters low orbit

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Racing

Mikko Hirvonen and his 2010 Ford Focus RS WRC – Click above to watch video after the jump

Our collective blogging heart goes out to Mikko Hirvonen. It’s a shame to see a driver with galaxies worth of talent constantly banished to the lower rungs of the podium by the likes of Sebastien Loeb. Perpetually optimistic, the Finnish hoon seems to be a rarity among the racing driver species. Even in the face of repeated defeat, the guy typically keeps his cool and hopes for the best. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s content to sit back and watch Citroën continue to dominate the WRC and Hirvonen has been beating the life out of his Focus RS racer in preparation for the upcoming Finland Rally.

Fortunately for us, a video of the testing action has made its way to the YouTubes, complete with plenty of shots of the mean Blue Oval in defiance of the laws of gravity. At some point, if we’re very lucky, we just might figure out how the guy manages to get that hatch to pivot mid-air. Click past the jump to waste a little time in the best way possible.

[Source: YouTube via WebRidesTV]

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Video: Mikko Hirvonen tests WRC Ford Focus, enters low orbit originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Next Focus RS to get all-wheel drive with electric motors

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Hatchback, Ford, Rumormill

Despite driving only the front wheels, reviewers have heaped praise on the current Ford Focus RS’s handling and its ability to put 300 horsepower to the road thanks to some nifty suspension and driveline tricks. However, when the next-generation RS rolls into town (assuming that it becomes a reality) it may well have all-wheel-drive courtesy of an electric motor driving the rear axle.

According to Autocar, the proposed car would use a higher output version of the Blue Oval’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder driving the front wheels and an electric motor at the rear. This would allow for both on-demand all-wheel-drive and electric-only drive at low speeds. If this plan proceeds, it would be Ford’s first through-the-road hybrid, although French automaker Peugeot has firm plans to introduce at least two vehicles with a similar configuration in 2011.

Other alternatives reportedly being studied by Ford are an even higher output gasoline engine (sans motor assistance), or use of the next-generation power-split hybrid that debuts in 2012. However, both of these options would involve sticking with front-wheel-drive and could be problematic if Ford wants to surpass the output of the current RS.

[Source: AutoCar]

Rumormill: Next Focus RS to get all-wheel drive with electric motors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: New Ford Focus ST headed for Paris

Filed under: Performance, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Ford

2012 Ford Focus – Click above for high-res image gallery
As the launch of the 2012 Focus draws closer, Ford plans to roll out several variants of its C-segment people mover. And at this year’s Paris Motor Show, the Blue Oval will reportedly kick off the party with the debut of a new Focus ST which could finally make its way to America next year. The Focus ST is expected to be propelled by an uprated version of the 2.0-liter Ecoboost inline-four – the same mill fitted to the Euro-market Mondeo – but with output boosted well over the current 200 horsepower.

In ST trim the engine should produce about 250 hp and close to 260 pound-feet of torque, with all that twist coming in low in the rev range to balance high-revving fun with enhanced around-town driveability. The ST should hit 60 mph in under six seconds with combined mileage of about 29 miles per gallon (U.S.). Earlier this year, Ford acknowledged that it was developing a “global” performance version of the new Focus, but never said explicitly that it would be offered in North America. Here’s hoping that changes in Paris this September.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Focus

[Source: AutoExpress]

Report: New Ford Focus ST headed for Paris originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Honda to abandon clean diesel development, focus on hybrids

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Diesel

Regular readers know we tend to be big fans of modern diesel engines. All the past demons that had plagued oil-burners over the years have been exorcised, including rough running, nasty smells, loud operation and narrow power bands. But sadly, modern clean diesel powerplants have never taken hold in the United States.

According to the Nikkei in Japan (via Reuters), we can add Honda to the list of global automakers that have abandoned plans to move further into the diesel realm. Instead, Honda will continue to puts all of its eggs in the hybrid basket, developing a new system for use in larger vehicles. Currently, Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist technology is used in the Civic Hybrid and the Insight.

We can only hope that Honda’s next hybrid system will expand on its current IMA tech, which has been unable to match the fuel efficiency and performance of rival Toyota, by being able to operate on the electric motor alone for longer stretches.

In addition to halting development of clean diesel tech, Honda has also put the brakes on the new microcar plant in Japan that was to build future Kei cars for the automaker’s home market.

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Honda to abandon clean diesel development, focus on hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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