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General motoring news for the Enthusiast Hatchbacks - ZCars

Almost official: Ford Focus RS hi-res gallery

July 4th 2008 06:05
2009 Ford Focus RS


The hype surrounding the Ford Focus RS has reached fever pitch after a batch of hi-res images made its way into cyberspace ahead of its highly anticipated international debut at the London Motor Show later this month.

While Ford has yet to confirm the exact power output and performance figures for the hottest of hatches, the European arm of Ford hopes the extensively tuned 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbocharged engine with unique camshafts, cylinder head and gasket and new breathing mods will push the new RS over the 300 hp (221 kW) mark as well as a tarmac wrenching 410 Nm of torque.


2009 Ford Focus RS

2009 Ford Focus RS


In all likelihood, this should allow the RS to sprint from rest to 100 km/h in less than 6 seconds.

Many die-hard fans have expressed their concerns about the front-wheel-drive layout of the RS i.e whether the front wheels could cope with such staggering power and the inherent understeer and torque steer that comes with it, but it seems these fears were a bit premature given the great lengths Ford engineers have taken to ensure the RS handles the twisties with aplomb.

Along with the fitment of an automatic torque biasing limited-slip differential by Quaife, an innovative front suspension system dubbed ‘RevoKnuckle’ - better than 'WhiteKnuckle' - all but eliminates torque steer.


2009 Ford Focus RS interior

2009 Ford Focus RS interior


Looking suitably bad-ass in green, the sheetmetal of the RS boasts more muscle than Hulk himself with a 40mm wider track that requires extensively flared front and rear guards, an aggressive bodykit with a gaping front air dam (in black) and bonnet louvers, rear diffuser, huge 19-inch wheels and a top mounted rear wing, side gills and rear mirrors all finished in black to contrast with the paint job.

The upgrades extends to the interior where the trim matches the exterior colour plus the fitment of one-piece Recaro sports bucket seats embroidered with the 'RS' logo. There's also a three-spoke sports steering wheel with brushed aluminium and RS logo, carbon-fibre trim on the centre console and an engine start button located next to the gear stick.

More will be revealed after the car's launch at the London Motor Show later this month.


[Source: Ford via Carscoop]












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Beijing premiere: Ford Fiesta S

April 22nd 2008 05:15
Ford Fiesta S


Ford has unveiled its all-new global small car - the Fiesta - at the Beijing Motor Show with sales starting in Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and the Americas between 2008 and 2010.

Ford Fiesta S

Ford Fiesta S


The European-styled and engineered Fiesta was displayed in sporty 'S' guise for the first time and features bold colours and sculpted surfaces. The performance 'S' model will be differentiated from its stable-mates by a mesh front air-dam, smoked headlights, a roof spoiler, chromed exhaust pipe, aluminum-style wraparound for the front fog lamps and a beautiful set of 16-inch alloy wheels.

Ford Fiesta S


The Official Ford Press Release:

In a blast of Passion Orange, Ford proudly revealed its all-new global small car – the Ford Fiesta – today as a vibrant five-door hatch. The all-new Ford Fiesta has been reinvented for a new generation of customers.

Designed and developed in Europe for sale in Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and the Americas between 2008 and 2010, the all-new Fiesta is the first major product of Ford’s new global product development process.

The all-new Ford Fiesta’s dynamic character is accentuated by its bold kinetic design. Its distinct character is further accentuated with major strides in craftsmanship, quality of materials and product choice while continuing to represent Ford Fiesta’s traditional strengths of practicality, value for money, agility and safety.

All-new Ford Fiesta clearly embodies the exterior hallmarks of kinetic design, which has so convincingly infused emotion into the core of the Ford range in Europe and Asia.

The reveal in Europe in March of the three-door and five-door Fiesta hatch and now the China reveal of the five-door Fiesta hatch confirm that all-new Ford Fiesta will bring the most appealing elements of Verve Concept to production reality.

“I’ve been saying just wait for the all-New Fiesta to see how kinetic design can be translated into a small car,” said Martin Smith, Executive Director of Design for Ford of Europe. “Now the wait is over. New Fiesta evokes an instant emotional response that says ‘I want one’ which extends the traditionally practical values of the Fiesta brand to appeal to a new, style-conscious generation of small car buyers.”

Listening to Fiesta’s Audience

Market research is an important tool, but actually listening to the target Fiesta buyer was a key to developing the initial Verve Concepts and the resulting Fiesta. “Our customers told us the qualities they wanted in a new small car. They told us they wanted it to be bold, exciting, fun and they wanted to be proud to own and drive it,” said John Parker, Ford Motor Company executive vice president, Asia Pacific and Africa. “We’re hearing now from our potential customers that they are surprised and delighted. We’re confident a new generation of small car buyers will take a close look at the all-new Ford Fiesta.”

Fiesta Has Global Plans

The all-new Ford Fiesta is closely related to the exciting trio of Verve Concepts that were revealed globally at 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show as a three-door hatch, at 2007 Guangzhou Motor Show in China as a four-door notchback, and at 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit as another iteration of a four-door notchback. Both four-door Verve Concept sedans were tailored to regional market tastes.

Together, these concepts paved the way for the company’s new global small-car program for 2008 to 2010.

Ford designers and product development engineers in Europe have led the all-new Ford Fiesta’s global development process.

“The all-new Ford Fiesta is the first car born from our new global product development process,” said Joe Bakaj, Vice President of Product Development, Ford of Europe. “More than ever, we’re leveraging our global product development expertise, and this car sets the scene for future great products for customers around the world that are already being developed behind it in the Ford Global Product Development System pipeline.”

China Production

China production of the all-new Ford Fiesta commences before end of 2008 at the Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) plant in Nanjing, China. The $510million state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, which commenced operations in September 2007, has the flexibility and scalability to satisfy initial capacity of 160,000 vehicles per year. The all-new Ford Fiesta will be produced at Nanjing.

“The Verve Concept so confidently combined exciting design with the promise of a fun, exciting car to drive. The all-new Fiesta delivers on the promise we made with Verve Concept. The all-new Fiesta is a dynamic car and is unlike any of its competitors in China,” said Bob Graziano, President and CEO of Ford Motor China. “It proves that a small car can be desirable.”

By 2010, Ford’s Fiesta small-car family will be manufactured in Europe, Asia and the Americas and be marketed as Fiesta in all of the world’s key automotive markets. The all-new Fiesta with truly enjoy global reach and identity.

European Engineering

Ford designers and engineers in Europe have been absolutely committed to keeping Fiesta a compact car and remained diligent on reducing weight through the entire development process. The result is a light-weight, compact Fiesta which really pays off when it comes to fuel efficiency and targeting CO2 emissions.

Component by component, the Ford development team scrutinised for weight but refused to compromise on key areas that are important to Fiesta customers. One of the biggest is safety, where all-new Fiesta makes a bold step forward with an extremely robust safety structure.

The all-new Ford Fiesta makes extensive use of ultra high-strength steels in its body structure. A remarkable amount of these specialist steels, including boron steel and dual-phase steel, is the secret to Fiesta’s quantum leap in structural stiffness for its light weight. These steels are used particularly in safety critical areas, such as the A-pillar and B-pillar, part of the ultra-rigid ‘door ring’ structure of the Fiesta bodyside.

Extending Fiesta’s traditional excellence in driving dynamics was also a priority. The all-new Fiesta will have a dynamic character to match its poised, kinetic design style hinting at energy in motion. Ford’s acclaimed dynamics engineers responsible for fine tuning Focus and Mondeo driving dynamics also worked hard to enhance Fiesta’s ride comfort and isolate road, wind and powertrain noise from the cabin, and to give the new model an impressively quiet driving quality for a small car.

The all-new Fiesta retains the MacPherson strut front suspension and twist-beam rear suspension layout that has been one of its traditional strengths, but the new suspension and steering system has undergone an array of enhancements.

Electric-Power Assist Steering (E-PAS) is introduced in the Fiesta for the first time. E-PAS provides the right balance of low-speed assistance and excellent feel and responsiveness.

E-PAS has another key benefit. It is another key facet of new Fiesta’s initiatives to reduce fuel consumption.

The electric power steering pump only operates when steering-effort assistance is required, unlike traditional hydraulic PAS pumps that operate constantly when the engine is running. This brings a fuel consumption reduction.

Bold, Dynamic, Sculpted

The bold colours and sculpted surfaces of the all-new Ford Fiesta indicate how deeply the spirit of the Verve Concept has been carried into production as the latest model of Ford’s kinetic design family.

Exciting and vibrant production colours include the Beijing reveal colour of Passion Orange and the bright Lightning Yellow to awaken Fiesta’s bold and independent character.

The muscular, coupé-like profile and athletic presence of the all-new Fiesta demonstrates that none of the emotional appeal of the concept cars has been diluted in the production-ready five-door Fiesta hatch.

“All the vital elements of kinetic design combine to create a visually rich, dynamic exterior shape that is very close indeed to the original concept car,” said Martin Smith, Ford of Europe’s Executive Director for Design. “Full surfaces, bold graphics and dynamic lines combine coherently and harmoniously to create a dynamic spirit of fun and energy in motion.”

With a feeling of toned muscularity, the all-new Ford Fiesta asserts an air of confidence, stylishness and individuality. Its aggressively contoured bonnet and front fenders convey a broad-shouldered stance, and its face features a distinctive signature element – a bold lower trapezoidal grille that draws attention and reinforces the key Ford attribute of sporty driving dynamics.

Chrome and brightwork are used selectively, like jewellery accents, to convey elegance and sophistication.

Large and full of character directly from the Verve concepts, Fiesta’s bold headlamps become part of the shoulder shape and extend aggressively rearward almost as far as the stylishly raked A-pillars. The headlamp units incorporate all primary front lighting and signal functions – complemented on the lower bumper flanks by round, optimal aluminium lamps.

The all-new Ford Fiesta’s profile emphasises its new, cab-forward shape and an attitude of poised, sporty style. The sweeping roofline extends appealingly from the forward-stretching A-pillar rearward, framing the bold graphic of the Fiesta side window profile to create the sporty feeling of a coupé for the five-door body style.

The Fiesta side windows combine to create a unified profile window graphic – a key kinetic design element that communicates dynamism. An elegant accent of chrome frames the lower edge of the side glass and accentuates the signature Ford “kick-up” at its rear.

The all-new Fiesta also features the signature bold wheel arches that communicate the vehicle’s stance and dynamic capabilities, giving visual emphasis to new large-diameter alloy wheels.

Dynamic, kinetic design lines arc from side to side, uniting the upper corners of the tail lamps with the distinctive spoiler, which incorporates a slim LED stop lamp array. The sculpture of the body shapes is accented by elements like the new tail lamp – another Verve element that feels like it is an integral part of the body – and the V-shaped tailgate’s chamfered rear glass.

Full technical details of the new Fiesta will be released closer to the formal launching of the production model before the end of 2008.


[Source: Ford]








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Revealed: Opel Insignia

April 18th 2008 23:59
Opel Insignia


Opel, the European arm of General Motors, has unveiled the all-new Insignia sedan with a set of official images and press release on this important model


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Hyundai's mid-year sale campaign

April 17th 2008 04:45
Hyundai Getz


Korean car maker Hyundai has launched its mid-year sale campaign with the offer of free ESP Stability Control as standard in a select range of its passenger vehicles


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The Official Alfa Romeo MiTo logo

April 10th 2008 23:59
Alfa Romeo MiTo


Less than a month ago, Italian car maker Alfa Romeo revealed its 8C Competizione inspired MiTo compact hatchback and now we bring you the MiTo's official logo


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Shocking: Volvo C30 with special printed film

April 4th 2008 09:30
Volvo C30 with removable film


In an effort to make the Volvo C30 hatchback more appealing - or unappealing, as is most likely the case - the Swedish car maker has announced a new personlisation program that allows you to customise the C30 with a removable film featuring roughly 20 different designs


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Toyota Corolla is top dog for 1st quarter 2008

April 4th 2008 04:45
Toyota Corolla


The Toyota Corolla has out-sold 'Australia's favourite car' - the Holden Commodore - by more than 500 units in the first quarter (Jan 1 - March 31) of 2008


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Subaru WRX STi for The Fast and the Furious 4

February 8th 2008 23:30
Subaru WRX STi Veilside


According to the enthusiasts over at Exhaustnote.com, the all-new Subaru WRX STi hatchback is set to make its debut on the silver-screen in the fourth installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise


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Ferrari F1's Felipe Massa takes delivery of a Fiat 500

January 22nd 2008 23:30
Fiat 500 Felipe Massa


When Felipe Massa asked for a company car, he surely expected a customised Ferrari F430 Scuderia delivered to his door step


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Fiat 500's UK launch on the London Eye

January 4th 2008 06:15
Fiat 500 London Eye


In this most outrageous of publicity stunts, Fiat UK will be launching its all-new 500 subcompact car in a capsule on the London Eye aka Millennium Wheel


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Ford Focus RS teaser

December 18th 2007 04:30
2009 Ford Focus RS teaser


It appears Ford Europe has given the production green-light for the Focus RS model - based on the face-lifted 2008 Focus - with the official release of this teaser image


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MINI set to launch 2008 MINI Challenge in Frankfurt

August 15th 2007 07:30
2008 MINI Challenge


At the Frankfurt Motorshow next month, MINI will unveil the next-generation MINI Challenge to the world


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