Driven: 2007 Ford Focus ST

Legendary Fords are not born every day. Each decade of Ford history has its cars that stand out. From
the model T that started it all in the 20s to the iconic turbo saloons and hatchbacks from the 80s and 90s.

What does it take to spot the next legendary Ford? What kind of qualities a car has to posses in order
to become a future classic? Well character is definitely important. A Ford without a soul is never
going to be remembered and can be spotted easily by the lack of absolutely any emotion whatsoever experienced by the driver while on the road. An example that comes to mind is the dreadful Fiesta 1.3. Power is not an important factor as-well because when you think of the Ford Escort Mexico, massive amounts of power isn't the first thing to pop to mind.

My proposal for a future legendary car is the MK 2 Ford Focus ST. Yes, the one with the Volvo engine and gearbox. And what an engine it is. I have never driven a car with so much low down torque. The turbo spools at the ridiculously low 1500 Rpm and 320 Nm of torque are present all the way up to 5000 Rpm where surge starts to fade slowly. Best way of driving this car is to keep the revs below 6000 to compensate for the relatively small KKK turbine. The transmission has short throws and precise gear locations.

Inside the first thing that grabs the attention are the beautiful Recaro seats that are not finished in the optional two tone blue and gray, blah! They are very supportive and you're gonna need them once you

start throwing around corners.

There aren't much differences from the stock interior apart from the extra instrument cluster being the most notable.

But the focus of this Focus (ha-ha) is not interior creature comforts but the joy of driving.

Driving the ST is an interesting experience. The first thing you note is how low you sit and how unlike an ordinary Focus it feels. Driving it is not so much of turning a wheel and pressing pedals but feeling the whole car react to your every move. It feels extremely rigid and devours corners without breaking a sweat. Whoever says that electronic steering assists give bad feedback needs to try the ST. I have never needed any more feedback that what the steering provided. Every wheel spin, every change of the pavement and every bump big enough to affect the handling is felt through the chubby leather wrapped steering wheel. The amount of grip it provides is mind-boggling. The first few hundred corners I was scared to go as fast as the Focus was capable of. A lot of more powerful and much more expensive cars have been humiliated by the Focus on B roads. Audi S4, Bmw e90 330i, Mercedes C63 Amg and Nissan 350z are only a few of the cars put to shame by the humble Ford. The feeling you get while driving is that of a grand tourer. The suspension of the ST is probably its best performance upgrade compared to the stock Focus. Not only does it provide ludicrous amounts of cornering grip but is also comfortable enough to take my grandmother, mother and baby sister (passengers concerned by comfort not speed) on a 1000 km journey to Greece and back without any discomfort or fatigue to the driver or the passengers.

Of course as with every car there are a few drawbacks that come with the Focus ST. Firstly it is quite thirsty - 16 MPG is the result of a hundred miles of B road thrashing. Secondly the Focus has a tendency to warp it's brake discs as a result of the speeds of over 150 mph that this family hatchback can achieve. And thirdly there is no cruise control available. Such a device is essential for a grand
tourer like the Focus ST.

The 2007 Ford Focus ST is truly a special piece of automotive engineering. It contains Swedish power, Italian GT capabilities, German precision and styling and American muscle car spirit. I truly believe that this car is going to remain in automotive history as a legendary Ford automobile.