Ford's souped-up Fiesta hits the streets
ST hatch sports 150bhp and full bodykit
Ford has launched its latest hot hatch, the Fiesta ST. Available in January 2005 and focusing on what Ford calls "affordable style, performance and excitement", the three-door motor has a hint of the last similar Ford, the XR2.
It sports a lightly breathed-on version of the 145bhp 2.0-litre 16-valve engine which also sits in the new Focus. It now puts out 150bhp, and is canted backwards slightly in order to fit under the bonnet and avoid a power bulge. You'll get to 60mph in 7.9 seconds and max out at 129mph.
It wears a wider and deeper front grille, new bumper mouldings, side skirts, a functional rear spoiler, and a low stance. Multi-spoke alloy wheels are wrapped by low profile, specially-tuned Pirelli P Zero tyres.
Inside, you get special ST detailing and partial leather sports seats, trimmed in red or blue cloth to co-ordinate with the choice of five exterior colours. You can make the car look cheap and nasty with the ST-exclusive £150 option of twin sports stripes over the length of the car, side stripes at £75, or the combined pack of both stripe options for £200.
Prices start at 13,595 and, if you're one of the first 2,000 buyers, Ford throws in a free performance driver training day.
This tells should tell you that there is no room for a turbo, I'm sure that some one will stick a turbo on one sometime but I imagine that Fords options were a 1.6l turbo (like before) or shoehorn in the 2.0l, and they went for the 2.0l because it was already in production (ie much cheeper than developing or reworking the 1.6l turbo)
They will have had to tune the engine slightly for the Fiesta insted of the Focus anyway, tweaking it for the lighter car (what ever else they are they aren't complete amateurs) So they gave it the 5 extra hp but the max torque will problibly be lower than the Focus.
the previous zetec S handled very well all be it a little under powered and this incarnation of fiesta handles even better.
There is always a way to fit a turbo, but afaik, even the RS concept fiesta wasn't a blown motor, the mazda made engine can be made to produce a little more power without one.
Already there are mondeo's running the duratec he engine at 190bhp with a few choice tweaks.
My take on little hatches isn't about Vmax, but more the fun you can have within the speed limits. And 150bhp/tonne should prove fun in such a small platform
Lois-PIE said:
It's not as bas a the factory built supped up focus...that just looks plain sick!
I think the fiesta can get away with it a tad more being a "fun" car but the focus always seemed to be a bit more mature!
The Focus mature ? Dont be daft , very good B-road hacks and the handling is sublime , And dont Pick on the RS Focus
the interior is a bit bright but a very good car , i have driven 2 now , the 1st when it was 1st launched and it felt rubbish , drove another recently and there was a huge difference had loadsa fun 
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