At Stansted airport last night in the short term car park waiting to pick someone up.....

On UK plates, but a left hooker. No disguises whatsoever and clearly badged as RS. I suspect it was someone from Dunton waiting to pick someone up from Ford Europe.

Looks *very* nice in the flesh - in Ford racing blue.

Roll on 2005 and the Focus Cosworth - will be just around the time to sell the STi7:)

Before anyone kicks off, this is not in any way shape or form a Focus vs Impreza thread. I just saw it and appreciate any decent performance car for what it is.

If you keep the Sti that long, then I am Judith Charmers,

LOL - good point:D

British Racing News this month has details of next years Ford Focus Cup. The car specified has 180bhp, upgraded engine, brakes suspension and transmission. Fully built - £22K. TV coverage (Sky?) is planned.

I think the series will help awake interest in the Focus as a 'hot' saloon. You never know, it might prod Ford into releasing a really hot Cossie version - we will eventually run out of Fords to thrash unless they do. :D:D

Ken

I was going to seriously consider buying the Focus Costworth when it is released. All my life I have been a Cosworth fan, then when they stopeped making them, I went onto Scoobs.

What really pi$$ed me off, is that when I researched into the details of the Focus Cosworth, I found out that they have decided to get rid of the engine (I'm really having trouble imagining that as a good idea). The Cosworths that we all love are using a 'Cosworth YBT' engine. As we all know, this engine is fantastic, and can be tuned beyond your wildest dreams. The Cosworth YBT engine could possibly the best produced engine, however, Ford seem to have decided that the engine in the Cosworth doesn't really matter.
They have replaced it with a 2.0 litre Zetec, Turbo aspirated engine, tuned by Cosworth. Call me pedantic, but I don't consider it a Cosworth anymore. I am not saying that the car won't be fast, I'm not saying that the car won't be as good as the original Cosworths, but for Christ's sake, it is not a Cosworth. If Henry Ford new about this, I think he would feel the same way.

I will still go and test drive it though, I'm just a bit patriotic when it comes to Cosworths. I still think I might as well buy a 2 year old, 2.0 Litre Zetec Focus for about £7K and send it away to have a Turbo bolted on then call it a cosworth.

Winge over

Rich

What, you mean they're not on sale already ?

I was behind a Focus the other day, and it had an RS badge on the back and everything, along with a funky body kit. Funny thing was, it had a diesel exhaust :rolleyes:

Must admit, at the time, I wondered what all the fuss about them was...

Rich
I'm also a Cosworth/RS fan - back in the 80's had a Mk2 RS2000, Mexico, two Mk1 Mexicos. But, the world moves on i'm afraid and the YBT engine has about as much chance of passing Euro 3 (or 4) emissions as I have of sprouting wings and flying to the moon:)

Stu
LOL:D This was the real thing:D

Stu - you're right, I must be prepared to accept change. I'll wipe the tears http://www.uniquehardware.co.uk/serv...d/azcrying.gif off my face and boldly wave goodbye (God I loved that engine)

Rich

Rich

Get one of these

http://www.performancefordmag.com/pf...ature.asp?id=8

Mark - Now thats what I'm talking about!!! I bet that'll pi$$ on any tuned Zetec. If they were on mass production, I would have to have a long hard thought about buying one.
I'd still have to get over the fact that I am driving in the same shell as the currently most widely used company car.
Perhaps I should buy a scoob shell and put a cosworth engine in it. 517BHP Scoob, mmmmmmmmmm

Mark - that looks the pup's parts. A *real* q car that'll scare anything. The work that's gone into it is simply awesome. Love it :D

Dave,
I'am also a Ford RS fan use to Rally a Mk1 RS2000 Big Wing:D:D:D so I was gutted when the 4+1 family Escort turned into the 2+2 Focus :eek: but thought never mind be better with a Cossy in it:D waited and waited so bought my 1st Scoob and now the Sti7.

Tony

I've seen a few of these...can't say where though

***cough-A127 near some place called Laindon-cough***

:D

Expect the Focus Cosworth to be as tuneable as the Scoob sti, the block is a roadgoing version of the Duratec WRC engine and is computer designed to reliably run around 300bhp. Light wieght and refinement are priorities as well as fly by wire throttle which will smooth out the power delivery to meet Euro 4 and 5 standards.

Major reworking will be required for large power increases it will be in no way as tunable as the old blocks which could withstand 500bhp+

Ford are hoping to have it on the new Focus platform in 2004 but the mpv varient is priority so its more likely to be 2005.

Lee

I'm probably going to be shot down in flames and I do appreciate a good performance car .......... which is why I bought a Scooby.

Cossie = S*&t hot

RS = Shopping car

Just my opinion

PP

Don't think that the Zetec cannot be tuned to "fun" power levels. The old YB* engines were just a rally inspired conversion on an american Ford Pinto block. Admittedly it got a new crank and rods, but that's all - the limiting factor always was the flexibility of the block. So, a Zetec could be similarly tuned - it might need a new crank and rods (possibly standard in the Cosworth version?), fuel system and turbo (also required for a YB*), and we can have fun.

The important things will be 4 wheel drive and a decent chassis - won't be too hard to improve the latter over the Scoob or Escort/Sierra after all.;)

Duncan ;)

Remember, Ford announced that the Escort RS Turbo wouldn't be tunable .....

Duncan,

Only saying that the old Pinto based cossies were over engineered to be reliable. Emmissions, noise, vibration and harshness were not priority when designing these engines just the ability to run high bhp. The Zetec/Duratec engines are a competely different kettle of fish and will be no where as tunable. The block / cylinder tolerances, water and oil galleries etc are CAD designed and will run reliably, smoothly and cleanly at the standard output.
Power increases will mean high expense for moderate gains.

Mountune had major problems getting the Zetec/Duratech block to withstand 300bhp for the WRC Focus.

Lee

Richard, your being very selective with your musses about the cossie YBT. ;)

As stated this engine is based on the Ford Pinto Block and came about because cosworth decided to build an aftermarket head, similar to what warior make. It's in a large part pure luck that the YBT became the engine it now is.

If you want a "proper" cosworth engine then you need a BDA-BDT or DFV or even a HB or ZetecR. The YBT was a Ford design in a lot of ways. The first year Ford ran in the BTCC they actually used the Merkur American 2.4 pinto single cam turbo engine, then came the RS500 and the rest is history. :D

John, if you want to get really pedantic the BDA was built on the standard production Kent 1600 crossflow block, like the YBT this was also based on an after market Cosworth head. The YBT was based on the 2 Litre alloy block. Brian Hart was showing Walter Hayes round his factory in Harlow, Walter Hayes just happened to see Brian Harts hobby project under a dust sheet, it was the 2 litre all alloy block for the BDA, an instant 240bhp. Hayes commissioned this project for Ford on the spot. Thats why all the original RS1600 works cars started life as twin cams.

If Severn Valley Motorsport can turbo and tune a 2 litre Zetec to 450BHP then I'm sure Cosworth can!!

ooh, Focus RS, mmm, interesting. As some are aware, I've been slightly corrupted to "the dark side" over the past few months, but did always have a soft spot for the Esc Cossie.

Personally think I'd wait for the Focus Cossie, but to be honest, I think I'll be waiting a very long time, from what I've heard it sounds as though they are more interested in a convertable than a cossie, but what the hell do I know.

Regardless, I think it will be too little too late. Ford needed the Focus cossie out when the P1 came out, and if not then, when the 01 came out. There is no new Ford, in my opinion that comes anywhere near the jap competition. I will point out I said NEW ford, and I am NOT being insulting to existing RSes, just saying that there is no current model in the ford range that can compete.

When/if the focus cossie comes out, I will be sorely tempted by it. But by that time I'll probably have a 500 brake Esc Cossie anyway :D (one lives in hope!)

John F
Remember the Merkur BTCC car well. I had a memorable few laps round Snet in the passenger seat with Andy Rouse driving a few years ago:)

JGRIFF

Not being pedantic either, but you've got the pages of your history book flipped over;)

When you said the YBT was based on the 2 litre alloy block, I think you meant the BDT (the T was the turbo version, and one of the BDB-T series all of which were on the ally block).

The YBT was of course based on the cast iron Pinto block:)



[Edited by Dave T-S - 7/11/2002 9:13:03 AM]

Saw one too, I live not far from Millbrook test track and the guys who visit sometimes go to a little country pub, and a right hand drive version was parked outside sitting on a set of 18's.
Cheers
Colin

Perhaps I should buy a scoob shell and put a cosworth engine in it. 517BHP Scoob, mmmmmmmmmm


Must admit the thought had crossed my mind:)
Just think of the faces!

Right I'm off to the garage.

Rgds


Scot

[Edited by Scot123 - 7/10/2002 4:21:47 PM]

Lee

Don't believe all of the marketing bullsh1t about the design of the block being optimised and unable to take higher powers. Heat rejection problems can be overcome, "special" blocks can be cast (remember the 2.5 version of the 190E - the blocks on this were very different to the standard one). Equally, the design of the new block is optimised for minimisation of NVH, and not to minimise strength.

John

The original BDT was an attempt at a low cost F1 turbo. Eventually the cost of keeping the block together at 600+ BHP led to its being abandoned and replaced by the HB. Now that was a proper engine, 1000 ultra reliable BHP, small, light, if only there had been a road version:rolleyes:. Or for the Essex boys, what about the GD engines - an Essex V6 converted to DFV style heads for touring car racing in Capris in Germany in the 70's.

[Edited by BugEyed - 7/11/2002 12:05:37 PM]