RWD Focus with XR6T motor...

[MAGPIE]

Now I could see myself in a RWD Focus powered by the BA XR6T motor :

Should be a real weapon on Targa's

NZ car to make world Rally debut

Total Automotive Motorsport are on track to make the world rally debut of the brand new model Ford Focus, only released in New Zealand about one month ago.

With the much appreciated support of Ford New Zealand the team have secured a brand new 2005 model Ford Focus, which is currently undergoing race preparation in their Timaru workshop.

Factory rally versions of this latest Ford Focus are also currently being built in England for the World Rally Championship and in Australia for the Australian Rally championship, but it seems that the Kiwi effort will be the first to be used in rally competition.

The first race for the team will be to complete construction and testing of the car prior to its debut at the 2005 Dunlop Targa Rally, which starts in less than two months. USA based Kiwi Steve Millen will drive the Focus with iconic Kiwi ‘Racing’ Ray Williams in the co-drivers seat. As the newest of the Ford Focus range has only just been released in New Zealand, the team is set for a real race against time to get the car finished and tested prior to the Targa. With this in mind a two year deal has been done that will hopefully see the car developed into an outright contender for the 2006 event.

As with the previous giant killers built by Total Automotive, being the Total Automotive (now Powerbuilt) twin turbo Supra powered Corolla that clinched the SI OSCA championship in recent years and its successor the similarly powered Signature Class/Castrol Corolla talking podium positions in the 2005 Endurance Series, the Focus will carry the similar tradition and will be powered by a BA Falcon XR6 Turbocharged engine. To achieve this, the car has been converted from front wheel drive to rear wheel drive, and the engine will be driven through a 6-speed gearbox and rear wheel drive differential.

The car has also been built with the 2006 Endurance Series in mind, where regular Total Automotive Motorsport driver Chris Dunn is hoping to team up with a well known overseas driver to contest both the North Island and South Island Endurance Series in 2006.

Main car designer & engineer Alan Dunn has run a car for Millen in the past 3 Targa New Zealand rallies, most recently in a Ford Falcon BA XR6 Turbo. Dunn has also been involved in many Endurance races including the Rolex 24hr at Daytona and a 3rd overall in the most recent Bathurst 24hr. This experience, combined with his prior involvement as a development engineer with Ford Racing Australia, means that the Focus should be competitive out of the box and once fully developed, an outright weapon.

Total Automotive Motorsport would particularly like to thank the Ford Motor Company of New Zealand, Dunlop New Zealand and Capital City Ford for their support and would welcome interest from any parties wishing to become involved with sponsorship opportunities with the car.

[whippet_zetec]

will be interesting to see how they fit that thing together......

[Teki04]

Originally Posted by whippet_zetec

will be interesting to see how they fit that thing together......

Agreed.... but they managed to get a Corolla with a Supra engine.... thats impressive!

[zetec]

Damn. It's the race to Rally the new Focus!!!

[OZST24]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me they will release a "kit" for performing this mod, such as the V8 kits available for the Focus in the US.

Now that is something I would love to own! :

[MeestaNob!]

OMFG!111!!!oneoneone11!!!

Is there a practical way of doing this as a model for purchase by the public? I would kill to get a Focus like that.

[orsest170]

Originally Posted by OZST24

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me they will release a "kit" for performing this mod, such as the V8 kits available for the Focus in the US.

Now that is something I would love to own! :

Well if they do release a kit, you would have a car with a power to weight ratio of approx 5.8kg/kw... about the same as a Porche 911 Carreer...and I don't need to tell you how quick they are ....and the focus would have more torque... :

[zetec]

And the Porsche would STILL crap all over it.

[orsest170]

Originally Posted by zetec

And the Porsche would STILL crap all over it.

Hmmm.... you obviously haven't seen the short video that was posted by Tom (think he is one of the focus tuning gurus in the states) on focusfanatics. The Camera is on board a NA (albeit heavily modified) SVT focus during a track race. At the start of the video, you see Tom's black turbo charged SVT (which incidentally has less than the 240kw that an XR6T powered focus would have) roar past with a 911 turbo (yep turbo - that’s what the post said) in hot pursuit.

Over the course of the next two minutes (while they are both still within view), it appears that Tom passes all the other Porsches in the field while the turbo Porsche fails to either catch or pass him.

Better still, the NA SVT (with the onboard camera) catches up to a NA 911 with ease (especially under braking - he's all over him like a rash :sm_headba) but the video ends before he attempts to pass him.

And then there is the Top Gear episode from a couple of years back in which the FWD RS focus (with a modest 157 kw) beats the fabled AWD WRX around the test track by over 4 seconds! A feat made even more impressive by the fact that the WRX is still considerably faster in a straight line.

Don't under estimate the Focus, it has a phenomenal Chassis and with a ‘bit’ of tweaking can easily run with a Porsche of equivalent power to weight...

[orsest170]

Oh and here's another one for ya.....

Taken from July/August 2004 Rally XS issue in which the Focus RS was featured.

"When we were getting our lap times at Mllbrook Proving Ground, there was a Porsche Boxter S out at the same time. It just coudn't get close". :king:

In case your wondering, the Focus RS retailed for just over $50,000 Australian (depending on the exchange rate of course)...The Boxter S will set you back $140,000.

[zetec]

No doubt about bang for bucks, but I was talking in terms of overall engineering, Porsche make some beautiful, rear engine machines. I'd give my lft nut for a Focus RS, but I would give my left nut and my left eye for a Porsche 911 GT3 CS.