For a nation built on speed, America lacks a U.S.A.-made small sports car that could bring the sexy back to its Corolla-stuffed freeways. Next year, Ford wants to bring sexy back with this: the production version of the 2012 Ford Focus ST.
Unveiling in Frankfurt about now, the Focus ST will be a true global sports car — offering hot wheelers from Tbilisi to Texarkana the same combination of turbo motor and stiffer suspensions. The EcoBoost 2-liter four-cylinder in the ST has been cranked to 247 hp and 265 ft-lbs. of torque, beating the Euro-only previous-generation ST in both power and fuel economy. Paired with a six-speed manual shunting power to the front wheels, the Focus ST will also come with the now-standard raft of Ford tech, such as torque steering control, torque vectoring control and cornering under steer control. Inside, it's Recaro seats and a special rear bench for those unlucky souls caught in a sports hatchback.
To enhance its street sexiness a little further, Ford will also build a track-ready Focus ST-R, prepped from the factory to run in a variety of series, including Grand-Am ST, World Challenge TC and Canadian Touring Car Series
Ford didn't release prices, but on paper alone the ST looks ready to pay off the promise of sexiness that the Focus SVT once held, until it was...wait, what's this?
For Europe, and Europe only, Ford will build a Focus ST Wagon. All the same stuff and control acronyms, just with that slightly bigger, more useable butt. Because only Europeans like wagons, says Ford.
Just when we were going to forgive them for not bringing the previous ST over all these years.