New Ford Focus ST Going Flat Out At The Ring As It Prepares For 2019 Launch

BY Cristian Gnaticov | Posted on

The fourth generation of the Focus was unveiled earlier this year, but as is the case with most manufacturers, Ford launched the plain vanilla version, which should also account for the majority of sales, and will lift the veil off the first sports variant, the all-new ST, in 2019.

Essentially a rival to the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the 2019 Focus ST is in the last stages of development, hence some bold appearances in the past few weeks.

The prototype depicted below was spied at the Nurburgring, where it underwent testing. Unlike the one caught in the wild by our spy photographers, it still makes use of the silver bumpers, but we already know what to expect in terms of styling.

That’ll be aggressive front and rear bumpers, honeycomb grille with ST badging, a roof-mounted spoiler and a few adjustments made here and there that still leave room for the meaner looking Focus RS.

Also Read: Future Cars: 2019 Ford Focus ST Brings Back The Styling Magic

The new Focus ST benefits from stiffer suspension, lower ground clearance and larger brakes compared to the regular models. The turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine from the Mustang will replace the previous model’s 2.0-liter four, and it will churn out between 250 PS (246 hp / 184 kW) and under 300 PS (296 hp / 221 kW). This approach makes sure that it won’t cannibalize the upcoming AWD Focus RS.

It also means that, unless Ford dials its output close to 300 PS, it won’t worry the current ‘Ring lap record holder for production FWD vehicles, the Honda Civic Type R. On the other hand, the Blue Oval has a reputation for rolling out extremely well-handling hot hatches, and in a track as tricky as the Nordschleife, this is a major factor. Can’t wait for the fight…

 

Brabus Builds A 789 HP Mercedes-AMG E63 To Conquer All

We’ve been won over by a matte green Mercedes-AMG E63 from Brabus.
New Ford Focus ST Going Flat Out At The Ring As It Prepares For 2019 Launch

The all new Focus ST will be FWD and use a tuned version of the Mustang’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost.
VW Wants Its Cheapest Electric Car To Be Priced Below $23,000

If true, VW’s most affordable electric model will undercut the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf.
Haas Signs Emerson Fittipaldi’s Grandson, Pietro, As Test Driver

The 22-year old will test the VF-18 in Abu Dhabi this year, and continue into 2019 as a test driver.
F1 Champ Nico Rosberg Jumps Into A 918 Spyder, See What He Thinks Of It

The 918 Spyder may be five years old, but that doesn’t mean that it’s lost any of its allure .
850 HP Corvette Is Track-Ready, But Can Be Driven To The Shops, Too

Speed Society made some serious changes to the engine of this Z06, and squeezed out an extra 200 hp.
Would You Rather Have TechArt Or Mansory Style Your Panamera Sport Turismo?

The German tuners are responsible for creating arguably the two most aggressive-looking versions of the Panamera Sport Turismo.
GM Sells Hundreds Of Thousands Of Trucks, But Isn’t Interested In Building An EV Pickup

While an EV pickup appears to be a no-go, GM’s tech could land in a flying car.
Lexus RC F Buyers Can Now Option TRD Parts – But Only In Japan

New TRD body parts make the RC F look better than ever – but $5k for a set of rims without tires is a bit too much.
Hyundai’s Latest Veloster Costs $153,000 And Packs 350 HP

The Veloster N TCR is a customer racing car that can compete in the Blancpain GT World Challenge.