Some of you may or may not of known but I sold the FD2 a few weeks ago and embarked on the task of finding a suitable replacement that I enjoyed driving and fitted in with having a three year old and prospectively yet another turdy.
I had a relatively long short list and narrowed it down to five test drives over a weekend a few weeks ago. I actually drove a RenaultSport Megane 250, MY10 FN2, MK2 Focus ST-3 and MK3 Focus ST-2. I had been booked to get a test drive in an R32 and a SEAT Leon Cupra R but one dealer still had it tucked in the corner of the showroom and the other let me down.
The write ups I've posted on another forum, but if you want to ask any questions about them, just drop me a PM.
Giving some sort of perspective, I had the FN2 for just a little over three years I've not settled in anything since. I had a '10 WRX STi Saloon, a '13 Nissan Juke 1.5 DCi Tekna (that I kept a quiet, while the FD2 was having money spent on it), a '58 FD2 CTR and now this '13 Focus ST-2.
I'm pretty sure the Focus is a keeper for the foreseeable future until the new 2015 CTR has had a few years to iron out issues and come into the second hand market and prices settle as 6-12 month old cars on new releases always hold their value for the first couple of years and then plummet when more come onto the market, so I'm thinking savvy. So realistically that means I'll be looking at a 6-12 month old CTR in around 2017.
Onto the car. It's fast, very fast as it seems to pick up from pretty much any speed in any gear and just goes. It feels like a much bigger engine that its two litres thanks to the turbo spooling early and giving peak torque from 1,750 rpm upwards. If you don't know about these cars they are 247 bhp and 254 ftlb (265ftlb on overboost). I've had a few moments where I've looked down to realise I was traveling much faster than I thought I was.
It's also got what Ford call a Sound Symposer which I think works really well. Lets face it, a lot of people don't just buy intakes for the perfomance gains, but they want a bit of noise to go with it. What this thing does is a bit like a resonator box, pipes the intake noise into the cabin. It gives it a meaty modded sound right out of the box, which surprisingly the Mrs was very impressed with. In fact she likes the whole car.
It hasn't got an LSD or the previous gen's revoknuckle set-up which means it gets a good dose of torque steer if you prod it, which I think is fantastic. It's perfectly controllable and adds to the sense that the car is just a little bit bonkers. :lol:
The suspension is quite simply the best set-up I've been in for a long time. It's firm, really firm in that you get very little body roll but hit a bump and it just laughs if off and carries on. The car doesn't get unsettled, the suspension doesn't crash or bounce you around, it just soaks it up and carries on. Fantastic riding car. The steering is a variable ratio rack, so move away from centre and the steering tightens up and pins you into a bend. It's approximately 1.8 turns lock to lock.
That leads me onto the handling. I've not had it long, so I've not properly explored the outer regions of the grip but I'm yet to get it unstuck. According to the reviews it's a bit tail happy, but not so much that it is lairy or unpredictable. We'll see, it certainly sticks on the front and there is no sense of understeer and very happily neither when on the power.
The brakes are just superb. 330mm rotors, great initial bite and stop the car remarkably well.
Onto the kit list for the ST-2. Bluetooth with HFT and media streaming, USB and AUX connection, DAB radio, auto headlights, auto wipers, dual zone climate control, keyless start, tyre pressure monitor, self dimming rear view mirror, part leather Recaros, red footwell lighting and a load of ST badging, chrome interior trims plus all the standard features. Oh and space saver spare instead of a tube of gel! My car has the style pack which gives you red painted calipers, Rado Grey alloy wheels and illuminated ST sill plates. I've also got a tilt and slide electric sunroof on mine which I'll probably never use. :lol:
In short, it's a lot of car and I'm pretty made up with it to be honest. A little sad to have moved away from Honda but I'll be back in the new CTR eventually and we've still got the FK2 in the family, so I'll probably be taking that to JAE.
Plans for it, well I'm not too sure. It sounds meaty as it is and at the moment I'm not that used to it so it feels very quick for now. Never say never, but there are a few options from Mountune that maintain the manufacturer warranty which is a bonus. I've have been looking at a well known US tuning house that have a solution as the CEO bought an ST as a daily driver and couldn't help himself. To be honest, I'm still waiting on a reply from them and their kits are a limited run thing, but I've asked if it will work and if they will send out of the US.
I have however ordered a Mountune Short Shift Kit that I'm getting fitted on Saturday and I've ordered a set of Climairs from Si at Hendy.
Anyhow, pics!
Polishing this over the weekend...
Oh, and the range was a bit ambitions I think when I last filled it up:
It is supposed to get 39.5 mpg on the combined cycle, but I think I'm on 27 mpg on the onboard at the moment. :lol:
I had a relatively long short list and narrowed it down to five test drives over a weekend a few weeks ago. I actually drove a RenaultSport Megane 250, MY10 FN2, MK2 Focus ST-3 and MK3 Focus ST-2. I had been booked to get a test drive in an R32 and a SEAT Leon Cupra R but one dealer still had it tucked in the corner of the showroom and the other let me down.
The write ups I've posted on another forum, but if you want to ask any questions about them, just drop me a PM.
Giving some sort of perspective, I had the FN2 for just a little over three years I've not settled in anything since. I had a '10 WRX STi Saloon, a '13 Nissan Juke 1.5 DCi Tekna (that I kept a quiet, while the FD2 was having money spent on it), a '58 FD2 CTR and now this '13 Focus ST-2.
I'm pretty sure the Focus is a keeper for the foreseeable future until the new 2015 CTR has had a few years to iron out issues and come into the second hand market and prices settle as 6-12 month old cars on new releases always hold their value for the first couple of years and then plummet when more come onto the market, so I'm thinking savvy. So realistically that means I'll be looking at a 6-12 month old CTR in around 2017.
Onto the car. It's fast, very fast as it seems to pick up from pretty much any speed in any gear and just goes. It feels like a much bigger engine that its two litres thanks to the turbo spooling early and giving peak torque from 1,750 rpm upwards. If you don't know about these cars they are 247 bhp and 254 ftlb (265ftlb on overboost). I've had a few moments where I've looked down to realise I was traveling much faster than I thought I was.
It's also got what Ford call a Sound Symposer which I think works really well. Lets face it, a lot of people don't just buy intakes for the perfomance gains, but they want a bit of noise to go with it. What this thing does is a bit like a resonator box, pipes the intake noise into the cabin. It gives it a meaty modded sound right out of the box, which surprisingly the Mrs was very impressed with. In fact she likes the whole car.
It hasn't got an LSD or the previous gen's revoknuckle set-up which means it gets a good dose of torque steer if you prod it, which I think is fantastic. It's perfectly controllable and adds to the sense that the car is just a little bit bonkers. :lol:
The suspension is quite simply the best set-up I've been in for a long time. It's firm, really firm in that you get very little body roll but hit a bump and it just laughs if off and carries on. The car doesn't get unsettled, the suspension doesn't crash or bounce you around, it just soaks it up and carries on. Fantastic riding car. The steering is a variable ratio rack, so move away from centre and the steering tightens up and pins you into a bend. It's approximately 1.8 turns lock to lock.
That leads me onto the handling. I've not had it long, so I've not properly explored the outer regions of the grip but I'm yet to get it unstuck. According to the reviews it's a bit tail happy, but not so much that it is lairy or unpredictable. We'll see, it certainly sticks on the front and there is no sense of understeer and very happily neither when on the power.
The brakes are just superb. 330mm rotors, great initial bite and stop the car remarkably well.
Onto the kit list for the ST-2. Bluetooth with HFT and media streaming, USB and AUX connection, DAB radio, auto headlights, auto wipers, dual zone climate control, keyless start, tyre pressure monitor, self dimming rear view mirror, part leather Recaros, red footwell lighting and a load of ST badging, chrome interior trims plus all the standard features. Oh and space saver spare instead of a tube of gel! My car has the style pack which gives you red painted calipers, Rado Grey alloy wheels and illuminated ST sill plates. I've also got a tilt and slide electric sunroof on mine which I'll probably never use. :lol:
In short, it's a lot of car and I'm pretty made up with it to be honest. A little sad to have moved away from Honda but I'll be back in the new CTR eventually and we've still got the FK2 in the family, so I'll probably be taking that to JAE.
Plans for it, well I'm not too sure. It sounds meaty as it is and at the moment I'm not that used to it so it feels very quick for now. Never say never, but there are a few options from Mountune that maintain the manufacturer warranty which is a bonus. I've have been looking at a well known US tuning house that have a solution as the CEO bought an ST as a daily driver and couldn't help himself. To be honest, I'm still waiting on a reply from them and their kits are a limited run thing, but I've asked if it will work and if they will send out of the US.
I have however ordered a Mountune Short Shift Kit that I'm getting fitted on Saturday and I've ordered a set of Climairs from Si at Hendy.
Anyhow, pics!
Polishing this over the weekend...
Oh, and the range was a bit ambitions I think when I last filled it up:
It is supposed to get 39.5 mpg on the combined cycle, but I think I'm on 27 mpg on the onboard at the moment. :lol:
