A Focus ST for 3 days! Update: Brera, Cooper S, RR Sport HSE
 

YAY, today big surprise!

http://img108.imagevenue.com/loc24/th_87736_focus01.jpghttp://img21.imagevenue.com/loc24/th_87741_focus02.jpghttp://img126.imagevenue.com/loc24/th_87746_focus03.jpg

We have a "hot hatches" group test planned for Thuesday (ST, Gofl GTI, Astra OPC, Mégane Sport F1) and as always I am basically the photographer, but our "boss", JC, has to leave in a hurry for the US, so he called me today (funny since I was taking pics of a car LOL) and asked me if I could pick up the car right away... Of course I could! So I have it for today, tomorrow, Thuesday and Wednesday :) it's a press car, so no problem with km and such :D and in two days I'll have to test all the others two with the rest of the team :shock:

I will spend some more words on the ST in a few hours, I didn't drive it alot today, but bloody hell how funny are today's hot hatches!!!!!!!!

lucky sod!

its a rare sight here still, but i hope it sells well - it definitely deserves to 8)

Good luck with the testing, i'm looking forward to the pics :D

haha nice thumbs up

DAMN YOU!!!! you are soo lucky, i REALLY REALLY want an ST! Please get some video action of it accelerating TT, please!!!

I want one dammit! :cry: :cry:

:wink: :wink: 8)

Uhm, I could use my old Pro 1 to shoot some simple acceleration vids tomorrow!

DANG some guys have all the luck... i didnt know they had 5door ST's...still looks pretty good :D

And finnaly TT you have got the car, the pozer we can say, for a drive...A three day drive, enjoyed it, hehe :)
I would 100% :P

In the pics it looks so imposing, fuck its georgeous :twisted:

And you have to make a lot of pics for us :lol:

I'm sooo excited man 8)

You're finaly get to be in the driver's seat! :twisted:

And to get the car for more than just one day is just awesome!!

It looks like things are slowley but sureley moving in the right direction for you....

I hope that JC has a lot more urgent US visits to do 8)

:shock: lucky TT, I suppose "in depth" this time will be the most detailed :P

LOL, actually I feel kinda lost without him.. it's his website afterall :D

Well, probably yes.. took pics today, will took more tomorrow and plenty Thuesday when shooting the group... and the indepth waiting list is growing :D I already have 4 in the pipeline.. will have 8 soon :D

Re: A Ford Focus ST for three days!
 

Your "boss" doesn't happen to purchase a Ford GT twice? Are you hiding something from us TT? :lol:

Have fun with the test drive, just don't forget us when you become a guest presenter on TG :mrgreen:

Looking forward to your Focus ST pics!

Great sutff mate, definately an interesting little car - can't wait for your driving impressions. :D

Great colour too!!!

So, a bit more relaxed now.
Well, first of all I must say it is a weird feeling to know I can look out of the window and see a press car. One of my dreams is beeing motoring journalist, so it's definitely interesting this opportunity!
As for the car itself, you all know I drive an E36 320i, which is 10 years old and not really powerfull. I drove some sport cars even if never at their limits, Modena, 996, SLK55, Mustang but my daily drive is an outdated simple car.
And considering this, I must admit the ST impressed me a lot right away as far as handling and punch go!
What didn't impress me is the interior! Build quality is ok, but instruments, look and general feel, to be honest, isn't better than my 10 yo BMW! Ok, this is a sport car, no need for useless gizmos, but it's really pretty scarce inside! And also, of course to have the backend following like a corpse what you are doing isn't fun! My car has 150 hp, it isn't easy to slide on dry road, but if you drove an RWD car, you must know you always feel the back "under control".. you can do something about it with your right foot while you steer the front wheels.. it's fun when you want to play and never dangerous when you get used to it.
An FWD car, as good as it can be is really a different thing and I needed quite a few km to get used to cornering technique again! Onceyou do, well, it's ok, the traction is amazing and most of the time I had TC on because it's just silly to fight oversteer in a 225 FWD car, especially in the wet and partially snowy like tonight. I tried to make the back end come alive, but traction and chassis poise are so good that you must really hammer down the road at speed to make the back step out.. and when you do a mistake at speed, you are doomed. Anyway, with TC one and driving like a polite hooligan with no slides the ST is absolutely impressive! it's quick, very quick! The turbo kicks in pretty early and blow constanly, there is no real lag but I would like something less linear maybe. Still, the gears come and go so damn quick it's almost unbelievable in such small hatch LOL! Brakes are very strong and the car is stable under heavy braking. no idea about fade yet, will see in a couple of days.
Oh, the sound, very important for most of us. it's good actually, throaty, a bit intrusive I think, but so far so good, I love it and the turbo's whistle isn't too "ricy"
then there are the details, but it's too early to analyze them. What's important is that the car is very effective and the other three will really have to pull out of their hat some good numbers to impress me even more :)

LOL, JC as for Jean-Claude ;)

What a lucky guy!! :shock: :o :o

Not the best looking one, since it's the 5 door version, but who cares ??

Enjoy it !! :P

Very nice to have a press car for 3 days. Will you return it with tires shredded to the thread? :p

Nice first impressions as well! As far as the interior. A friend of mine, who drives a Golf V GTI, has the same complains about the ST's interior. But apart form that it seems like a very good looking (from the outside) and quick car. I'm looking forward to the comparison with the other hot hatches ;)