Fast Ford September 2018

INTRO WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE! Hello everyone, and welcome to the 400th issue of Fast Ford. Yes, four-hundred! It's crazy to think that a magazine focusing solely on one brand of car has been going that long – I mean I was just five months old when the very first issue hit the shops over 33 years. But, if anything, the love for the mighty Blue Oval, and subsequently this very magazine, has got stronger and stronger and over the years. It's hardly surprising, really, given the number of fantastic models that Ford have produced during that time. And, for all the moaning and belittling of the latest models as they're released, it doesn't take long for them to win you over, no matter how dead-set against them you…

MK1 FOCUS RS GREAT WHITE Finished in Frozen White and packing sensible upgrades, this FRS is now ready to take on the concours judges... Words and photos JON CASS We’re used to Ford heavily restricting which colours are available on some of their RS badged cars in particular and the question is often asked, “Why didn’t they do one in that colour as well?” The Mk1 Focus RS is typical of this, having only been available in Imperial Blue during its brief production run, but if you don’t like the colour, there’s always the opportunity to change it, even if that does come at a cost. This stunning Mk1 RS of Darren Menzies was subjected to a respray in Frozen White with no expense spared by its second owner back…

TECH SPEC MK1 FOCUS RS ENGINE 2.0 16v turbo, Bluefin chip 280bhp, Kevlar timing belt, billet thermostat housing Milltek manifold and sports cat both ceramic coated along with turbo alloy header and power steering tanks, complete set of Roose motorsport hoses and new clips, all new parts fitted coil pack plug leads Sachs clutch, stainless oil cooler and power steering pipes POWER 280bhp (estimated) TRANSMISSION Focus RS MTX75 gearbox with factory Quaife ATB diff SUSPENSION New rear wishbones with upper and lower adjustable arms, Sachs shocks, Eibach lowering springs, Powerflex bushes BRAKES Stripped and rebuilt front calipers painted in Nitrous Blue, stainless braided brake lines, RS engraved front discs, new two piece rear discs and new rear calipers WHEELS & TYRES Rota 18in D154 alloys in anthracite, Goodyear Eagle 225/40/18…

WHAT'S NEW NEWS See what’s going down in the world of fast Fords... FORD AT GOODWOOD Visitors to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year were treated to a mouthwatering array of exciting Fords, with the biggest crowds gathering around a pair of green Mustangs in the ‘First Glance’ paddock. One was a shiny new ’Stang in Dark Highland Green, offering 460bhp, Torque Thrust-style wheels and the iconic name ‘Bullitt’. And the other? Unbelievably, it was the actual 1968 fastback used in the movie Bullitt! Thought lost for years, Ford managed to track it down and are treating it to a world tour. Another Mustang – this time a ’65 notchback – wowed the crowds with its Siemens autonomous technology, driving itself up the hill with Lord March sitting in…

NEWS IN BRIEF FIESTA PLAUDITS The awards keep coming for the new Fiesta – Auto Express have just named it Supermini of the Year – its eighth award so far this year. It’s also been declared Car of the Year and Best Small Car by Carbuyer.co.uk. Over 50,000 new Fiestas have found homes in the UK in 2018, and with this flurry of awards you can see why. FORD PARTNERS WITH VW Ford and Volkswagen are exploring a number of joint technical projects. This doesn’t mean you’re going to find a Golf engine in your Focus, but rather that the companies are both looking into strategies they can work together on to strengthen their own competitiveness – it’s not a merger, but an exploration of shared skills. One of the…

WHAT'S NEW NEW STUFF The latest gear on the Blue Oval scene CARBON MOTORSPORT BONNET VENTS From £29.99 Bonnet vents have always been a popular mod, as they look cool but also serve a useful function, letting heat out of the engine bay. And quality vents don’t have to break the bank – these gloss black injection-moulded ABS plastic items from Carbon Motorsport start at just £29.99. They’re UV treated to protect against fading, can be supplied colour-matched to go with your paint, and there’s even a premium range in which the vents are available in carbon-fibre. 0800 321 3834 www.carbonmotorsport.co.uk COBRA SPORT MUSTANG GT EXHAUST From £TBC Muscle cars aren’t for shrinking violets – the whole point of them has always been to make big power and…