Fast Ford September 2019

WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE! - Jamie King - Editor Well, I think it's safe to say that summer has finally arrived! We've been out and about all over the country recently attending various shows and events for features in the mag, and getting more than a little warm and occasionally sunburnt while we've been at it. One of the hottest shows so far was RS Combe. With Mediterranean-style temperatures and the chilled atmosphere, this show could have passed for being held abroad somewhere. You can read the full report over on page 58. The weekend prior to RS Combe, we were at Ultimate Ford Show. This new event was a relaxing change from all the frantic rushing around at the bigger shows of year, and allowed for some quality…

MK3 FOCUS ST EVERYDAY HERO Liam Merrick’s Mk3 ST is just about stealthy enough to sneak through the everyday commuter traffic. But unleash it on track and its inner superhero is revealed… Words DAN BEVIS Photos ADE BRANNAN Subtlety. It’s a much underrated quality in this day and age. With the hysterical excitability of social media, constant connectivity and fashionable oneupmanship, it would be easy for us all to end up with extreme, shocking and jarring cars that push the envelope of uniqueness to an absurd degree, wearing 14in-wide neon-blue split-rims and rhodium-plated Recaros, with carbon-fibre bodywork hand-woven by the Kevlar-tipped fingers of virginal sirens. But thankfully there’s a hardcore of tuners that keep us balanced, focusing upon performance above all else and allowing a more natural aesthetic flow to…

TECH SPEC MK3 FOCUS ST ENGINE 2.0-litre EcoBoost, Manley forged pistons and rods, King Race Bearings (mains and rods), ARP stud and nut kits (mains and head), AET hybrid turbo, COBB carbon induction kit, COBB intercooler with hard pipes, COBB 3in cat-back exhaust system, Turbosmart recirc valve, Turbosmart actuator, Mishimoto alloy radiator, Mishimoto oil cooler kit, Mishimoto oil breather kit, Mishimoto silicone coolant hoses, COBB rear engine mount POWER 360PS (355bhp), 522Nm (385lb. ft) - mapped by Motorsport Developments via COBB Accessport TRANSMISSION COBB short-shift, Mk3 Focus RS clutch, Quaife differential SUSPENSION KW V3 coilovers, Whiteline front and rear anti-roll bars, polybushed front arms BRAKES Mk3 Focus RS Brembo front calipers, EBC 2-piece front discs (350mm), EBC USR slotted rear discs (300mm), upgraded rear carriers, EBC Blue Stuff pads, Goodridge…

DRIVER SPEC LIAM MERRICK AGE 27 JOB Sales / Purchasing – Performance Parts FIRST FORD Mk3 Fiesta BEST MODIFICATION COBB carbon induction kit FAVOURITE FORD SHOW OR EVENT? Nürburgring trip every year! TRACK DAY OR SHOW & SHINE? Track day, all day long WHAT’S NEXT Potentially a Mk4 Focus ST… THANKS “Massive thanks to Co-ordSport Ltd / Part-box. com - they have helped me with supplying demonstration parts; COBB Tuning – a very good relationship with these guys in America; and Motorsport Developments Ltd - brilliant after sales and technical knowledge.”…

NEWS See what’s going down in the world of fast Fords... M-SPORT LAUNCH TWO NEW FIESTA RALLY CARS The Fiesta is an important car for Malcolm Wilson OBE and his M-Sport rally team. It’s their most successful global rally car, with more than 250 examples of the outgoing Fiesta R5 in competition, so the announcement of a new R5 is a big deal. And this is no gentle evolution of the formula, but a comprehensive clean-sheet design. The 1.6-litre EcoBoost, wearing the 32mm restrictor mandated by the regulations, puts out a competitive 295bhp and 350lb.ft, and it’s got the top-flight chassis with which to deploy it: all-new Macpherson struts work with redesigned Reiger three-way dampers, their aluminium bodies saving crucial weight. Forged Brembo four-pots provide mighty stopping power, and the…

NEWS IN BRIEF BULLITT RELOAD The special-edition Ford Mustang Bullitt, launched in 2018 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Steve McQueen movie, proved so popular that it sold out almost instantly. Hardly surprising, with a spec that comprised Open Air Induction, 87mm throttle body, Brembo brakes, 19in Torq Thrust-style wheels and classic Dark Highland Green paint. And the good news is that Ford are responding to demand by extending production into 2020! The UK price is £48,210, with deliveries early next year. SCRAP THAT Scrappage is back, with Ford dealers offering up to £2,000 (inc. VAT) off new cars and £2,000 (exc. VAT) off commercial vehicles when you trade in your old car. Eligible cars can be any roadworthy vehicle registered in or before 2012. THE GONG SHOW…