Innehållsförteckning för Spring 2022 från Fast Ford

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE! Fast Fords are all about the fun and thrills they offer behind the wheel. And for the last 20 years or so, there hasn’t been a mainstream manufacturer that’s been able to come close to the offerings from Dagenham and Dearborn when it comes to driver appeal. Even the regular ‘everyday’ versions of the modern Fiesta and Focus have received worldwide acclaim for their handling prowess, and the full-fat performance models will go down in history as true icons of their time. As with all aspects of performance car tuning, however, just because we’ve got a fantastic base to start from doesn’t mean we no longer need to concern ourselves with handling upgrades. Quite the opposite. The very fact that us Ford fans are blessed with a…

Asa tribute to Alan Mann Racing’s 1966 Ford GT lightweight experimental prototypes, Ford is introducing the Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition. The limited-edition model celebrates the role the prototypes played in the history of the development of the legendary Ford GT. This new Alan Mann Heritage Edition boasts a lightweight carbon fibre body wearing the red and gold colours and stripes inspired by the AM GT-1. In addition, you’ll find dual over-the-roof racing stripes, Frozen White signature accent stripes, and roundels with No. 16 on the doors, hood and underside of the rear wing. Exposed gloss carbon fibre components are prominent, including on the 20in wheels, front splitter, side sills, mirrors, engine louvers and rear diffuser. The carbon carries into the cabin, appearing on door sills, console and registers.…

Over the next 40 pages, we’ll bring you up to speed on everything you need to know about making your fast Ford handle better Fast Fords are all about how they handle. All modern Fords feel exciting to drive, and the performance models really are at the top of the class when it comes to being able to offer the grin factor. But, like all mass-produced road cars, there are compromises, and therefore that means room for improvement. The good news is that Ford tuning scene is supported by an army of specialists – many of which have been supplying race teams and manufacturers directly for decades. And it’s that expertise we can call upon to really fine-tune the handling performance of our road cars too. Over the next 40…

So you know all about coilovers and how the right kit can really transform you Ford’s handling, but only if they’re set-up correctly. That’s where corner-weighting comes in One of the main reasons many people fit coilovers is to have the ability to adjust the ride height of the car. Simply lowering the ride height does have benefits, but height-adjustable coilovers also give you the ability to alter the way weight is balanced around the car. The amount of load on any wheel and tyre greatly affects the way it generates grip; balancing the load between the tyres allows you to maximise the overall grip of the car. Making these adjustments is otherwise known as corner-weighting. FRONT TO BACK In many applications you will look to achieve equal weight balance…

Removing weight from your car helps improve handling, but removing unsprung mass is even better. Let’s find out why When it comes to talking about a car’s suspension setup, the term ‘sprung mass’ means everything inboard of the springs; that includes the bodyshell, engine, gearbox, anything inside the car (including the driver), and so on. The ‘unsprung mass’ is everything on the other side of the spring. For the most part, that weight is made up of things like wheels, tyres, hubs, wheel bearings and brakes. Other suspension parts where one end is inboard and the other outboard (such as suspension links, control arms, driveshafts and so on) can generally be considered as 50/50 unsprung/sprung. LOW INERTIA Along with the general benefit of reducing overall vehicle weight, reducing any unsprung…

AERODYNAMICS How air flows under and over your car is critical for performance and safety. Let’s take a closer look at the key principles of aerodynamics and how it affects handling We’ve all seen race cars and seriously quick performance road cars draped in fancy carbon fibre aerodynamic aids, but far from just giving the car an aggressive get-out-of-my-way appearance, those add-ons are there to do a specific job. That job is to direct air into places you want it and divert it away from areas you don’t. In doing so you can use the pressure of the air as you drive through it to gain performance advantages. Get it wrong, though, and all you do is increase drag and therefore hinder performance. But, used in the right way, aerodynamics…

Ever wanted to see your car appear in all its glory in the printed pages of a Ford tuning magazine? Well, if so, all you need to do is ask! Simply email us, or post a picture of your car on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages and add the hashtag ‘#printmyford’, and each month we’ll choose our favourites and print them in this aptly named feature. Alternatively, drop us an email with a couple of pics, a full spec list of any mods and upgrades, and a few details about your time with the car to fastford.ed@kelsey.co.uk with the subject heading ‘print my ford’ and we’ll pick our favourites for a slightly more detailed review each month too. In order for us to print your Ford please ensure all…

DAN FOCUS ST-3 Dan can’t help but get touch-feely after he applies a fresh coat of Meguiar’s wax QUICK SPEC Peron Stage 1 ■ Direnza intercooler ■ Steeda CAIS ■ H&R springs ■ RS brakes ■ Mk4 19s Touch it. Go on, touch it. There’s no way to explain the feel of a freshly-waxed body panel without rubbing your hands all over it. And, after treating my dirty old ST250 to a little TLC, it’s hard not to keep going back for another stroke. It’s more like holding a silk sheet than a nine-year-old Ford’s bonnet. Until today, I’d not even washed the car since the beginning of December. Living on a farm and being forced to endure endless country roads, the Focus was well overdue a little attention. But…

Teenager rally ace Elliot Payne has revealed plans for a bold double assault in rallying this season in his state-of-the-art Ford Fiesta Rally2. He is emerging as one of the brightest young talents in British rallying. After impressing with his speed on stepping up to four-wheel-drive machinery last year, the Yorkshire driver is now going to contest both the British Rally Championship and BTRDA Rally Series this year. Payne, who was only 19 in January, said: “There’s three rallies that combine both championships and only one clash, so we’ll have to see how we go. The opportunity is all down to my dad. I’m doing a business course at York university, and it will be a busy year with rallying and studying.” Elliot, who began competing at the age of…

BUYER’S GUIDE Quickly becoming a forgotten fast Ford, the Mk6 Fiesta ST – aka ST150 – is delightful to drive, easy to tune and cheap to run. Here’s how to buy the perfect package for everyday practicality and weekend track action WHY YOU WANT ONE… ■ Heralded as the modern-day XR2, it’s good, old-fashioned fast Ford fare of a big normallyaspirated engine in a lightweight body. ■ Superb to drive and simple to tune, the ST150 is a firm favourite for anyone looking for cutprice fast Ford thrills. You’ll not bag a better hot-hatch bargain. ■ ST500s are already rocketing in price, but if you buy wisely you could bag a sensibly-priced ST150 and enjoy it at weekends while its value steadily rises. WHY YOU DON’T… ■ ST150s are looking…

Two years before the first-generation Focus RS arrived, Ford USA built a 300bhp development mule that laid many of the foundations FOCUS FR200 This year, the much-loved Mk1 Focus RS celebrates its 20th anniversary, and while we all know its arrival in 2002 was the result of delays and production difficulties (the base-model Mk1 Focus arrived four years earlier), what not many people realise is that Ford was working on the foundations for the hot performance version right from the start. There have been several Focus RS mules and design development cars, but one that is often overlooked is the FR200. Unveiled at SEMA show in 2000, the FR200 was built by Ford Racing in the USA, with the aim of proving to the American market that the little Focus…

FOCUS RS Stacked with influences and packed into the perfect blend, this Focus RS raises the stakes Photos Standing out from a crowd is a hard trick to pull off in the car world. It takes a certain amount of creativity, knowledge, time and money to create something different, but the end result can be pretty special. Ash Mander’s unique Focus RS firmly falls into that category, as his low and wide Mk2 mixes motorsport style with a show-car look and finish, inside and out. Thanks to a WRC kit, air ride, engine mods, roll cage and custom touches, it’s unlike any other Focus. The build has taken three years so far, but it took Ash far longer to find his favourite Blue Oval, as he explains: “I’ve had many…

FORD PRODUCTS SCORPION RED POWER MK7 FIESTA ST PREDATOR EXHAUST £540 If you want your Fiesta ST to get noticed, then the new Predator exhaust upgrade from Scorpion is just the trick. It’s loud. So loud, in fact, that Scorpion says it’s intended for motorsport-use only. The Predator system comes after requests for Scorpion to develop a system that’s on par with other ultraaggressive offerings in the market, and as such features a brand-new rear silencerdelete section. The entire system is made from premium T304 stainless steel and runs at a full 3in (76mm) bore throughout, finished neatly with a pair of Scorpion’s much-loved 83mm Daytona tailpipes. The Predator system will fit all Mk7 Fiesta ST/ST200 models, and has been designed to work with the OE downpipe or – for…

RACING PUMA The Racing Puma is widely regarded as one of the best-handling FWD cars ever made, but for Graham Gillings, the best got better... A pub chat about the best Fords ever made is guaranteed to include a list of what we might call the usual suspects. An Escort Cossie; an RS500; an RS2000… A wish-list of iconic, RS-badged machines with their DNAs closely linked to championship-winning rally and touring cars. But not every great Ford wears an RS badge. Back in the late 1990s, Ford hit a rich seam of sweet-handling models. The Focus, Mondeo, Fiesta and Ka were all praised by the mainstream motoring media for bringing finely balanced chassis and keen steering to the masses. But it was the original Puma, launched in 1997, that was…

BEGINNER’S GUIDE Whether you’re just looking to lower your car or you’re after ultimate high-performance handling, the right suspension setup can help you achieve exactly what want. Over the next few pages, we’ll cover all the main topics in detail, but first here’s our beginner’s guide to get you started SPRINGS In a very basic view of the suspension system, the springs support the weight of your car, control the ride height, and absorb the vertical motion from running over any bumps or uneven surfaces. They do this by storing the energy that was used to compress them (from bumps in the road, for example) and then releasing it back into the car in a controlled manner thanks to the dampers. SUSPENSION SPRING RATE The spring rate, usually referred to…

Never underestimate the importance of a good wheel alignment setup. It may seem simple, but it has a huge effect on any car’s handling abilities… Wheel alignment is crucial to any car, not just modified or fast Fords. As such, it often gets overlooked and doesn’t always receive the care and attention it deserves. Let’s look at it in simple terms: your tyres are the only contact point between the car and the road. The grip they have with the road is the only thing that allows the car to turn, accelerate or brake. That’s why you should never skimp on fitting decent tyres to any car (more of that on page 64), let alone a performance or tuned one. As such, optimising the way those tyres interact with the…

It’s all well and good having your car set up perfectly, but now you need to ensure it doesn’t all move around when you start to throw it into some corners… In this Handling Special section, we’ve covered how to set up your fast Ford to optimise handling performance, but the next step is ensuring that those settings remain where you set it when cornering hard. Of course, the forces involved with aggressive cornering are huge, and as such the whole body of the car flexes significantly – certainly enough to affect those perfectly aligned geometry settings. There are two common and easy ways of improving the alignment consistency on the car: stiffening the suspension bushes and stiffening the body or subframes of the car. BRACES A stiffer body results…

REP TO RACE We’ve got a new project car. And a crazy idea to turn a regular rep-mobile Mondeo into a track-ready racer… Photos W e’ve got ourselves a new project car here at Fast Ford HQ. And it’s not what you might expect. We feature loads of finely fettled fast Fords in the mag – everything from old-school Escorts and Cossies right through to the very latest Fiesta, Focus and Mustang models – but there’s one car that seems to be overlooked when it comes to tuning and modifying: the Mk4 Mondeo. ‘Why is that?’ we asked. Especially when the Mk4 is offered with the same fantastic fivepot turbocharged Duratec that Mk2 Focus fans are so fond of in the ST and RS variants. And that got us thinking:…

Another historic race promoter is making a bid to host a series for Pre-’83 Group 1 Touring Cars. Automobiles Historiques will go head-tohead with Motor Racing Legends by running a pilot race at this year’s Castle Combe Autumn Classic ahead of a four-or five-event series for the cars in 2023. The 45-minute Castle Combe race on 24 September will honour the memory of local ace Vince Woodman, who won 12 British Saloon Car Championship races in period in his Esso-liveried 3.0-litre Ford Capris. The option to avoid racing alongside slick-tyred Ford Sierra RS500s, as currently happens in the MRL Historic Touring Car series, is one of the selling points of the new initiative. It remains to be seen where the finite number of drivers with suitable cars will choose to race.…

MODIFYING GUIDE It’s the fastest Focus so far, but don’t think the Mk3 RS can’t be improved – it really can, and here’s how… Photos Even before it finally arrived in 2016, the Mk3 Focus RS was creating headlines. Developed with input from Ken Block, and featuring gadgets such as the famous Drift mode, Ford knew how to create media hype around the launch of its latest – and still the most recent – Rallye Sport model. The result was the most powerful, fastest, and arguably the most exciting massproduced performance model of an entire generation. Contemporary reports hailing it as the spiritual successor to the much-missed Escort RS Cosworth were not wrong. Tuners and enthusiastic owners couldn’t wait to get their hands on the latest hot Ford, and it…

WHAT'S NEW Upping the ante from the first-generation Ranger Raptor’s 210bhp diesel power, the latest version gets a 284bhp twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, an anti-lag system from the Ford GT and an active exhaust. Ford hasn’t just chucked in a bigger engine and ferried it off to showrooms and called it a new model, instead it’s brought with it some impressive technology in the form of anti-lag. What this does is keep the turbos spooled for an extra three seconds after lifting from the throttle, therefore keeping hold of precious boost for instant performance. Also new is an active exhaust that has four settings, one for keeping the peace, another for disturbing the peace, and two others we suspect sit somewhere in the middle. Inside you’ll find a huge 12-inch touchscreen…

SAPPHIRE COSWORTH We first spotted this stunning Saph at RS Combe back in 2019, but then someone ate a dead bat and the world went mad. Fortunately, we managed to track it down and, finally, get it featured… Buying a used Ford can be a stressful experience. Will it look like it does in the photos? Is it a genuine advert – or just another scammer trying their luck? What if it turns out to be stolen – or a Cat D? Add to this the constant, nagging worry that the person selling it is a world-class messer, liable to change their mind at the last moment and decide to keep it or sell it to someone else, and it’s a minor miracle that any of us bother to even…

ANTI-ROLL BARS We take a closer look at what anti-roll bars are, how they work, and how they can improve the handling performance of your fast Ford The idea of an anti-roll bar sounds simple, doesn’t it? The name says it all: it’s a bar that resists body roll… But what should be a straightforward subject is surprisingly complicated, and by altering the front and rear anti-roll bars we can have a massive influence on how a car behaves. And then we need to consider other factors such as spring rates, what the car is used for, what kind of handling balance we’re trying to achieve – and even a bit of good old-fashioned physics – and then try to string together the perfect setup for our specific application. Some…

TYRES Without them our cars would be useless, so getting the right tyres for a fast Ford is crucial. Here’s what to look for when buying your car’s next set of boots Never underestimate the importance of good quality tyres. The rubber you choose will affect the acceleration, braking and cornering performance of your car, so you need to choose wisely. There’s no point increasing your car’s power output, improving the suspension setup, or beefing up the brakes if all that work is going to be undermined by the tyres you’ve fitted. As the only part of the car in contact with the road, your tyres have a direct impact on all areas of its performance, so you need to give them some serious thought and consideration. So, let’s do…

ANTI-ROLL BARS & LOWERING SPRINGS EIBACH www.eibach.de H&R www.h-r.com WHITELINE https://ukwhitelineperformance.com BRACES & BUSHES HARDRACE www.hardrace.com STEEDA www.steeda.co.uk SUPERFLEX www.superflex.co.uk SUPERPRO www.superproeurope.com SWAVE & SUMMIT www.swaveparts.co.uk POLYBUSH www.polybush.co.uk POWERFLEX www.powerflex.co.uk CORNER WEIGHTING / GEO SET-UP NORTHAMPTON MOTORSPORT www.northamptonmotorsport.com SCC PERFORMANCE www.focusrsparts.co.uk DAMPERS /COILOVERS AVO www.avouk.com BILSTEIN www.bilstein.com BC RACING www.bc-racing.co.uk EIBACH https://eibach.de GAZ SHOCKS www.gazshocks.com KW AUTOMOTIVE www.kwsuspensions.co.uk TYRES GOODYEAR www.goodyear.com MICHELIN www.michelin.co.uk TOYO www.toyo.co.uk NANKANG www.nankangtyre.co.uk FALKEN www.falkentyre.com WHEELS BOLA WHEELS www.bolawheels.co.uk COMPOMOTIVE www.comp.co.uk FIFTEEN52 www.fifteen52.com IMAGE WHEELS www.imagewheels.co.uk OZ RACING www.ozracing.com ROTIFORM www.rotiform.com…

JAMIE FOCUS RS After inspecting a suspected puncture, Jamie remembers about the rusty wheel nuts he was supposed to replace QUICK SPEC Mountune m400R ■ Velgen Classic5 alloys ■ H&R lowering springs ■ 3M wrap ■ Mountune axle-back and sports cat ■ H&R anti-roll bars ■ Tarox brakes ■ Mishimoto intercooler, intake kit, and oil cooler kits ■ Quaife ATB Not much has been happening with the RS in recent weeks; the lack of shows and events, and the arrival of a new Mondeo project car have meant the Focus hasn’t really been used much. But, when I did decide to take it to blow the cobwebs off (quite literally), things didn’t quite go to plan. When I turned on the ignition, I was greeted with a tyre pressure warning…

The latest racing updates from Blue Ovals competing all over the globe PUMA TESTED IN SWEDEN The snow and ice of Rally Sweden puts the new Puma Rally1 to the ultimate test Words JAMIE & M-SPORT / Photos M-SPORT After the incredible highs of winning the Monte Carlo in the new Puma Rally1’s competitive debut, Rally Sweden proved to be an eventful and challenging rally for the M-Sport team. Fast and tricky conditions saw the latestgeneration cars put to the ultimate test on the high-speed snow and ice stages for the very first time. After a weekend filled with ups and downs and tough stage conditions, Gus Greensmith and Swedish co-driver Jonas Andersson saw their confident and solid drive rewarded with a second consecutive fifth-place overall finish. They now lie…

FORDS IN MOTORSPORT Brands Hatch Indy circuit is one of the shortest tracks in the UK at just 1.1 miles. It looks fairly simply, but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in the quality of the corners; Paddock Hill is known around the world, and the technical challenges of Graham Hill and Clearways are unmatched at any other track in the country. It features short ‘straights’ and tricky corners, which makes it perfect for a fast Ford! 1 -PADDOCK HILL The lap starts in the best possible way, with Paddock Hill bend. It’s one of the best corners in the world, and incredibly rewarding when you get it right. You should be positioned on the left of the circuit before you brake; there’s a crest…

SIERRA ESTATE This Sierra may have started life as a leisurely diesel — and it still has the badges to prove it — but thanks to Tom Jackson’s wily tricks, it’s hiding some high-octane surprises… Photos If there’s one lesson that life teaches us time and time again, it’s that playing the long game is the route to success. Go into something half-cocked and things can blow up in your face, but taking your time will always pay dividends. This unhurried approach is woven through the essence of the Sierra estate you see here; its very beginnings were an exercise in casual meandering, being built in 1984 but not road-registered until December 1985. And since we’re talking unhurried, that first owner would have suffered a glacial 0-to-60 mph stroll of…