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Ford Shows “a Million Ways To Have Fun With Focus”

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Ford Motor Company is presenting its largest-ever display of products at the sixth annual SEMA International Auto Salon, held for the first time this year in the Los Angeles Convention Center. Presented by the Specialty Equipment Market Association, this event is a showcase for the compact performance aftermarket industry. Ford Motor Company has participated prominently since 1999 as an OEM supplier of cars and modification components that appeal to this market.

Punctuating the sales success of the Ford Focus, which recently passed the one million mark in the United States and Canada, plus the growing popularity of modification components from Ford and aftermarket suppliers, the Ford Exhibit and surrounding displays feature a record 12 Focuses, each modified and personalized in uniquely imaginative ways. Rounding out this display that is targeted to the 18 to 30-year-old SEMA demographic are four Mustangs, two Rangers and an Escape, each carrying the latest in enthusiast components and reflecting the expansion of the "tuner" market segment into compact trucks and SUVs.

The event also presents the new 2.3-liter "Global I-4" engine that is standard in the Ford Focus in California, New York and Massachusetts in 2003 and will become standard in Focuses nationwide in 2004. This engine brings a substantial performance increase to the Focus car line, with more torque and horsepower than its 2.0-liter Zetec predecessor. The Global I-4 engine also meets stringent standards for partial zero emissions vehicles (PZEV).

"This engine is indicative of the future of Ford powertrains. It provides consumers the fun they want through greater power, but is responsible at the same time, meeting PZEV standards. It’s truly the best of both worlds,” states Dave Szczupak, vice president of Ford Powertrain Operations. “In stock form, it doesn't have the edge of the high-performance SVT Focus' uprated 2-liter engine, but we think it provides surprising performance, and it offers the sophistication to serve as a terrific platform for the tuner industry. It should be welcome news for the SEMA community especially, with both Ford and aftermarket firms already developing components to modify it."

A centerpiece of the Ford exhibit is a display where a Focus ZX5 will be transformed into a tuner’s dream during “Focus on Performance Live … at the SEMA International Auto Salon.”


Over the three days of the event, this Focus ZX5 will be modified before attendees’ eyes, adding aftermarket accoutrements including a custom audio/video system, suspension components, new wheels and tires, extensive body and interior modifications, exhaust system, racing clutch and a supercharger, capped off with neon underbody lighting and vinyl graphics as the final steps.

The end result of the three-day buildup, coordinated by Lawrence Weiner of Performance West Marketing, will be a wild blue Focus, modified in line with the hundreds of other cars on display at this compact performance extravaganza.


In step with its "fun-with-Focus" theme, Ford also presents a World Rally driving simulator in its booth, the first appearance for this simulator in North America. Participants can "drive" the full-size Focus simulator and get a taste of World Rally Championship (WRC) competition in a WRC Focus on the dirt roads of Tunisia, through the rains in New Zealand, or over the snow-covered roads of Sweden.

In another popular form of competition, Ford Focus is also the centerpiece of the Focus Midget racing series, a USAC-sanctioned series begun last year in California, with a sister series that expanded this year into the Midwest. Focus Midgets provide grassroots racing at its best, with competitors racing on oval tracks—dirt or asphalt—in a closely competitive, affordable series. Ford displayed one of its Focus Midget racecars at today’s news conference.

“The Focus Midget series is perfect for the person who has always wanted to race, but has a limited budget,” says Scott Denby of Ford Racing. “A competitor can buy one of these cars for under $30,000, which is a bargain in comparison with other types of racing.”

Focus Midget racecars are slightly smaller than traditional USAC Midgets, and their engines are sealed, ensuring competitive action in the series. (Note: the vehicle displayed at the news conference will not be in the Ford booth during public days of the IAS, due to Focus Midget races Saturday evening at Irwindale Speedway.)


Central to the Ford exhibit are the following modified cars:

ATI Terminator Focus
ATI Motorsports of Wixom, Michigan has upgraded its 2002 Ford Focus with a 4.6L DOHC supercharged V8 engine delivering over 500 horsepower. The motor features an air to water intercooler, six-speed manual transmission and a custom powertrain calibration. It keeps its air conditioning, cruise, factory anti-theft system and OBDII diagnostics. There’s also road racing suspension with adjustable campers and custom billet wheels. Hasta la vista, baby!


Build Up Focus ZX5-Performance West
The centerpiece of the Ford display at this year’s SEMA Salon will receive multiple modifications, starting Friday morning with a custom Sony audio/video system, and finishing Sunday with vinyl graphics from Modern Image. In between, a Xenon ground effects kit, a Wingmaster rear wing, a Centerforce Clutch Assembly, a Nitrous Express Nitrous system and much more will be installed. All work will be performed on the Ford stand during public hours.


CDC Mach I Mustang
From Classic Design Concepts of Walled Lake, MI, this 2003 Mach I Mustang features a 525-HP Cobra motor with a six-speed manual transmission. Some of the extras on this beauty include MRT lowering springs, Magnum 500 Wheel Vintiques, Classic Design Concepts side exhaust, Mach I trim panel, shaker side scoops, sequential lights, and stars and stripes Flag Pony.


Kugel V8 Focus
Kugel Komponents of LaHabra, CA brings this heart-stopper to the Ford stand, a 2003 Ford Focus Wagon with plenty of power in the form of a 4.6L 4V Cobra engine with a five-speed transmission. Some of the aftermarket products included are Eibach springs, Pro shocks, an 8.8 rear axle, Toyo tires and Motegi wheels.


Mitek Coustic Focus
Mitek of Marble Hill, MO has added their audio expertise and a lot more to this 2002 Ford Focus Wagon. Mitek being a sound company, let’s start with the audio stuff. There’s Coustic woofers, coaxials, and amps, StreetWires wire and cables, capacitors and interconnects, Clarion head unit and DVD, and Icon TV monitors. A Sony Playstation will help fill the down time. But there’s much more to this baby than a comfy cabin with V-Racing seats. The engine boasts a NOS Nitrous System on top of a Jackson Racing supercharger, and there are Focus Central headers, AEM timing gears, Accel ignition wires, and a PWR intercooler. Outside, you’ll find a Focus Tuning lowering kit, Bosal exhaust, Hella headlights, Kaminari carbon fiber hood, a Wings West body kit and Street Glow neon lights. BFGoodrich tires on Konig wheels round out the package.


Saleen Design Ford Focus
Saleen of Irvine, CA, has taken this 2003 Ford Focus and given it the Saleen touch, with performance enhancing components and electronics, spring, strut and shock kit and aggressive style and performance enhancing wheels. There’s the trademark Saleen design glass and body decals, plus comfort and appearance improving seats. This Focus even has floor mats and a sound system. Saleen has outdone themselves with this car.


SVT USAF Focus
Presented by the United States Air Force, this 2003 Ford SVT Focus sports a 396 horsepower turbocharged 16 valve Mountune Cosworth engine that will really fly! The motor features Pectel ECU engine management and a 6-speed dog ring gearbox transmission. There’s AP Racing 4 piston caliper brakes, and Proflex Macpherson struts in front with Proflex Coilover units in rear. Compomotive wheels all around with Pirelli tires, not to mention a Ford Racing differential, GKN drive shaft/CV joints, Hella lights and custom Autobody and Wolf Design graphics.


SVT Euro Focus
In “Screaming Yellow” and “Competition Orange,” this modified version of the SVT Focus has unique front/rear fascia, plus unique rocker moldings and rear spoiler. Like all SVT Focuses, it has a 2.0L SVT Zetec DOHC 4-cylinder engine, capable of 170HP and 145 ft.-lb. of torque, a dual stage intake manifold, six-speed manual transmission, and SVT-tuned front/rear suspension. The SVT Euro is shod with 17 x 7” dark argent “ST170” style multi-spoke wheels with Continental ContiSportContact 215/45R-17” tires. If that’s not enough, there’s also HID headlamps, Recaro black leather front sport seats, and an Audiophile Stereo System.

SVT Mustang Cobra -10th Anniversary Edition
The SVT Mustang Cobra, which began production in 1993, celebrates its 10th Anniversary with this special edition package. During the past 10 years, more than 100,000 SVT vehicles have been produced, 60 percent of which have been SVT Mustang Cobras. The 10th Anniversary Package will be available as either a coupe or convertible, and features a supercharged and intercooled 4.6-liter 4-valve V8 motor with an Eaton Generation IV roots-type supercharger and a TTC T-56 6-speed transmission. There’s front and rear monotube Bilstein dampers with unique spring rates, 29MM front and 26MM rear stabilizer bars, and an independent rear suspension system. The 10th Anniversary Cobra sports unique 17x9-inch dark argent painted anniversary wheels, Goodyear Eagle F1 s75/40ZR-17” tires, red leather seating surfaces in the front and rear, interior trim with the appearance of carbon fiber, red painted brake calipers, and SVT 10th Anniversary badges on the floor mats and rear decklid. SVT will produce 2,003 units of the Anniversary model, which will be available in Torch Red, Black Clearcoat, and Silver Metallic. Production is slated to begin this summer.


Ultimate Audio Focus
Daniel Deutch of Tireflys, located in Orlando, Florida has put quite the audio touch on this 2000 Ford Focus ZX3. Starting with a Clarion AM/FM radio, 6-disc CD changer and DVD player with a 7" wide touch panel LCD display and fiber optic digital output. For the lows, there’s four Kicker amps, two Class D mono amps working four Kicker Solobaric 15" subwoofers and a KICKEQ variable bass boost. There’s also a Kicker two-channel amp working two Kicker 6.5" midbass speakers, and two tweeters mounted on the back of trunk lid. The video system has a 13" mobile TV monitor and Kicker 6.5" midbass speaker and tweeter, and so everyone can see, there’s a 5" mobile TV monitor in each door. The engine has enhancements like a Reactive cold air intake, nitrous oxide 50 hp shot, A&M cam gears, Ford Racing Technologies spark plug wires and Four Stinger batteries. FocusSport 1" lowering springs are used, along with 19" Access 7 wheels and Pirelli tires. For looks, Wthere’s a Wings West Avenger body kit, Halo projection lights, FocusSport hood vents, European side marker lamps.


The SEMA International Auto Salon is presented Friday through Sunday, April 25-27. Friday is open to TRADE ONLY, while the show is open to the public Saturday and Sunday. Show hours are 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.sema.org.
 
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