New WRC Focus RS!!!
Wannabe yuppie
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,918
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From: Madison, WI
That sure is one helluva aero package.
The Focus is the most nose-heavy car in the WRC right now and the previous wing was relatively minimal by WRC standards (look at a Peugeot 206 WRC for reference); so it doesn't surprise me that the new wing seems to be copying the Peugeot to a certain extent.
As for the huge front bumper...at least there's a lot of surface area for air intakes and such.
And now for the obligatory article from AutoWeek:
http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content...._code=05945729
(23:22:54 April 13, 2003)
Sharp Focus: Ford launches new WRC fighter
Ford's wild-looking Focus World Rally car debuts in New Zealand, promising better aerodynamics and less weight.Ford launches new Focus World Rally car Ford Rallye Sport’s new Focus RS World Rally car makes its racing debut in New Zealand April 11-13, at the FIA World Rally Championship’s fourth round. Ford officials say this new Focus RS, driven by regular pairings Markko Märtin and co-driver Michael Park, and François Duval and Stéphane Prévot, is radically different compared to the car which competed in the series’ first three rounds.
Technical director Christian Loriaux and his M-Sport team (M-Sport prepares Ford’s rally cars) have included numerous changes. Among them: an aero package aimed at the faster rallies; a new rear suspension system; improved weight distribution and a new engine developed and built by Cosworth Racing with better response, more top-end power and more efficient cooling.
This Focus RS has undergone thorough tests before its debut. “I’ve only done the New Zealand rally once before, but I’m already a big fan,” said Märtin, fourth in the drivers’ standings. “I found the rally quite difficult last year, more tricky than I expected. But with the new car, I should have a better feel. It’s important to have a well-balanced car on this rally and that’s one of the big areas the design team concentrated on.”
Team director Malcolm Wilson has high hopes for the new Focus RS. “It looks sensational but obviously looks are not everything,” he said. “Around 80 percent of this car is new and so we must not become too concerned if we have problems in the early days. I know the potential is there for it to be a winner.”
The Focus is the most nose-heavy car in the WRC right now and the previous wing was relatively minimal by WRC standards (look at a Peugeot 206 WRC for reference); so it doesn't surprise me that the new wing seems to be copying the Peugeot to a certain extent.
As for the huge front bumper...at least there's a lot of surface area for air intakes and such.
And now for the obligatory article from AutoWeek:
http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content...._code=05945729
(23:22:54 April 13, 2003)
Sharp Focus: Ford launches new WRC fighter
Ford's wild-looking Focus World Rally car debuts in New Zealand, promising better aerodynamics and less weight.Ford launches new Focus World Rally car Ford Rallye Sport’s new Focus RS World Rally car makes its racing debut in New Zealand April 11-13, at the FIA World Rally Championship’s fourth round. Ford officials say this new Focus RS, driven by regular pairings Markko Märtin and co-driver Michael Park, and François Duval and Stéphane Prévot, is radically different compared to the car which competed in the series’ first three rounds.
Technical director Christian Loriaux and his M-Sport team (M-Sport prepares Ford’s rally cars) have included numerous changes. Among them: an aero package aimed at the faster rallies; a new rear suspension system; improved weight distribution and a new engine developed and built by Cosworth Racing with better response, more top-end power and more efficient cooling.
This Focus RS has undergone thorough tests before its debut. “I’ve only done the New Zealand rally once before, but I’m already a big fan,” said Märtin, fourth in the drivers’ standings. “I found the rally quite difficult last year, more tricky than I expected. But with the new car, I should have a better feel. It’s important to have a well-balanced car on this rally and that’s one of the big areas the design team concentrated on.”
Team director Malcolm Wilson has high hopes for the new Focus RS. “It looks sensational but obviously looks are not everything,” he said. “Around 80 percent of this car is new and so we must not become too concerned if we have problems in the early days. I know the potential is there for it to be a winner.”