FORD:FOCUS

The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1998. Ford began sales of the Focus to Europe in July 1998 and in North America during 1999 for the 2000 model year.

In Europe, South America, North America and South Africa, the Focus replaced the various versions of the Ford Escort sold in those markets. In Asia and Australasia, it replaced the Ford Laser. As of the first half of 2012, the Focus surpassed the Toyota Corolla to become the world's best selling automobile nameplate. The Focus has been considered one of the 50 greatest cars of the past fifty years by British magazine CAR.

In 2010 Ford decided to reunite both international and North American models by releasing the international Mk3 worldwide. The previous North American version was discontinued, and the new model was launched simultaneously in North America and Europe in early 2011, both having started production late in 2010.

Ford unveiled the 2011 global Ford Focus at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. The car shown was a 5-door hatchback model, also debuting a new 2.0Ldirect injection I4 engine. A 5-door estate will also be available at launch. The new generation launched simultaneously in North America and Europe in early 2011, with production having started in late 2010.Production in Asia, Africa, Australia and South America was scheduled to follow later but the plan for Australian production was later dropped and that market and New Zealand supplied, along with Asia, from a new factory in Thailand where output began in June 2012. This new generation of Focus incorporates a redesigned cabin with improved materials and new entertainment technologies.

Ford unveiled the 2011 global Ford Focus at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. The car shown was a 5-door hatchback model, also debuting a new 2.0Ldirect injection I4 engine. A 5-door estate will also be available at launch. The new generation launched simultaneously in North America and Europe in early 2011, with production having started in late 2010.Production in Asia, Africa, Australia and South America was scheduled to follow later but the plan for Australian production was later dropped and that market and New Zealand supplied, along with Asia, from a new factory in Thailand where output began in June 2012. This new generation of Focus incorporates a redesigned cabin with improved materials and new entertainment technologies.

Ford Focus Sedan (North America)

Electric version

Ford debuted the all-electric Ford Focus Electric at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011 to compete with the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt. Deliveries for fleet customers in the United States began in December 2011, and the release to retail customers took place by late May 2012. The electric car is available only in California, New York and New Jersey, in limited numbers. The European release is scheduled for late 2012.

2012 Ford Focus Electric (US)

ST Version 

The ST Estate was named "The Hot Hatch of the Year 2012" by Top Gear (magazine). The 2013 Focus ST is available as a 5 door Hatch, or as an estate. The estate will not be available in the United States. Also notable is that the ST has 252 Horsepower and 270 FT-LB of Torque. Its top speed is 154 MPH; which is 2 MPH faster then the MKII ST.

Motorsport 

The first Focus World Rally Car made its debut in rallying and the World Rally Championship on the 1999 Monte Carlo Rally with Colin McRae and Simon Jean-Joseph at the wheels of the two cars, replacing, for the first time in a generation, the venerable Escort. It was immediately on the pace, setting many fastest stage times, but a vehicle weight issue meant that the two cars were excluded from that event. McRae went on to give the Focus WRC its maiden victory on the Safari Rally in February of the same year and took victory again in the following rally, the Rally Portugal.

The MkI Focus WRC went on to achieve further victories over the years for McRae, Carlos Sainz and Markko Märtin from then until it was phased out in favour of the MkII offering in late 2005. This car, a winner in both Marcus Grönholm's and Mikko Hirvonen's hands in the two-car factory BP-Ford World Rally Team that contested the 2006 World Rally Championship season, duly racked up the manufacturers' title, spelling the end of a formidable twenty-seven year wait for such an honour in this series for the Blue Oval. The team successfully defended the manufacturers' title in the 2007 season.The Focus WRC was used until the 2010 season, when it was announced that the new Fiesta will replace the Focus from 2011 and onwards.

All the rally cars are built, prepared and run for Ford by M-Sport, the motorsport team based in Cockermouth, Cumbria in Northern England. The team is managed by Malcolm Wilson, a well known former British rally driver.

Besides rallies, the Focus has also been used in the SCCA Speed World Challenge Touring Car Series, the TC 2000, resulting champion in 2003, 2005, 2010 and 2012.

The Ford Focus ST made its debut in the 2009 British Touring Car Championship, with Arena Motorsport. During its second season, the car ran on Liquefied Petroleum Gas, taking the first BTCC win for a car powered by this fuel at Brands Hatch. In 2011 Arena(also known as Team AON) shifted to the newer Focus Mk3, while Motorbase Performance drove the ST version. Both cars had engines, built by the Next Generation Touring Car engine rules. Motorbase continiues to compete with the Ford Focus ST.

In 2012 Arena Motorsport entered two Ford Focus Mk3s in the World Touring Car Championship for Tom Chilton and James Nash. The best result is 6th place by Nash in the Race of Morocco.

In 2008 Ford South Africa entered two modified Focus ST models into Class T (reserved for turbocharged production vehicles) of the local Bridgestone Production Car Championship (essentially a Touring Car formula). They secured the Class T driver's titles in 2009 and 2011.

Jari-Matti Latvala with his Ford Focus RS WRC 09 at the 2009 Rally Finland

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