Ford testing 60 Focus ST models around the world
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/spyphotos/" rel="tag">Spy Photos</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/spy-shots-ford-focus-st/"><img alt="ford focus st mule" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/05/focus-st-testing-s.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 4px 0px;" /></a><br />
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Ford Focus ST testing - Click above for high-res image gallery</div>
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We're looking forward to getting our hands on the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/29/2012-ford-focus-st-details-released-ahead-of-world-premiere-in-p/">ST variant</a> of the <a href="http://autoblog.com/model/focus">Ford Focus</a>, and why not? We Americans have had no choice but to sit back and watch while our overseas comrades got to have all the fun behind the wheel of high-performance Focii, which made the hot hatchbacks the forbidden fruit we tend to crave.<br />
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<a href="http://autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> promises that the U.S. will finally have a chance at the next-generation ST, which should supply at least 246 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque courtesy an EcoBoost 2.0-liter mill. The only problem is that the high-pot Focus ST is still a year away, but that doesn't mean we won't see test mules traveling the highways and test tracks around the world.<br />
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Ford tells us they have 60 ST models testing everywhere from California to Germany's N&uuml;rburgring. The testers may look like last-generation ST or more pedestrian current-gen Focus models, but the big wheels, low profile and double exhaust passes will show that the mules are anything but ordinary.<br />
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Matthias Tonn, who heads performance engineering at Ford of Europe, says that the testing is needed to make the next ST shine, adding that engineers are "fine-tuning, testing, and fine tuning again many of the small but critical details to make sure it is worthy of the ST badge."<br />
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And just because the ST will be a performance hatch doesn't mean Ford isn't keenly focused on fuel economy as well. Tonn says the goal is to produce class-leading fuel economy even with a performance variant. Mixing fuel efficiency and performance is no easy task, but Ford is banking on a thrifty EcoBoost engine and fuel-saving technology like a finely tuned Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) system to do the trick.<br />
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While the Focus ST is still a way away from production, Ford provided some "spy photos" of an ST mule during testing in Germany, which you can peruse in our high-res image gallery. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/10/ford-testing-60-focus-st-models-around-the-world/#continued">Hit the jump</a> to read over the Ford press release.<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/10/ford-testing-60-focus-st-models-around-the-world/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ford testing 60 Focus ST models around the world</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/10/ford-testing-60-focus-st-models-around-the-world/">Ford testing 60 Focus ST models around the world</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Tue, 10 May 2011 18:55:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/10/ford-testing-60-focus-st-models-around-the-world/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19936813/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/10/ford-testing-60-focus-st-models-around-the-world/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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