It Was Clear from the Beginning That the Big Wheel Arches Are Not Just There

It was clear from the beginning that the big wheel arches are not just there to create stylish surroundings for the massive 18 inch wheels: the 225 millimetre wide tyres simply need more generous covering JACKET AND TIE AT 150 MPH

The simple elegance of the new Focus ST clearly follows the design brief and Ford TeamRS Chief Designer Chris Clements’s intention to create distinctive and dynamic lines. “It was all about finding the golden line between sporty presence and discreet presentation. The Focus ST emanates performance as well as practical usability.”

Canadian-American exterior designer David Hilton worked alongside his British colleague to sharpen the standard Focus lines for the ST David Hilton is a passionate version. He immediately recognised the good motorcyclist and skier – when raw material he had been given. “The new he’s not involved in designing Focus has excellent proportions; so giving it sporty, sleek automobiles more sporting appeal was a sure winner.”

The more he focused upon this new challenge, the more he knew that getting the assignment to create the performance version was a real stroke of luck for him. “I had great freedom in creating the Focus RS three years ago, so I knew the possibilities for giving the new Focus ST a sharper profile, too,” said David with satis- faction after finishing the job.

A perfect working environment accelerated the successes. It didn’t take long for David, a former private Ducati racing rider, and the enthusiastic Ford TeamRS engineers to be on the same wavelength. Hilton was “hands on” from the start – time was a factor, but it was also a matter of continuity. For the designer this means accompanying his ideas from their creation to the production line.

For designing large body sections with strong three dimensional forms like spoilers, for example, the first and best material choice remains, due to its texture, designer clay. For small details such as air-intake mounting aprons, David is convinced that modern CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacture) methods can’t be beaten, even for relatively small production runs.

And the distinguishing design characteristics of the Focus ST don’t just look great, they also serve a function. As the turbo intake and the water cooler need a lot of fresh air, the air- intakes on the front spoiler had to enlarged. Not enough air came through an initial version, and it took a lighter radiator grille design with less air resistance to get the thermal issues under control. The new Focus has excellent proportions, so giving it more sporting appeal was a sure winner. The Focus ST Chris Clements is convinced the ST’s front end emanates performance and practical usability design conveys a very special message. “With the large trapezoidal cooling air intake, Ford’s design is building a bridge into the future.“ It’s also clear, of course, that the big wheelarches are not just there to create stylish surroundings for the massive 18 inch wheels: the 225 millimetre wide tyres simply need more generous Right at the beginning, when the first covering. During intensive road testing, it also blank is rolling into the milling machine, became apparent that the oversized door sills it could appear to outsiders that cars are made by putting bricks one on top of the other provide more than just aerodynamic advantages. These plastic elements protect the chassis and body itself from the mineral matter catapulted off the tyres.

David Hilton couldn’t fulfil all of his design aspirations when it came to the roof spoiler. In an ideal environment, he would have preferred a more competition-inspired, perhaps even self- adjusting model. Yet, it was clear that such a spoiler would not have passed the strict road car homologation requirements. Nevertheless, the fixed-position solution is also aerodyna- mically effective, reducing air resistance and lift on the rear axle. David enjoys the visual effect, too, “The fastback stretches the stern of the new Focus, and the larger ST rear spoiler provides a nice contrast. The car looks like it’s taking off.”

The designers also sought to achieve presence in the lower body sections. They wanted a rear end with imposing exhaust pipes, and the engine technicians wanted a large exhaust tail- The distinguishing design characteristics of the Focus ST don’t just look great, they also serve pipe so their impressive job would be signed a function. As the turbo intake and the water off with a striking acoustic signature. The cooler need a lot of fresh air the air intakes on company’s spare parts warehouse soon came up the front spoiler had to be enlarged with a voluminous silencer which was mounted laterally with two exhaust pipes coming out of its sides. This booming addition to the car couldn’t be mounted on the volume production Focus bodyshell because the spare tyre housing was in the way, so the lower section of the The fathers of the idea: (l to r) Matthias Tone, Dave Hilton and Gunnar Herrmann quickly luggage space on the ST is removed and the developed the concept of the Focus ST to full remaining hole covered. Instead of a spare tyre, maturity and proudly presented it to the public at the 2005 IAA in Frankfurt The dynamic line was present right through to the rear end from the earliest sketches. An adjustable rear spoiler solution was considered and later rejected, but the twin exhaust pipes coming out of either end of the large silencer remained The supplementary headlamp units have metallic frames that make an elegant contrast, especially to darker bodywork colours – like pinstripes on a fine fabric the ST’s standard equipment includes a punc- ture repair kit from Continental, called Tyrefit.

Such sporty details form a challenge for the production plant. With the vast throughput of standard Focus models at Saarlouis, it took time The rear spoiler serves two functions: to convince the plant management that ST firstly, it reduces the aerodynamic lift on the rear end and secondly it could be included easily. The job of bringing helps keep the rear windscreen free Ford TeamRS and the plant together fell to of spray in rainy weather Susan Love, who succeeded thanks to a lot of diplomatic charm.

When it came to organising the production of the sporty Focus ST on the same assembly line as the volume model, planners borrowed a page from the book of motorsport. At the The rear fog-light inserts are set into the rear apron as an optical contrast point in the production process when lasers to the front fog-lights. Their design should cut the holes for mudguard extension was realised with modern CAD-CAM clips and door sills or when a flat cover has to (Computer Aided Design – Computer Aided Manufacture) processes. be added in place of spare tyre storage, the ST chassis leaves the assembly line as if it were exiting the racetrack and going in for a pit stop. When the extra work is completed on an adjacent line, it swings back into position and continues its journey towards completion. Since During intensive road testing, it also its designers were given ‘carte blanche’ to set became apparent that the oversized this car apart from the mainstream to under- door sills provide more than just score its dynamics and quality, the further aerodynamic advantages. These plastic elements protect the chassis along the line it gets, the more the ST differs and body itself from the mineral from the large-series production Focus. Hilton matter catapulted off the tyres finds the metallic frames of the front and rear light units in the lower bumpers are “a nod from the premium class”, but he would have added even some more sporty spice to the car if it weren´t for safety regulations. The interior design is also exclusive to the new Focus. The black roof liner and black-clad roof pillars echo the functionality of 1970s sports cars such as the Capri RS. The sport seats resist lateral forces with pronounced and colourful contours, and side supports are upholstered in non-slip fabric. The seat surface and back, which take a beating, are upholstered in leather, just like the functional steering wheel. Free from fussy radio and computer controls, the sleek steering wheel’s design was kept simple. It was designed for one job which is the most enjoyable thing that you can do in the Focus ST – experience razor sharp steering from curve to curve. The instruments in front of the driver are straightforward: they simply show their scales in classic black. When the lights are on, the numbers are backlit. A neat touch is the supplemental instrument binnacle in the centre of the dashboard, which provides black and white information about oil temperature, turbo pressure and oil pressure.

We’ll leave the last word to David Hilton and Chris Clements in chorus: “The Focus ST not only looks totally different than its more genteel cousins, it also shows off what it’s got. We were determined to make the most consistently sporting ST we’ve ever built.”

The turbo pressure gauge is placed in the middle of the instrument panel and seldom shows more that 0.65 bar of charge-pressure. The engine of the Focus ST makes do with very mild turbo pressure – after all, it was optimised for optimal driveability

During the spot-welding on the chassis, the Ford Focus ST still doesn’t differ much from its siblings. The distinctive differences are created using laser welding techniques, for example, the flat luggage-space floor to accommodate the gigantic silencer under the rear end FROM THE FIRST IDEA TO THE END OF THE LINE

Matthias Sets the Tone.

Matthias Tonn came to Ford in 1988 as an engineer with two degrees under his belt: one in mechanical engineering and the other in business. He also came with first-hand experience of demanding workplaces: He was part of the BMW team that investigated how that company could cooperate with its partner Rolls At the end of the assembly line, on the other hand, the Focus ST Royce to build aircraft turbines. When the jet makes an individual impression even though it was assembled on engine project was abandoned, Matthias Tonn the same tight assembly line schedule as its more subdued siblings joined Ford and started a new career direction.

His broad academic perspectives and interes- ting practical experience brought him to the attention of a group of senior level in-house mentors. As Matthias quickly became familiar with the structures of the widespread Ford concern on both sides of the Atlantic, he patiently waited for the time when he could assume his own leadership role.

He had some good, solid, down-to-earth assignments when he worked in Ford's Merke- nich Product Development Centre. Under Gunnar Herrmann, the man responsible for all of Ford’s C segment cars, Matthias was assigned to super-vise the development of the Focus C-MAX, which shares the same the Focus ST would have to roll off the Saar- architecture as the new Focus ST. Among other louis assembly lines not in early 2006, but soon tasks, he was responsible for providing enough after the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. room for a four-cylinder as well as a five- During early planning, Tonn and his Scottish cylinder engine between the front wheels Chief Program Engineer, Glenn Goold, had to ask themselves two significant questions: In February 2003 Matthias Tonn was taken by “What will the new Focus ST have to do better surprise when Gunnar Herrmann asked him, than its predecessor?” and “How must it set “Would you like work with Ford TeamRS as pro- itself apart from the competition?” ject leader for the next generation Focus ST?” Ford’s market research analysis provided an “Every young engineer dreams of building a answer to the first question. Motorsport orien- performance car, and of all the engineers at ted buyers always want more performance, The glowing orange of the ST series marks the arrival of a new signal colour to the efficient production lines at Saarlouis. The new tone is officially called Ford, I’m the one who gets to do it!” the young of course, but they have now started complai- ‘Speed Orange’ and requires a bit of extra work from the paint shop before it project leader says, still thrilled about it. He is ning about limited power development at low begins to glow like a beautiful sunset also happy that his management career as a engine speeds and the need to coax the car’s project leader is starting with the top model of performance temperament out of the high the series. “You don’t have to scrimp and save. end. “People are getting used to driving diesels Since we’ll only be building around fifty thou- nowadays and this seems to have changed their sand of these, if a part for this car costs one taste in power-curve performance,” says Tonn. euro more, it only ends up costing us an extra 50 thousand euros. If you’re talking about a Regarding the car’s physical appearance, Ford large volume production model – which means TeamRS also learned lessons from customer millions of cars – that euro could end up being critique. The previous Focus ST170, was almost a seven-figure problem.” too understated in the eyes of many enthusiastic Ford drivers. Obviously, someone who buys After the ST project’s kick-off in February 2003 this type of car wants everyone to know it has he began working carefully and analytically plenty of power. on his first big project as chief engineer, not suspecting that his schedule would soon be As far as competition goes, Tonn observes tightened significantly. The initial 38-month objectively, “Among the compact sports models time-table was suddenly cut to only 30 months: in the 2 litre class, just about every method is Lined up for inspection: Together with the weaker versions of the Focus family, the first Focus ST rolls through the trim line. There are not many differences since almost everything except the leather seats and the number of doors is series-standard The experts call this exciting moment ‘the wedding’ – The suspension and power train meet the bodywork for the first time and everything is bolted together for a long and pleasurable automotive life being used to achieve 200 hp or more. The spectrum ranges from the powerfully turbo- charged petrol engines that you find in the VW Golf or Opel Astra to the naturally aspirated, pure high rpm concept in the Honda Civic Type R.“

Ford TeamRS took a sensible approach to achieve performance but also to come up with an ideal combination of sporting ambition and everyday usability. The engine’s fifth cylinder brings the displacement up to 2.5 litres, while moderate turbo pressure assures smooth power development and reasonable fuel consumption, even at full load.

As a matter of principle, Ford always applies cost-analysis criteria when choosing car components. In this case, that analysis actually supported the decision to add more engine capacity. Two turbo-charged base engines were compared: a 2 litre 4-cylinder and 2.5 litre 5-cylinder. In the initial base-price analysis, the clear winner was the 4-cylinder. The next set of calculations, however, included everything needed to bring the motors up to the minimum 220 hp (162 kW) the team was aiming for. Larger engine capacity actually made solving the power question more efficient and the solution more elegant. A larger engine re- sponds more sportingly: with 220 hp (162 kW)

The doors of the Focus ST run through the assembly line separately from the body until the last element of the interior, the series-standard Recaro seats, have gone onboard You can’t yet tell that the Ford Focus ST has five cylinders under its bonnet, putting out almost twice the power and twice the torque of the four-cylinder models at 5500 rpm and 335 Nm of torque output at as little as 2400 rpm, the 5-cylinder plays a dynamic yet relaxed game. It’s easygoing enough for rush-hour commuting and still a powerful partner for Sunday sprints.

The team’s declared goal of fulfilling the company’s desire to build a simple, efficient and cost-effective performance car led Tonn to avoid complicated drive concepts. All-wheel- drive would have only been necessary at even higher levels of performance and torque. The conventional but refined Ford Durashift 6-speed transmission with its flawless shifting was the perfect means to an end.

Nowadays, windscreens are “My second major in business taught me to pay installed flush to give the stiffest possible bodywork. attention to the economically feasible,“ A fully automatic robot explains Tonn. “In these cases, it’s not just installs both front and rear about sneaking another engine/transmission windscreens combination into production. This element had to be tested and proven to be absolutely reliable during the relatively short development time we had available to us. So, more complicated solutions like sequential transmissions with automatic clutches were not only significantly more expensive, but they also would require much more development time and effort, and the shifting mechanism would have to work harmoniously within the electronic architecture determined by the CAN-bus system found on our volume production models.“ This example makes it clear. The scope of the team’s work was not solely the development of a performance Focus variant: its creation and manufacture had to be integrated into the regular production processes at Ford’s Saarlouis production facility, and it had to be affordable.

“A niche model like this can only be sold at a reasonable price and still be profitable for the company if it can be assembled on the same production line as the volume production models, and without causing delays,“ says Vehicle Line Director, Gunnar Herrmann. “In fact, the team had to prove that we could build the unique features of this model on the line and without disturbing the harmonic daily production flow.”

Fulfilling customers’ wishes for sharper styling was an intensive, but gladly accepted challenge for the team members at Merkenich. Matthias Tonn’s enthusiasm continues to this day, “We wanted to make our mark, or, shall we say, to leave a specific footprint. Our definition of the Focus ST’s style is ‘friendly aggressiveness’.“

Matthias Tonns’ enthusiasm is infectious, and perhaps the young engineer with two degrees was even luckier than he realized. He was allowed to build his very own car, and it seems quite possible that he has built it well.

Not much more than 12 hours pass between the first welds and the finished product with 225 h.p. and well-balanced driving characteristics. In this time, the efficient series production and the lovingly tuned sporty vehicle join together in a bond that will last many hundreds of thousands of kilometres The Focus ST has travelled around 3 kilometres, although not under its own power, in the efficiently timed Ford Saarlouis assembly line. In its life on the roads, the car will be making significantly longer trips. The sporty model of the Focus family was designed for a driving life of 250,000 kilometres The cylinder bores of the Ford Focus ST’s engine block and in a so-called ‘open deck’ design. Its powerful stiffening ribs attest to the marked stability of the entire construction TURBO POWER FOR TRUE PERFORMANCE

For the second generation Focus ST, Ford lucky if they work for an international organi- TeamRS, the company’s motor sport division sation like Ford Motor Company that has based at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the a huge catalogue of mechanical components UK, promised new and lasting standards in on hand. So, thanks to Ford’s ‘Shared Technolo- Focus performance. gies’ approach to component engineering, the team identified a 5-cylinder, 2.5 litre turbo- “The goal was to give the car more than 200 suitable engine which was just waiting to step hp,” says Jost Capito, Director of Ford TeamRS. into the leading role in the Focus ST. “We had to move Focus ST forwards and in particular upwards with the engine.” Of course, the extra space needed for this While Capito pushed the team to come up bigger engine had already been taken into with an economically viable solution, the pro- account during the initial development of the ject´s lead engine men, Joerg Hoffmann and new Ford Focus. The job of fitting it in the Ross Jardine, were consistent in their demands engine bay was also made easier by its special for plenty of what makes an engine strong architecture: very narrow and only 577 milli- and spirited. metres long, it is short enough to be mounted laterally between the wheels of a front-wheel- When it comes to providing a solid basis for drive compact like the Ford Focus. With this performance and torque, you can’t beat extra construction, however, a short, 91 millimetre displacement, so cubic capacity was at the top distance between the cylinder’s axes became of their wish list. The desire for expansion was necessary, and the basic proportions of the linked to the conviction that the ideal cylinder cylinders reflect this need. Their bore is a rela- size for a dynamic petrol engine is a half litre. tively small 83 mm, whilst the stroke ends up So five cylinders with 2.5 litres became the being relatively long at 93 mm. order of the day. Since various competitors in its class are already ’highly charged,’ Capito’s The traditional stories about long-stroke en- men also set about finding a turbo charger gines not coping with high rpm’s are unfoun- appropriate for the project’s needs. ded thanks to the combined efforts of cylinders and turbocharger. The long stroke action Those who make such demands when planning doesn’t dampen the sporting dynamics of the such specialised technology count themselves engine in any way, and the whole package Hydraulic adjusters inside the drive wheels of both overhead camshafts can be continuously fine- tuned by 50 degrees on the intake side and by 30 degrees on the outlet side. This results in the engine’s broad power band and low emissions remains calm and collected. It keeps its cool when doing its job because the rpm count stays within civilised limits. The maximum 225 hp (166 kW) is realised at 5500 rpm and the maximum 320 Nm of torque is available between 1600 rpm and 4000 rpm.

Using super plus fuel can encourage the engine to develop more power. The new Focus ST’s motor management systems and knock sensors are calibrated to deliver nominal performance using 95 octane petrol. But, when other quali- ties of fuel enter the tank, the knock sensors adjust the spark timing and cylinder pressure accordingly. The engine management system is able to cope when inferior fuels with poorer anti-knock properties are the only ones available, which would result in damaging ‘knocking’ effects under load. Yet it also recog- nises and utilises the better anti-knock characteristics of superior 98 octane fuels. When using higher octane petrol, the performance improvement lies within the legal maximum limit of five percent – with a 225 hp engine, that’s a noticeable difference of up to 12 hp.

The new Focus ST’s engine not only exceeds the performance of its predecessor – the ST170’s four-cylinder put out 173 hp (127 kW) at 6100 rpm – but the second generation ST is also stronger than the Focus RS’s turbocharged version of the same four-cylinder engine, which delivered 215 hp (158 kW) at 5500 rpm. The lower ends of the Focus ST engine's five forged-steel piston rods carry an extremely light forged piston As in the past, however, high performance is with a graphited shaft achieved without sacrificing reliability and durability. At moderate engine speeds the mechanical loading of the crankshaft drive remains modest despite high operating pres- sures. The pistons’ speed of travel gives reassu- ring confirmation of this, moving at 18.1 meters The overhead camshafts per second at nominal 5500 rpm. Experts re- have extremely tame valve timings for a turbo-charged gard 25 metres per second as the critical speed. sports engine. This supports The superb power development of the five- the well-balanced, every day usability of the engine, cylinder also ensures smooth running. Whilst for example in the breadth four cylinder engines can face noticeable of the rev band in which second order inertial forces, a crankshaft with maximum torque is available five pistons as well as five forged and finely weighted rods is not affected by them. The second-order inertial forces have been successfully cancelled out by two counterweights on each of the crankshaft’s pins.

When applied however, the power-boosting turbocharger reduced the engine´s powerful sound to a level that didn’t match its dynamic capabilites. So a clever sound design was needed, and a touch of intake noise really brought the sporty Focus to life. A purposeful rumbling at idle was easy to organise with late ignition timing in the idle phase. But the five-cylinder’s sound became really convincing when the team ran a thin hose from the area between the charge air cooler and throttle valve right up behind the bulkhead, transmitting the power plant’s definite respiration ‘live’ into the cock- pit thanks to a sophisticated device called “the symposer”. Working like a mechanical loud- speaker this new element was calibrated to In combination with the bring a gentle, never noisy, amount of engine compact combustion intake sound a bit closer to the driver. chamber the smooth piston head ensures a quick combustion process The 2.5 litre, turbo- charged five-cylinder engine is a member of Ford's Duratec engine family and represents Now the interior acoustics almost give the im- one of the most-balanced pression of sitting in one of the Focus’ famous ways to construct a 225 hp power plant motorsport cousins – appropriate as today’s volume production cars have inherited many technological improvements from racing engines. From the outside, however, the Focus ST still sounds civilized and refined.

Recalibrating the originally silky smooth engine for the ST was a very extensive job. It needed to be sharper and livelier. The engineers reduced the flywheel mass and played every trick in the book to pep it up: more direct accelerator pedal connection, new injectors, new timing and ignition strategies. The result is an engine that is fit and agile like no other. When engineers from Ford’s sister brand who provided The hallmark of this the base engine came for a visit to see what intricate engine design was being made of their unit. In their luxury is the forged steel crank- models, they were reluctant to give the Focus ST shaft fitted with ten counterweights. This back after the test drives, impressed with the allows enormous yet work that had been done. smooth power development and running Stability was a top priority when planning the engine’s light metal alloy cylinder block, which is screwed onto the ladder-shaped, cast alumi- nium bedplate, anchoring it like a rock. This combination provides the six crankshaft bearings with solid support, which is of fundamental importance because of the high operating bearing loads of turbo-charged engines. Well- balanced thermal conditions around the five combustion chambers are assured by a tried and tested feature of racing engines: cross-flow cooling, which sends the cooling water broad- side through the engine. The light metal alloy cylinder head is at the cutting edge of technology, too. A drive belt powers two overhead camshafts actuating tappets controlling four valves per cylinder. The valves’ generous proportions – intake: 31 millimetres, outlet: 27 millimetres – have large enough cross-sections to assure effective gas exchange. Hydraulic adjusters on the drive wheel side of both camshafts can be continuously fine-tuned by 50 degrees on the intake side and by 30 degrees on the outlet side. The motive for this complicated adjustability is obvious: more useable torque, especially at low engine speeds also reduces fuel consumption and delivers cleaner raw exhaust emissions over the entire engine speed range.

Controlling valve operation and ignition timing and perfectly calibrating fuel injection to im- prove the engine’s power development are all left in the capable hands of a Bosch ME 9.0 engine control system. The system’s CPU will never suffer any overheating problems since its location is well chosen: technicians placed it in the intake system´s stream of cool air.

Installing the five-cylinder, turbocharged engine into the relatively small engine space was made easier by its especially compact turbocharging system. The intake manifold and turbine housing are in a very small unit that fits easily between engine and bulkhead. Kühnle, Kopp und Kausch from Frankenthal supply their K04-2080 D turbocharger which provides the pressure on the intake side. The integration of The turbo charger from Kühnle, Kausch and Kopp the turbocharger’s housing into the exhaust is contained within a single, manifold alone is a masterpiece of modern integrated unit fine-casting technique. The resulting component is both elegant and delicate in form. Light weight constructions are possible using various casting processes and the Focus ST is an admi- rable example of this in practice.

A heat exchanger placed in front of the radi- For all its power, the Ford ST´s engine ator cools hot air exiting from the other end of only needs a mild 0.65 bar of turbo pressure. Combined with a reduced 9:1 the turbocharger from well above 150°C down compression ratio it ensures high to 60°C. A waste gate lets off excess pressure efficiency and good economy into the charging system: for all of its power, the Ford ST’s engine only needs a mild 0.65 bar of turbo pressure. This rather gentle turbocharging, combined with a reduced 9:1 compression ratio, ensures a high degree of efficiency and, taking the engine’s performance into account, good fuel economy. Consistently following a Lambda-1 concept throughout all load and performance conditions further reduces both fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, including doing without any further enrichment of the fuel-air mix even at peak Second-order inertial forces have been successfully cancelled out by two counter- performance. weights on each of the crankshaft’s pins With the new Focus ST, Ford has opened a new chapter in its turbo tradition. Back in the late 1960’s, Swiss Michael May fitted out the first Cologne-made models with turbo chargers – the first series production cars to receive this technology. His Capri 2.3 turbos, weighing in with 180 hp or more, were among the fastest cars on the Autobahn at that time. The new Focus ST will play in the same league on today’s roads, but as engine-engineer Joerg Hoffmann explains, “Regarding fuel consumption and The crankshaft bearings are fitted inot a ladder frame which is screwed onot the exhaust emissions, we are way beyond those crankcase first Ford turbos.” From front to rear spoiler, the Focus ST is full of fantastic components and details, the least visible of which is its special suspension FOCUS ST – SUSPENSION AS STANDARD

In 1998, the first generation Ford Focus set suspension standards that are still impressive today for a compact car chassis. When launched, Ford Focus was acknowledged as being significantly better in the suspension department than anything else in production at the time and in its class. Indeed, to a large extent, the original Focus set up is still imitated today, and the core system worked out so well, that

Nürburg and its environs are the Wall Street of all no fundamental changes were considered suspension set ups and testing is by no means necessary to transfer it directly into the new carried out exclusively on the race track generation Focus series, or its new ST performance variant.

But that doesn’t mean that a significant amount of development work hasn't gone into refining this core suspension concept and its components to make it even more suited to the Focus ST.

A particularly good example of this work is the front axle, with transverse control arms and spring struts built according to the McPherson principle. Ford was the first manufacturer to introduce McPherson struts to volume-produced cars and it continues to apply this technology today, clearly with great success.

Also, the new concept of controlling the travel of the rear wheels with a multilink-suspension was first seen in the Ford Mondeo and was a major plus for the original Focus. This system is basically a highly compact axle construction with double transverse control arms that are supported in carrying out their handling duties by the longitudinally arranged blade link, known as the “control blade”.

A third element in achieving exemplary handling characteristics on the ST is EHPAS (Electric- Hydraulic Power Assisted Steering) which was introduced on the new generation Ford Focus The rear axle construction of the Focus ST has double transverse control in 2004. The new system has two main advan- arms, blade links for longitudinal control and a stabiliser linkage with tages. First, steering assistance can be contin- elaborate uniball joints ually adjusted to meet the needs of any driving situation. For example, driving at slow speeds and parking are effortless and require a low steering effort, while as speed increases, the effort required increases, giving better road feedback and improving stability. Since the elec- trical steering servos only provide as much assistance as required in any given moment, EHPAS is very efficient and even contributes to better fuel economy on long, high speed journeys.

The standard set-up provides the regular production Focus models with power outputs up to 145 hp (107kW) with exemplary driving safety and comfort. With such a good basis to build on, it was almost a pleasure for Ford’s Team RS engineers to fine tune the system for the more demanding performance characteristics needed on the ST version with its 225 hp The rear axle construction of the Focus ST has double transverse control (165 kW) engine. arms, blade links for longitudinal control and a stabiliser linkage with elaborate uniball joints Ford’s chassis development engineers all do the test driving themselves. Andreas Wöhler, Driving Dynamics Manager for Ford of Europe, explains that they have a very practical rule of thumb: “Taking this car quickly around the Nuerburgring, the most demanding test circuit in the world, plus taking it along notorious English country lanes meant we couldn’t just opt for a hard set-up – we had to tune every element of the suspension very precisely. Above all, it was never our goal simply to achieve good times on the Nordschleife at the cost of comfort. We knew our technology was capable of satisfying all requirements for speed, safety and comfort.”

So what did the team do? The first stage was to stiffen the already-firm chassis of the new Focus. Then, in the engine compartment an extra cross member was added, running across the bulkhead between the spring strut covers. A set of special springs was also developed, and their dimensions were calculated so that even though the car sits 15 millimetres closer to the road, their travel of around 200 millimetres is not reduced. The positive spring travel (compression) is therefore slightly decreased and is firmer. The negative spring travel (expansion) is increased by the same amount. Since the expansion is greater, the Focus ST’s tyres main- tain excellent levels of grip over the full extent of the negative jounce (as engineers say) giving The body of the Focus ST rides 25 millimetres closer to the road than the series version. The negative spring travel was increased by the same amount, giving it excellent traction on bad surfaces it superb road holding even over the worst road conditions. The stabilisers on both axles of the ST are also unique and are heftier in both diameter and effectiveness. However, the controlled transfer of forces from the transverse control arms to the stabilisers via non-elastic ball-joint rods is a feature common to all Ford Focus models.

The ST rear axle has been fine-tuned using stiffer rubber housings for the lower control arms. In engineering terms, this is an “elasto- kinematic toe-in correction, stabilising curve behaviour.” The axle geometry is also adjusted to cope with higher lateral forces. Overall, Focus ST is a car you can really throw into serious turns safely and predictably.

Director and Chief Test Driver for Ford TeamRS, Jost Capito, has spent many hours and many laps behind the wheel of Focus STs, both in the UK and on the Nordschleife. He’s convinced: “This suspension setup is ideal for driving the Nürburgring safely at high speed, so we believe it will be a match for the curves you’ll find on almost any country road.”

The standard Focus steering also needed some small tweaks before it was signed off as accep- table for the Focus ST. The variable turning ratio, which makes steering more direct the further the steering wheel is turned, was kept, but the system has been made more direct overall to suit the sportiness of this range top- per. Hydraulic support is reduced even further at high speed.

The asphalt of the Nürburgring still carries skidmarks from the last 24 hour touring car race, in which 3 Focus ST test models also took part The Focus ST is likely to be handled more asser- reserves here that would only ever be called tively, but it will always be calm and stable. The upon when driving on a race track. specialists talk of more direct feedback – the Focus ST paints a picture of what’s going on So much potential braking power provides in- under its wheels literally in the driver’s hands. tense and consistent deceleration for even the The set-up gives experienced drivers two rea- most competitive of drivers. This, coupled to sons to be enthusiastic: in addition to the enjoy- Ford’s ABS system, provides the shortest pos- ment of real precision driving, the Focus ST sible braking distances even in critical situ- provides real reassurance and gives its driver ations, while EBA (Electronic Brake Assist) adds plenty of warning before he pushes it too far. extra pressure to the system when emergency braking is needed. The final specifications for tyres and wheel rims are also the result of intensive testing. The But while the Focus ST takes fast driving very team quickly discovered that 225/40 R 18 tyres seriously, it also takes safety seriously. For were their first choice. The wider the wheels example, ESP is a further enhancement to the however, the better the results. The test drivers no-compromise active safety package. Should started out on 7 inch rims, moved to 7.5 and the driver experience a situation where vehicle finally ended up with 8 inch rims. This impres- control is threatened in a sudden manoeuvre, sive size would causes the wheels to hit the the ESP system intervenes by braking individual bodywork on the normal Focus, but this is not wheels as needed. The intervention happens the case for the ST as during production the ST relatively late to ensure the driver maintains chassis is specially prepared to ensure that control and ensure the system does not inter- these wheels have plenty of ‘elbow room’. fere with spirited driving on open roads. ESP is a responsible partner that can help even the With such large wheels, there is plenty of space most experienced driver out of trouble now for a braking system that does justice to the and then. But ST drivers should also know that power of the Focus ST. Four-piston brake calli- turning off the ESP doesn’t mean the system’s pers bite into high quality 330 millimetre, ven- reactions are reduced. It means the system is tilated brake discs at the front, while at the completely off and it stays off until re-engaged. rear two-piston brake callipers meet 285 milli- An unusually large set of brakes is concealed behind the 8 inch wide, 18 inch wheels in the front wheelarches: 25 millimetre wide ventilated brake discs, metre rear discs. This specification would be 320 millimetres in diameter, were considered until recently to be pure racing more at home on a 500 hp sports car, so on equipment. This gives the street version of the Focus enormous braking power Focus ST it provides extremely short braking distances when used precisely. This is active safety par excellence as there are performance The Nordschleife of the Nürburgring is the haute école of suspension tuning and development because, unlike other race tracks, the Eifel track also teaches a lesson in comfortable suspension GRADUATION DAY

Three-times Formula 1 World Champion The circuit is also a centre of higher learning: Sir Jackie Stewart called the Nürburgring Nord- an engineering course, a gigantic test bench, schleife “the greatest and most challenging or the toughest prove-out and approval station race circuit in the world.” In the 1980s, he re- there is. For most engineers, including those at christened the track in Germany’s Eifel region Ford, there is a belief that if a car does well on “The Green Hell”, only increasing its infamy. the Nordschleife, it will do well anywhere in the world. But they also believe that there is The Nordschleife is in constant use by profes- an endless amount of work to do to get a car sional racing and test drivers as well as amateur to behave that well. racers. When not closed for racing or other

Roland Asch is a passionate Ford events, the track is legally classified as a one- We are not talking about what you need to dealer and an experienced and way public toll-road with no speed limit, and do to make a racing car faster. Head of Ford committed racing driver. Even amateur car and bike racers are allowed to test TeamRS, Jost Capito, explains: “We’re not out though past his 50th birthday, the touring car professional can’t themselves and their vehicles’ suspension set-up here to develop especially hard suspension set- seem to shake motor sports and and handling characteristics against the unpre- ups that are totally wrong for every day driving was very taken with the well- dictability of the track on a pay-per-round basis. and at best feel pseudo-sporty. The Nürburg- balanced Focus ST after a first encounter ring, with all of its complex curve combinations The Nordschleife plays many different roles forces us to adopt a suspension set-up with throughout the year. At times it is the centre of long spring travel – especially when expanding. attention, for example when the 300 mostly The ring softens up the suspension.“ private racing teams and a quarter of a million spectators come to be a part of the annual 24 The jobs that the Nürburgring can’t do itself hour race in the Eifel. Most of the teams and are taken care of by the bumpy country roads fans are regulars at the circuit and come back around the town of Nürburg. These are used for up to 14 other weekends of the popular for comfort testing, and are essential to ensure long distance racing cup that take place every that cars driven here can be driven anywhere – two weeks. At other times, ‘The Green Hell’ is even on the grippy but challenging surfaces of home to serious classic car events like the Eifel Britain’s demanding back roads. Classic or the German Old-Timer Grand Prix. ‘The Green Hell’ is an unforgiving master and countless black skid marks on the track bear provide proof of past driving mistakes. Test drivers often emerge from spirited laps with sweat-soaked palms, foreheads or entire driving suits, usually the result of suspension set-up problems. This is less visible than skid marks, but the track is just as merciless. “When you get a car set up right,” says Capito, “it’s relatively easy and the whole course becomes a wonder- ful 20 kilometre waltz. If you don’t get the car right, you’ll experience hell on wheels.“

When the guardians of the track, the chassis and suspension divisions of the automobile industry in partnership with helpers from the brake and tyre business, get together for a so-called ‘industry test,’ the track is closed to amateurs, and this leaves the pros some elbow room.

This is when the track sees some serious business and key decisions. Suspension set-ups get approved for volume production, tyres squeal their way to technical perfection and the hard- working brake systems fill the air with an un- forgettable burning odour. This is the kind of climate that results in great cars. The engineers tend to work flat out and some of them have even recognised the circuit’s only disadvantage – “There should be an emergency exit out behind Hazenbach at kilometre 2.5, so we could just save time if we’re not convinced, rather than have to drive the whole circuit over and over again.” Track section, Adenauer Forst, it’s downhill from here: from here through to the lowest point on the track big demands will be placed on the brakes and on the stable, solid tracking behaviour under load-change too But the circuit, which is in the middle of the scenic Eifel region of Germany, is 20 kilometres long and has no shortcuts. The only entrance and exit is in the middle of the town of Nürburg. So you have to drive all the way around no matter what, even if the latest set-up is no good.

The circuit also boasts section names that developed from former regional landmarks. Flug- hafen (airport) and Schwedenkreuz (the Swedish Cross), for example, or Bergwerk (the mine), this being the turn where Niki Lauda had his accident. It goes on – Hohe Acht, Eiskurve (‘Ice Curve’), the Schwalbenschwanz (swallow’s tail) and Galgenkopf (gallow’s head). It is the Döttinger Höhe straight that brings them back to where they began. After driving a badly set up car through all of that, any engineer will have had plenty of time to come up with several dozen good reasons and highly colourful explanations for the team in the pits as to why the car is still not right.

Out here, survival is determined by a merciless process of selection and survival of the fittest. After a lengthy development and selection process, engineers gradually see the light at the end of the tunnel, as the circuit begins to be fun to drive. This usually happens when a car and its suspension have grown out of their de- velopmental infancy.

The Focus ST is a case in point. It grew up on the Nordschleife, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it matured there. Everything The boss at the wheel: TeamRS chief, Jost Capito likes to take an active part in set up testing and values the Nürburgring for the complex challenges it presents, “What works well here, is the best suspension technology has to offer.” that goes to make up the standard production Focus’s excellent handling and performance characteristics was developed here. And when the ST programme was ready, the same team came back to do it all again.

Suspension expert Paul Wijgaerts knows why the Focus ST has such well-balanced driving characteristics: “We were able to develop and test several different set-ups right through to maturity. We tested, compared, redefined and recombined them.”

Each and every element of the ST suspension set-up was tested and re-tested to perfection, This included not just the springs, shock absorbers and stabilisers themselves, but also their hydraulically dampened bearings and thrust bearings, the stabiliser hangers, the supporting mounts of the suspension struts and even the wheels and tyres.

The Prima Ballerina of a modern suspension set-up is an unassuming part called a buffer. Driving in sight of the Nürburg castle isn’t only done on the famous racetrack. The small back roads of the Buffers are small plastic blocks that work to- Eifel region with their rolling surfaces are good for gether with springs and shocks towards the assessing driving comfort end of their compression travel. Each time the engineers were approaching the limits of performance gains from the suspension, new buffers were called for. This happened every time the shock absorbers, springs or stabilisers were changed. Assessment on a country road: the set up that made a good impression on the race track has to prove itself here. It’s not only Sorting out the car is a gigantic challenge to about speed and sportiness, but also about the team’s organisational abilities. The job is well-balanced comfort just never quite finished, there’s always one First impressions are positive. They enter the more thing to be done, and you must always Nordschleife, driving downhill to the Hatzen- have the big picture of the hundreds of interim bach curves. Each one of the four curves has test values. But this is the secret to how the ST its own surprise in store: they’re all somewhere became what it is today. in the grey area between round and square, inclined inwards or outwards or go from one No matter how much testing the team does, extreme to the other and they’re full of bumps and how satisfied they are, it always helps to and grooves. The Focus takes all of this in have a second opinion. its stride and casually powers over the hilltop straightaway at the Quiddelbacher Höhe. For Focus ST, TeamRS Director Jost Capito wanted a particularly impressive second opinion to An involuntary “Wow!” escapes from Roland confirm what the team thought. Asch’s helmet. The speed at which the Focus was able to take the fast double-right combi- So Capito invited Roland Asch, a passionate nation of the Schwedenkreuz wins his respect. The small garage in a small Ford dealer and an experienced and committed Eifel village near Nürburg racing driver, to get behind the wheel. Asch On the hilltops at the Schwedenkreuz the becomes the home of Ford’s knows the Nordschleife very well, and will easily Focus ST stretches its legs, and despite a clear engineers for weeks on end be able to spot any weakness. But Wijgaerts inclination to leave the ground, keeps contact is relaxed. with the road, thereby staying right on the line and easy to control despite its ludicrous speed. Although both men know the Nürburgring, This separates it from the ’sporty’ cars which they respect the briefing they get before set- combine short spring-travel with hard suspen- ting off. “The sections in the shade are still sion. They always get into trouble here. Some damp, especially in the Adenauer Forest,” notes of the anonymous etchings on the track lead Ford’s Chief Test Driver Stefan Wölflick. Their directly at an unpleasant angle to the crash bar- first test drive is in a Focus RS, the WRC-inspired riers, and some of them look very fresh indeed. version of the previous model Focus that was designed for the motorsport purist. Fuchsröhre is a roller coaster for grown-ups. The literal translation is Foxhole, but the Put your helmet on: Ford Then, the Focus ST prototype. A thinly disguised experienced know this is incorrect. For these engineers adopt this example with Cologne licence plates that looks drivers, the correct translation is more akin to native headdress while like a standard Focus – at least to the uninitiated. “the gates of hell.” Steep downhill, never in working during the industry test periods, it’s a straight line, full of bumps and dips, really considered good form fast and, at the exit, two second-gear turns in a row uphill with a near-impossible transition between them. Then comes Adenauer Forst, where the track seems to lead directly towards heaven, but unfortunately in a zig-zag. In front, a 300+ hp pre-production, eight-cylinder prototype is being pushed to its limits – but not for very long. The driver can tell who will come out on top here from the way the ST zooms into his rear-view mirror. He waves the ST past and Asch can see that the crash barriers have already taken a bite out of his elegant bodywork all along the side of his car. The ring forgives nothing.

Asch quickly loses sight of the eight-cylinder in his rear-view mirror and storms downhill to the lowest point of the track. The tyres are playing right along, even though Asch has never really driven in a straight line so far. This is more like a downhill slalom, and then it’s uphill again. In the next three minutes the Focus powerfully climbs 400 meters in altitude to the Hohe Acht, the highest point of the circuit.

The road surface here plays every trick in the book to try and put a car into difficulties, but the Focus ST doesn’t let any of them get to it. It whips around the bumpy Karussel turn, jolting its way over 22 concrete paving slabs that are like driving down a farm track. The back and forth curves of the Wipperman, where the only way to get through on pace Jost Capito, head of TeamRS, explains the reason for extensive testing: “We’re not here to develop is to take a line that puts two wheels on grass especially hard suspension set-ups that are totally wrong for every day driving and at best feel beside the track, are no trouble for the Focus. pseudo-sporty.” And it masters the four, almost impossible Asch knows what he means: “A good nature. It to navigate, negatively inclined turns of the forgives everything. It’s completely predictable. Brünnchen, as though finding the ideal line No surprises, none.” through them wasn’t really much of a challenge. As hard-boiled as they are, Paul Wijgaerts’s Next up are the mini “ski-jumps” before the team is moved at the end. They know the car Schwalbenschwanz, and the Focus actually and have worked very hard on its good points, leaves the ground for a brief moment, but so but they never expected such direct praise. gently that you can hardly feel the landing A real suspension engineer covers his embar- afterwards. rassment by getting down to business. They start to talk shop. “Did it hold its line even “Were we even in the air?” asks Asch, while when you went into the Swedish Cross right on plunging ahead at full throttle. “We could take the outside?“ This stretch of track is considered that faster if we wanted to.” But probably not particularly challenging. The drivers take this as much faster. Asch returns to the test team area an invitation and instantly grab their helmets. after 20 kilometres and around nine minutes. The only other cars that do laps that fast here Even the service engineer from Continental Tyres are those with over 300 hp under the hood, the gets a pat on the back. His tyres have earned so-called ‘nine-minute nobility.’ some well-deserved praise. Asch comments: “They are so strong at racing speeds, it’s incre- Roland Asch opens the door and is instantly dible how they hold on.” in agreement with Paul Wijgaerts, “The car is fab-u-lous.” They say that practice makes perfect, and the Asch explains more precisely: “For a produc- Nordschleife, it appears, has another graduate tion car, the brakes are very impressive and the with honours – the Focus ST. connection with the road is simply stunning.”

Wijgaerts adds: “Even when you throw it into one of the well-known bastard corners, it just gives a little shrug and that’s it.” Testing cars near the Arctic Circle is made uncomfortable by the fact that it's normally very dark. For test-drives, therefore, night is simply turned into day THE TOUGH CHOICE

The Coldest Test of All. from the Pole, the Arjeplog Times begins to swell. During the summer, it can cover events Every year, when the instincts of migratory in the area in a brief two page edition, but as birds tell them to head south for the winter, car the mercury drops it multiplies in size with development engineers head north to the Arctic intriguing reports about the eighteen hundred Circle. No matter where these engineers come winter guests who flock into the area. One from, their particular migration leads them all earth-shattering story concerned a baby elk to the same place: an area in northern Sweden which managed to break into the securely close to the Finnish border. There, between fenced testing grounds of the brake manufac- the towns of Arjeplog and Arivdsjaur, a deep- turer ATE. Instead of going to reception to get frozen vehicle development centre reappears a visitor’s pass, it simply jumped over the gate every winter. in what the Arjeplog Times called “a tourna- ment-worthy leap.” The young elk then re- ‘Reappears’ is an apt description, as there is mained separated from its now concerned and hardly any sign of it during the summer months. bleating mother for two days until engineers While these two sleepy towns bask in the brief managed to corner it and guide the animal Swedish summer, the most excitement a tourist back through the front gate. Mother and child can find is a refreshing swim in one of the were reunited, and both disappeared into the hundreds of surrounding lakes. A total of 800 forest. So if you ever go drinking with anyone residents share between them an area the size from ATE, they’ll happily tell you we have a lot of Belgium, yet strangely there are 20 hotels to learn when it comes to the famous “Elk Test” here – a total of over 2,000 guest beds, with evasive manoeuvre. pubs and restaurants to match. What the Arjeplog Times thrives on each winter So in theory, the population must either be is the seasonal hustle and bustle of this unusual very fat or the publicans very broke. In reality, northern metropolis. neither of these is the case as normal sized people go about their daily business and look Every winter, dozens of vehicle test tracks are forward to the bitterly cold winter season. created as soon as the Acrtic air makes the ice sheet on local lakes thick enough to bear heavy As soon as winter winds begin to blow down loads. The test track builders know the time is right when their heavy construction machines stop breaking through the ice crust on a regular basis. When the ice reaches a thickness of about 20 centimetres, snowploughs begin clearing it and the ‘Zamboni’ machines (the ice smoothing devices you see at skating rinks) get to work perfecting the surface. The work never really ends, as fresh snowfall can quickly ruin the tracks.

Snow is an excellent insulator, and it prevents the ice from getting more than about 40 centimetres thick if it’s allowed to remain on top. A handling course winds its way from the ice into the forested landscape where countless uneven curves provide a challenging surface for ESP testing So every year in the autumn, a never-ending cycle of ploughing, clearing and polishing gets underway until ideal testing conditions have been achieved. Where the ice has been cleared, cold creeps through it at night, making it even thicker and stronger. As winter progresses, the ice can end up being over a metre thick and can easily support the weight of the fully laden trucks that come here for testing.

Driven by their instinctive need to test, Ford development engineers are among those who come to the Arctic Circle.

This time, they have brought four generations of prototypes with them, from a seven-seat MPV to the next generation Ford Transit. All are disguised to throw curious onlookers into confusion. The Ford diesel is a good partner for comparison testing of ESP – both cars have the almost identical load on the front axle, making their principle driving characteristics very similar But their favourite toy is the new Focus ST. Like all test vehicles, it’s been given a personal moniker. The snow white Focus prototype is testing on a road surface of high and low trac- known simply as the XU17-32J on Ford’s tion sections and is the best way to find the inventory list, but to the engineers it has optimal set-up for braking and ESP. But that’s become known as Beatrix. Names are a lot what it’s all about. Slipping and sliding until easier to remember and relate to when so sensors are glowing, always keeping an eye on many vehicles are involved. While Beatrix was how various systems, developed under summer a princess from a Belgian fairytale, up here conditions, function in winter. she’s just as likely to meet characters borrowed from adventures involving Asterix or Tin-Tin. Two Ford men are in charge of putting Beatrix through the wringer: driving dynamics experts Beatrix belongs to the driving dynamics team. Andreas Woehler and Geert van Noyen, fresh She has been equipped with the very latest from fine-tuning the suspension set-up on the generation braking and ESP systems. She’s up- new Focus standard models. They are pleased to-the-minute in every aspect of vehicle deve- with the positive reviews for that car from the lopment as nothing is too good for her. But her automotive press, who appreciated its ideal outer appearance doesn’t give you that im- balance of comfort and steering precision and pression. The pre-production bodywork on her its controllability in all conceivable driving con- front end is held together by duct tape ever ditions. Their normal testing routine includes since she made the close acquaintance of some driving situations that normal drivers might hard snow banks on the edge of the test track. expect to encounter a couple of times in their But this kind of camouflage doesn’t hurt while lives at most – sliding, drifting, spinning. the team is still trying to keep one step ahead of the automotive paparazzi, all intent on get- Woehler enjoys the conditions offered by this ting their latest scoop. icy place: “It’s unbelievable how many different combinations of settings you can test here Testers come up here to get a speeded up per- within a few hours. Sometimes in only a few spective of automotive life, almost akin to a minutes you can simulate extreme driving time-lapse movie. In these extreme conditions, you often lose control just trying to park a car and slide off in all kinds of unexpected direc- tions almost in slow motion. Every metre you drive here is a test.

When the ice occasionally Exacting scientific testing is done on a wide va- rumbles and shows cracks and splits, the development riety of tracks and surfaces: handling slaloms, engineers knows it’ll still circular tracks, and long simple straightaways. hold. It’s when the ice is Sometimes they’re polished, sometimes snowed quiet that you have to take care because it’s thawing over or spread with sand, sometimes even bottom up heated! Unbelievable but true, as this allows No one really knows how many slalom curves are driven in a winter testing season. The actual figure is surely in the hundreds of thousands, but the only thing that counts in the end is the clean and well-balanced driving behaviour of the new Focus ST situations at the car’s limits and in a variety of make the requested modifications. Woehler is conditions. This allows us to analyse test results advised: “Come back in an hour, then she’ll with enormous precision.“ have the 18, the 3’s and X7.“

Although Woehler is the head of the driving Meanwhile, “Grautvornix“ isn’t lucky enough dynamics team, hierarchy doesn’t really matter to be in the warm workshop with Beatrix. when you’re deep in conversation with your He has to wait outside. Grautvornix is a green colleagues, discussing the pros and cons of Focus TDCi, and has taken his name from one different settings. In fact, when Woehler and of the Gallic villagers living alongside Asterix Geert van Noyen are lost in their own world of and Obelix as they resist the Roman Empire. engineering speak, many would be hard pres- This Grautvornix is the standard comparator sed to understand what they’re saying at all. against which the new young starlet is tested. A truly sunny moment: The highly difficult tuning of the ESP system is a success off and the faces of suspension experts Geert van Noyen (left) and Andreas Wohler Out of van Noyen’s mouth come phrases like: He’s reached a ripe and honourable old age (right) shine in the cold winter morning “We should try the 18 at the rear, change to 3 as a test vehicle and his paint shows signs of up front and see how it all harmonises with the the wear and tear of many thousands of test X7.“ Outsiders have to nod intelligently, and kilometres. His suspension, on the other hand, hope for an explanation as time goes on. As it is practically brand new and represents the turns out, the ’18’ is a particular rear stabiliser thousands of production Focuses already sold that performed impressively in summer tests. in Europe. The ‘3’ is a cone shaped and progressively wrapped set of springs from steel manufacturer Grautvornix is in demand as a comparison to Thyssen that are particularly soft. There are Beatrix as soon as she has her new setup instal- three versions to choose from and they were led and ready to test. If Beatrix’s new combina- numbered simply to keep track of which is tion doesn’t feel better when directly compared which. X7 is the penultimate generation of ESP to Grautvornix, it’s back to the drawing board. software which has been reacting a bit too abruptly in their opinion during initial testing. Surely this is hardly a fair comparison. One When the test track has once again become too rutted and churned up, the heavy So they’re also testing version X8, which resolves car has over 200 hp, sports suspension and ploughs come out to even things out for more testing the issue, but itself is lacking something in huge brakes, while the other is a thrifty diesel sensitivity. with a comfortable standard chassis and standard brakes. Brake and suspension experts from all over the world have gathered in the heated workshop But Ford’s driving dynamics experts are able to buried deep in the snow of the Swedish forest. ignore specific characteristics and have been Beatrix is hoisted on the vehicle lift so they can trained to accept passively the fundamental differences between the turbo sport model and the diesel that would blind a non-trained driver to anything else. Andreas Woehler explains their intentions: “The diesel and the ST engines provide almost identical front axle load and that is the dominant influence on driving dynamics in these conditions. Since Beatrix and Grautvornix are fundamentally similar in how they behave in a curve, we can therefore com- pare their ABS and ESP intervention points and their steering especially well.”

Woehler wants the ST’s handling characteristics When the pylons have gone flying all over the ice once more to be safe, controllable and precise, even when in a wild testing moment, it is very important not to abandon driving to the limit. Only then should the ESP your seat heating whilst collecting them again system gently intervene to assist the driver in safely negotiating a curve. The emphasis here is on gentle intervention; only when a collision with a snow bank seems inevitable is the ESP allowed to intervene as fiercely as the frozen ground will permit.

Identifying the best set-up is the key. Trying to force the right setup for a 220 hp vehicle with a perfectly balanced sport-suspension onto a series production Focus under these driving conditions is just about the worst thing you can do to it. Andreas Woehler: “Harder springs at the front and more stabiliser at the back give you more traction, but also more poisonous over-steer during load changes, which leads to less predictable driving characteristics.” Anyone It’s minus 23 degrees and a cutting wind is blowing over the ice who watched the test engineers drifting and – you have to be very careful that the shovel and tow-hook sliding across the ice here can bear witness to don’t freeze to your hands this. Geert van Noyen says: “We really lost a lot of ground when we brought the best summer stabiliser up here. It really threw us. We had to take the best of the known components and start testing again. One thing is for sure, we don’t want to end up with the performance the mains while the engineers sleep. These Focus being inferior to less powerful versions vehicular ’electric blankets’ offer valuable pro- on ice when it comes to handling and comfort tection against bitter arctic cold for batteries, performance.“ electronic components and the team’s computer equipment. So they go back out again in Beatrix and Grautvornix onto the icy test tracks. They brake, In late spring, the hustle and bustle of intensive drift, slalom, and go in circles on rough and testing finally begins to die down. Insiders smooth ice. Throughout the testing the team know that you don’t have to worry about being members are constantly comparing and discus- out on the ice when it occasionally rumbles and sing their impressions and analysis of the direct shows an ever-changing pattern of cracks and comparison between the two cars. The best splits. It’s when the ice is quiet that you have to way to do this is to stop frequently and talk take care because this means it’s thawing from through open driver’s door windows: it’s a lot the bottom up. Always the last parts to melt warmer than getting out of the cars for long, are the test tracks. You can see them from the involved discussion whilst standing around in air long after testing has ceased – obscure rings the –20° cold. still floating around with ducks or seagulls sitting on them, wondering what the auto Step by step, it is becoming clear that the new industry gets up to as summer slowly returns. combination of springs, shock absorbers and stabilisers is maturing into an ideal set-up that doesn’t allow the side effects of sporty suspension to override safety considerations.

Focus ST can’t drive circles around the diesel Focus on the ice like it could on a warm and dry race track, but now Beatrix can definitely hold her own and outperform Grautvornix up here.

After a few more fine-tuning laps of the icy lakes with spring/shock absorber combinations that showed room for improvement in summer, it’s becoming obvious that the ST is turning into a real cold weather talent.

Days and weeks pass in the arctic cold and no one complains about below zero temperatures. Every night as temperatures plunge, the cars’ electric motor block heaters are plugged into