Marcus Grönholm: “It’s the closest and best battle in my career"

BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen won Rally New Zealand today after a titanic battle with arch rival Sébastien Loeb produced the closest finish in the history of the FIA World Rally Championship. The ice-cool Finns withstood immense pressure inside their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car to win this 11th round of the series by just 0.3sec after more than 350km of blistering driving - a margin which equates to 7.5 metres or less than two car lengths!

It was 39-year-old Grönholm's fifth victory of the season and also his fifth in New Zealand, making him the most successful driver in the event's history. It extended his lead in the drivers' championship to 10 points. Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen finished third in another Focus RS to seal BP-Ford's seventh double podium of the season and extend the reigning champion's lead in the manufacturers' series to 46 points.

New Zealand's North Island roads provide some of the best rallying territory in the world. The smooth and flowing gravel speed tests wound their way through lush, green countryside close to the Tasman Sea coastline, west of Hamilton. Muddy roads during the opening leg contrasted with dry and dusty conditions throughout the second day and damp tracks today to provide a tricky tyre choice throughout the three-day event.

The margin between Grönholm and Loeb never rose above 15sec and the duo started the final leg with the Frenchman ahead by 1.7sec. After overnight storms the roads dried quickly but were still damp and Grönholm opted for BFGoodrich's soft compound rubber throughout the day's seven special stages covering 95.94km.

He moved ahead on the opening stage but Loeb retaliated to lead by 0.5sec after the next test. He extended that to 2.9sec before the BP-Ford driver edged ahead with three consecutive stage wins, culminating in a thrilling performance through the classic Whaanga Coast test, one of the most spectacular in the championship. Grönholm started the final 3.14km test with a 0.7s lead, enough to claim his 30th career win.

"It was an incredible fight all weekend and this win is fantastic for my championship hopes, " said Grönholm. "It's the closest and best battle in my career and I'm delighted to have won it. There wasn't room for a single missed gearchange. I'm really happy for the team, more so because everyone was able to stand outside and watch the final stage near the service park and share in our excitement when we knew we had done it.

"I stayed calm in the rally car and that's something I've learned from many years' practice of attacking. The only big stress came with choosing tyres because the conditions were inconsistent and when it's as close as it has been here, then one wrong tyre choice would have ruined everything. It's good to extend my championship lead and I think it's going to be a great end to the season, " he added.

Hirvonen held third from Friday's opening stage. With no pressure from behind and no opportunity to join the fierce battle ahead, the 27-year-old Finn took no risks to settle for his sixth consecutive podium and ninth of the season. "I made one wrong tyre choice on Friday and I was out of the battle, " he said. "I'm not upset with third and I've enjoyed the weekend but I was a little unhappy with my driving and not being able to join Seb and Marcus in the fight for victory. But I feel like I've learned how to drive here and it was important for the team to get the points for third. "

BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said the timing of the win was perfect considering the rallies remaining. "It's good psychologically for Marcus and has strengthened our position in both championships. It's outstanding for him to come from behind and win and I've never seen a finish like that in my career. When I saw Marcus jumping up and down on the roof of his car at the finish line I knew he had done it. Now I'm going to send him a bill for the dents to the roof! " he said.

Ford Team RS director Jost Capito was equally exhilarated by the outcome. "The drama and excitement we've seen over the weekend was a match for any of the world's great sporting events and demonstrates what a thrilling sport WRC is. My congratulations to Marcus and Timo who kept cool under the most extreme pressure, " he said.

Source: http://www.autoracingdaily.com/article/marcus_groenholm_its_the_closest_and_best_battle_in_my_career_and_im_deligh/

Comment on Ford Focus 2.0S First Impression Test Drive

There are a few cars that one would look forward to getting into in order to experience something because it has a certain reputation surrounding it. You have the BMW 3-Series with the expectations of its fantastic 50:50 weight balance, or the Mercedes Benz S-Class because it is seen as the pinnacle of comfort at under a million ringgit. The Ford Focus is one of those cars that you approach with anticipation.

The original Ford Focus had fantastic handling thanks to its Control Blade rear suspension. Its independent rear suspension offers a rare mix of passenger comfort and a lively driver's experience, something most cars could not do at that time.

Naturally you would expect the Mk2 Focus introduced in 2004 to carry on it's predecessor's values. The new Ford Focus is based on Ford's Global C1 platform which is also used by the Volvo S40/V50/C30/C70, the Mazda3, and Focus C-MAX. The legendary suspension design has been carried over pretty much unchanged from the first generation Focus, and the body shell is stiffer by 10%.

The end result is a fantastic drive, though I do not really have the Focus Mk1 to compare to not having driven it before. The mixture of both comfort and sportiness that Ford achieved is really something to talk about. It feels very different from a Mazda3 as although that is a capable car it just does not inspire you with enough confidence to attack the corners like the Focus as the Mazda3 steering is rather dead. It makes a world of difference when it comes to the driving experience.

Like most modern inline-4 engines with variable valve timing, the 2.0 liter Duratec DOHC 16 valve engine offers some decent punch at low RPMs for you to inch your way through slow traffic. It produces 107kW of power at 6000rpm and 185Nm of torque at 4500rpm. It's no scorching straight line performer, but the 4-speed gearbox is one of them smart ones that keeps the revs up when you are driving aggressively – there is no irritating upshift on the slightest throttle lift-off that causes you to have to downshift again to keep up the pace later.

While its competitors have moved on to funkier interiors with self-illuminating meter faces, the Focus retains a utilitarian dash design with rather traditional green backlit meter faces and oval-shaped air conditioning vents which seem to mimic the outline of the Ford badge. Nevertheless, interior plastic quality was best in class, similar to the really soft plastics that flexed when you pushed into them. This was the stuff you got in cars 10 years ago. It was really quite surprising really, as I had thought no modern car save for the luxury sedans would use this type of soft touch material anymore.

The Focus has decent specs. It is the only car in the C-Segment with rear air conditioning vents, and all four power window buttons have auto up and auto down functions. As you would expect with the way the rear of the car slopes, the car has a rather big boot, something we are not really used to seeing in a hatchback. The side window flip feature is rather interesting, rather than the mirrors being fully open or fully closed, you can actually control how much they turn in and out gradually. So you can actually hold down the button until the mirror is flipped in half way and leave it in that position. I think this would be useful in situations where you need the variable view for parking.

If you don't need the larger interior space that its competitors offer, the Ford Focus is a rather decent buy for those who value driving dynamics in their daily ride. Other than the fact that it's competitors have grown in size, it's really hard to find much to complain about in the Ford Focus. Plus Ford is now offering a 5-year free service promotion for the Focus and Escape as part of a Merdeka promotion, so no worries for the next 5 years. But the promotion ends on the 31st of August 2007, so it's kind of a last minute thing now.

Source: http://paultan.org/archives/2007/08/29/ford-focus-20s-first-impression-test-drive/#comment-108764

Adaptive damping system added to the new Ford Mondeo

Ford has announced the availability of a new adaptive damping system for the latest generation Mondeo in Europe. Although Ford is calling it an active suspension system, what it has described clearly doesn't meet the definition of a system that senses the forces on the body and wheels, and actively moves them up and down to follow the road surface.

Nonetheless, systems like this have proven very effective at offering optimized ride and handling on different road surfaces and driving conditions. The adaptive damping lets the car get better handling without a harsh ride and at a much lower cost than a true active system. Ford is calling its system Interactive Vehicle Dynamic Control (IVDC) and it includes four accelerometers at the corners in addition to yaw, pitch and roll sensors to adjust the damping on the fly. The setup will run £650 (about $1,300) in Britain and all the details are pasted in after the jump.

Source: http://nikhusni.com/cars/adaptive-damping-system-added-to-the-new-ford-mondeo/

Marcus Grönholm: “I’ve not been on the limit and hopefully I’ll find that tomorrow"

BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen face a thrilling final leg showdown tomorrow with arch rival Sébastien Loeb as the victory battle on Rally New Zealand reached a remarkable intensity today. The Finns start the last day of this 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship just 1.7sec behind the Frenchman in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car after two days and almost 260km of gripping competition over spectacular North Island roads.

With the two protagonists also duelling for points at the head of the drivers' championship, the stunning Tasman Sea coastline south of Raglan will be the setting for a dramatic finale to one of the closest encounters witnessed in the WRC for some time.

BP-Ford team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen continue to hold third in another Focus RS. The Finns are 1min 12.5sec behind Loeb, having adopted a no-risk policy today but maintaining a strong pace to keep them in the ideal position should either of the frontrunners strike trouble.

In contrast to yesterday's mud, today's six gravel speed tests were dry and dust clouds kicking up from the rear of the cars provided spectacular images as competitors weaved through the lush green countryside. Drivers tackled three special stages this morning near Port Waikato, north-west of the rally base in Hamilton, before a second pass over a short test at the event's service park. Two longer tests over wider roads near Te Akau formed the afternoon itinerary, a total of 130.10km.

Tyre choice this morning was tricky with some roads reported to be dry and others still damp. Grönholm, leading overnight by 13.0sec, opted for BFGoodrich's medium soft compound with small cuts carved into the rubber. After Grönholm and Loeb shared a win each on the opening two tests, the 39-year-old Finn's 14.9sec advantage was cut to just 4.0sec as the dry roads of the 31.58km Franklin proved unsuited to his tyres. The battle raged again throughout the afternoon with Loeb edging ahead in the final few kilometres.

"This morning I took tyres that were too soft and they didn't work on the long stage, " he explained. "The car was like a snake and was sliding a lot. I lost my rhythm and lost time to Loeb, who had a harder tyre. Tyre choice was crucial but it's hard to make the right decision standing here when the stages are two hours and 100km away. Then halfway through the last stage I hit a hole and thought I had punctured. I eased off because the car felt nervous and suddenly three or four seconds went.

"It wasn't such a perfect drive from me today. I didn't have that usual 'super' feeling with the car or my driving. I've not been on the limit and hopefully I'll find that tomorrow. The gap is small and I hope I can turn it around. I would like to win this with the championship in mind, but if I don't, then I don't. Second wouldn't be a disaster, but it would make the championship very tight. Tonight we've made a few small changes to the differential programme and suspension for tomorrow. It will be a great battle! " he added.

Hirvonen encountered similar tyre difficulties to Grönholm this morning. However, with no pressure from behind he was able to consolidate his overnight third on the opening group of tests. A similarly strong pace this afternoon ensured he returned to Hamilton tonight with a comfortable 49.8sec lead over fourth-placed Jari-Matti Latvala.

"I've not pushed too hard but I wanted to stay close and produce some good times so that if anything happens to one of the guys ahead, I can be there, " said Hirvonen. "It was a consistent day with no big attack. But it was a shame I wasn't fighting with someone because when there's no battle you tend to ease off a little.

"The roads were drier than we thought this morning and in general my tyres were too soft. This afternoon they were harder and it was a good choice. The afternoon stages were wider and faster, a bit more like the roads in Finland and I really enjoyed driving on those, " he added.

BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson admitted he was enthralled by the fight at the front. "It has been incredible to see two drivers battling at this pace. Sometimes it's easier to challenge from behind. There is a lot at stake tomorrow and Marcus has only one strategy. He wants to win so has to keep pushing and put the pressure on Loeb, " he said.

Source: http://www.autoracingdaily.com/article/marcus_groenholm_ive_not_been_on_the_limit_and_hopefully_ill_find_that_tomo/

2008 Ford Focus ST Black Edition: Inspired by KITT

Yeah, we're not joking; even if Ford's press release on the Focus ST Black Edition is available only in German, French and Italian, it's evidently clear through the translation that FoMoCo says that limited edition version of the Focus ST could be K.I.T.T's smaller brother!
This is the second time in a few months that Ford Europe has released a special version of the Focus ST –they came out with the WRC ST back in July. This one, available in a mere 50 units in Switzerland, features a sinister black paint job matched with orange graphic along the body and the new 19-inch OZ Superturismo WP wheels wrapped in Dunlop SP Sportmaxx rubber, sized 225/35Z. Under its "K.I.T.T." looks though, everything remains stock with the ST sticking to the turbocharged 2.5L 5-cylinder unit that produces 225 Hp. -Badly (…) translated press release after the jump
Via: Autoblog.com , Source: Ford Europe
Ford Focus ST Black Edition: The "Supercar" for the common ones died them
(That's what the exact translation we received...)
Ford Focus ST Black Edition introduces in releasing, sport garment and also a little bad one in single most limited the special edition of black color of 50 exemplary: even if little, the exemplary of the sport model from CHF 47 990 with complete preparation have enormous potentialities. Nearly how much those of the intelligent machine of the television series of the years eighty "Supercar".

To the primaverile launch of Focus ST WRC Edition new edition of the loved Ford model follows one that is introduced at the same time in sport garment of black color but of impeccable elegance. From the aesthetic point of view Focus ST Black Edition could calmly be the smaller sister of the famous car of the television series American "Supercar": with its black varnish Panther Black, the aggressive one written Black Edition, the opaque black coverings of the fog light and the grill of the radiator with the parts advanced and inferior painted in black, the car little remembers a K.I.T.T., the famous one bolide of the road. The only things that Ford Focus ST Black Edition in superlimited edition is not in a position to making are to speak and to move independently.

The 50 exemplary Black Edition are equip you of excluded black circles to you in light alloy from 19 inches OZ Superturismo GT, realize to you for Ford in black opaque purposely with written orange. To the circles they are binds together the tires to you us Dunlop wide and superlowered "SP Sportmaxx" (225/35Z R19). The great posterior aileron in the color of the auto body allows to obtain one optimal deportanza. The beacons bi-xeno guarantee a dazzling tonality of the identical light for and low-beam headlights and assure a wide and clear lighting system of the road for being able to characterize in time eventual dangers. Also the inner ones with finishes in black varnish polish, seats Recaro sportswomen, head rest with taken care of seams, flying ergonomic covered in skin and exclusive knurl of the change covered in skin is in perfect harmony with the style all black. Between the worthy particular of famous of the preparations of the car three doors they are from signaling a system Sony stereo with loader for 6 CD, a practical system of air conditioning automatic rifle to two zones and the heatable windshield and QuickClear® reflecting.

Ford Focus ST Black Edition mounts the motor rinomato one upsets to 5 cylinders of 2,5 liters able to transmit to drive shaft 225 CV (166 kW) to 6100 turns. Still more impressive is the distributed brace of 320 newtonmetri between 1600 and 4000 turns. This motor, in combination with the precise change to six marce, guarantees entusiasmanti performances of march of the car to front-wheel drive. Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in the 6,8 second and maximum speeds of 241 km/h.

But since beyond to the high speeds it must guarantee also an exceptional refrained rapidity of, the car is equipped of a modified system refraining in a position to perfectly holding under control this extraordinary distribution of power. On the front chassis autoventilati discs of the diameter of 320 millimeters operate with reliability and pliers to four pistons, while on the posterior wheels they are applies to you to high discs 280 millimeters and pliers to two pistons. A system antiblocking to four channels (ABS) with electronic ripartitore of refraining force (EBD) guarantees short distances of held perfect arrest and of road in refrained phase of. And in case the force of the 225 horses joins uncontrollable, subentra the selective participation on the refrained one of the electronic system of stability (ESP). The interested customers do not have to lose time: the first 50 will be also the last ones.

Source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2007/08/2008-ford-focus-st-black-edition.html

have you driven a ford car before?

I could recall the excitement and joy the day I got my driving license. It felt great to know how to drive! It was those young women's thing at that time and I called out some close friends for a celebration! For a long time I didn't have a car until I stepped out of the working world. Being a young graphic designer, I could only afford used cars so I borrowed some money from my parents and shared an used Ford with my brother. We looked through the classified ads and after a few viewings, we finally bought a Ford Focus 1.6 Lx from one of the Ford dealers.

Being a hatchback with power assisted steering, the Ford Focus was easy to manoeuvre and drive around. Other than some occasional screeching from the brakes, it was an used car that served both my brother and myself for more than 5 years. At 1.6 Lx, it wasn't as powerful as some Japanese car models, but the price was affordable and it seemed to save on petrol too. If I could recall, we only had to send it to the mechanics twice, one occasion was to fix the electric windows which wouldn't move up and down smoothly and the other problem was the car brakes.

We were thankful not to experience any accidents during that 5+ years except for some gentle knocks and dents. On one occasion, I ramped up a big kerb and almost thought I had lost the tyres but to my surprise, the car drove off fine except for some scratches on the rear door. Looking back, my brother got mad and banned me from touching that car for a fortnight.

We had both moved on to driving other cars now but the used car we shared brought us much memories of siblings bonding and the good old days of growing up. Have you driven a Ford before?


Source: http://dorischua.blogspot.com/2007/09/have-you-driven-ford-car-before.html

Ford Focus 2.0S First Impression Test Drive

There are a few cars that one would look forward to getting into in order to experience something because it has a certain reputation surrounding it. You have the BMW 3-Series with the expectations of its fantastic 50:50 weight balance, or the Mercedes Benz S-Class because it is seen as the pinnacle of comfort at under a million ringgit. The Ford Focus is one of those cars that you approach with anticipation.
Read the rest of the write-up after the jump.

The original Ford Focus had fantastic handling thanks to its Control Blade rear suspension. Its independent rear suspension offers a rare mix of passenger comfort and a lively driver's experience, something most cars could not do at that time.
Naturally you would expect the Mk2 Focus introduced in 2004 to carry on it's predecessor's values. The new Ford Focus is based on Ford's Global C1 platform which is also used by the Volvo S40/V50/C30/C70, the Mazda3, and Focus C-MAX. The legendary suspension design has been carried over pretty much unchanged from the first generation Focus, and the body shell is stiffer by 10%.

The end result is a fantastic drive, though I do not really have the Focus Mk1 to compare to not having driven it before. The mixture of both comfort and sportiness that Ford achieved is really something to talk about. It feels very different from a Mazda3 as although that is a capable car it just does not inspire you with enough confidence to attack the corners like the Focus as the Mazda3 steering is rather dead. It makes a world of difference when it comes to the driving experience.
Like most modern inline-4 engines with variable valve timing, the 2.0 liter Duratec DOHC 16 valve engine offers some decent punch at low RPMs for you to inch your way through slow traffic. It produces 107kW of power at 6000rpm and 185Nm of torque at 4500rpm. It's no scorching straight line performer, but the 4-speed gearbox is one of them smart ones that keeps the revs up when you are driving aggressively – there is no irritating upshift on the slightest throttle lift-off that causes you to have to downshift again to keep up the pace later.

While its competitors have moved on to funkier interiors with self-illuminating meter faces, the Focus retains a utilitarian dash design with rather traditional green backlit meter faces and oval-shaped air conditioning vents which seem to mimic the outline of the Ford badge. Nevertheless, interior plastic quality was best in class, similar to the really soft plastics that flexed when you pushed into them. This was the stuff you got in cars 10 years ago. It was really quite surprising really, as I had thought no modern car save for the luxury sedans would use this type of soft touch material anymore.

The Focus has decent specs. It is the only car in the C-Segment with rear air conditioning vents, and all four power window buttons have auto up and auto down functions. As you would expect with the way the rear of the car slopes, the car has a rather big boot, something we are not really used to seeing in a hatchback. The side window flip feature is rather interesting, rather than the mirrors being fully open or fully closed, you can actually control how much they turn in and out gradually. So you can actually hold down the button until the mirror is flipped in half way and leave it in that position. I think this would be useful in situations where you need the variable view for parking.

If you don't need the larger interior space that its competitors offer, the Ford Focus is a rather decent buy for those who value driving dynamics in their daily ride. Other than the fact that it's competitors have grown in size, it's really hard to find much to complain about in the Ford Focus. Plus Ford is now offering a 5-year free service promotion for the Focus and Escape as part of a Merdeka promotion, so no worries for the next 5 years.

Source: http://paultan.org/archives/2007/08/29/ford-focus-20s-first-impression-test-drive/

Music on the Road: Ford and Microsoft Show Their Sync

Yesterday, I saw a demo of Ford and Microsoft's new Sync system for connecting and controlling music devices and mobile phones through your car, using USB and Bluetooth technology.

The product was announced at CES  and Bill Howard wrote about the system for pcmag.com afterwards, but this was the first time I had a chance to see it in person, and I came away quite impressed. What stood out the most was the relative simplicity of the interface and the quality of voice recognition.

The first demo I saw was in a Ford Edge SUV which had a large display designed for a navigation system (pictured). Demos I saw showed various music devices plugged in via USB (in a compartment in the arm rest), including an iPod, iPhone, Zune, and just a plain old USB memory key with music on it. The Sync system picked up the songs, and voice recognition let you choose the band or song to play by just speaking the name. I said "Play Counting Crows" and it worked.

The system also works with any phone that has a bluetooth connection, letting you stream music from the phone, although in that case, you don't have voice control over what is playing. But you can use voice control to place and answer calls, with the system reading the address book from the phone -- a very useful feature. Also, I was impressed by how well the system could read incoming text messages (including smileys and other text abbreviations), and let you respond with a small but useful list of preprogrammed replies.

All of this shows up very nicely on the screen. It also seems to work well as an integrated whole, with the music fading down when a call comes in, etc. However, I was disappointed that while it shared the screen with the navigation system, it wasn't particularly integrated with the directions. So if you are playing music, it isn't interrupted by driving instructions.

I also saw another version, in a Ford Focus, that just had a small text display, but it offered pretty much the same features; and an in-between version in a Lincoln. It's great to see this kind of feature offered on a large range of cars, not just the high end. Ford plans on offering the system on a dozen models this fall. It's not inexpensive -- it's a $395 option on most models-- but it is less than most similar systems I've seen.

Source: http://blog.pcmag.com/blogs/miller/archive/2007/08/29/2083.aspx