Latest news with #FordFocusST
Auto Car
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep.143)
Close This week Steve Cropley and Matt Prior meet in a top designer's office to talk about some secret Rovers, why the upcoming death of the Ford Focus ST means to much, Steve's newly shiny Alpine A110, the Audi A3 PHEV, and much more besides, including your correspondence. Make sure you never miss an Autocar podcast. Subscribe to our podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts or via your preferred podcast platform. And if you subscribe, rate and review the pod, we'd really appreciate that too.
The Citizen
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Regional Extreme Festival delivers the magic to Zwartkops faithful
First series race in more than a month failed to disappoint. Louis Scholtz in his Car Care Clinic Honda Ballade won Saturday's ATS 200 event, the season's only endurance race for the Ferro Energia 111 Sports and Saloon Car category. Photograph: Bonnie Botha. Night-time spectacle, close racing and a sizeable crowd typified Saturday's fourth round of the Regional Extreme Festival Presented By Coca-Cola at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria. ATS 200 Heading up proceedings was the annual Zwartkops 200 event, the season's only endurance race for the Ferro Energia 111 Sports and Saloon Car category. The 84-lap race brought the great spectacle of night competition, plus the drama of pit stops against the clock to the event. Add close racing and unexpected winners, and the spectators got absolute value for the price of their tickets. ALSO READ: Kyalami shows its teeth to National and Regional Extreme Festivals The race was won by Louis Scholtz in his Car Care Clinic Honda Ballade. Second, three seconds adrift, was Wayne Robb in his Ford Focus ST, with Wouter Roos and Peet Visagie (Origen Oil Volkswagen Golf GTI) rounding out the podium just another two seconds further back. Johan Labuschagne (Muller Developments Subaru Impreza) was fourth, leading home Rob Clarke/Mike O'Sullivan (Containerforce Honda Ballade) and Shaun Vermaak/Strati Yianna (Gapcon Developments BMW 235i). 111 Sports and Saloon Car sprint Earlier in the day, the category's eight-lap sprint race saw George Economides win in his Wealth Avenue Volkswagen CitiGolf Turbo, chased to the line by Mark du Toit's TAR BMW Z4, the Car Care Clinic Volkswagen Golf GTI of Wouter Roos and the Ford Focus ST of Wayne Robb. BMW M Performance The opening BMW /// Performance Parts race for cars in Classes A, B and C went to Rick Loureiro (Combined 330i), ahead of Leon Loubser (Monaco Motors 335i), Fabio Fedetto (M4), Lourenzo Gualtieri (SavSpeed 328i Turbo) and Renier Smith (M3 Turbo). Loureiro won race two as well, followed by Loubser, Gualtieri and Smith. Rick Loureiro (Combined 330i) won both of the BMW /// Performance Parts race for cars in Classes A, B and C cars. Photograph: Bonnie Botha. The first race for Beemers in Classes D, E and F went to Mario Hattingh (Bravio Investment M2), leading home Andre' Scheepers (Curvent 325i Turbo), Richard Gerntholtz (FKN Army 330i) and Neil Reynolds (Valve Hospital 330i). Dawie Olivier (International Race Supplies BMW 325i) led race two from start to finish, followed by Scheepers, Bernard de Gouveia (De Gouveia Accountants M3) and Eugene Gouws (Master Mowers M3). ATE Volkswagen Challenge Jayden Goosen (Ferro Energia) won the first largely Polo campaigned ATE Volkswagen Challenge race ahead of Ian Walker (Mellow Velo), lady racer Elna Croeser (ATE Brakes) and Stuart Mack (AutoZone). Jayden Goosen (Ferro Energia) won both the ATE Volkswagen Challenge races. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. Goosen, Walker, Croeser and Mack took exactly the same positions in race two. V8 Supercars Veteran Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Auto Ford Mustang) won the first Dunlop V8 Supercar race, followed by Terry Wilford (Fuchs Ford Mustang), Thomas Reib (Café 9 Automotive Chevrolet Lumina) and Franco di Matteo (Di Matteo Jaguar XK8). Warren Lombard (Pepboys Automotive Ford Mustang) won race two, started from an inverted grid, leading home Reib, di Matteo and Richard Fuller (PotAbout Ford Falcon). Single-seaters Defending champion Lendl Jansen (Bull Security Rhema) won the first DOE CIM Lubricant Fuel Formula Vee race, narrowly ahead of Vaughn Hills (Mangaza MXTwo Rhema), MD Bester (Mangaza MXTwo Rhema) and Gert van den Berg (DOE Parts Mangaza Rhema). Jansen won race two as well, this time leading home Bester, Hills and Theodore Vermaak (DOE Parts Forza. The all-new Liqui Moly Super Vee category put up a good show, with their first race going to Jeanre le Roux (Liqui Moly Stealth). He led home Luchen Ramchander (Liqui Moly Stealth), Earl Swart (Liqui Moly Forza) and Phillip Bellingen (Liqui Moly Lantis). Race two was won by lady combatant Fabienne Lanz (Stealth), followed by Jeanre le Roux, Phillip Bellingen and Grant Will (Liqui Moly Ashley). Nationals next The next Extreme Festival event at Zwartkops will be a national round on Saturday, 21 June. NOW READ: Regional Extreme Festival puts on a fizzy display at Zwartkops
The Citizen
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Regional Extreme Festival preparing for lights out at Zwartkops
Third round of this year's championship will be headed by the ATS 200, a 200 km endurance race. The Zwartkops Raceway outside Pretoria will host round three of this year's Regional Extreme Festival Presented By Coca-Cola on Saturday, with the event to include one of inland competitors' annual highlights. 200 km endurance The highlight in question will be the ATS Zwartkops 200, the season's only endurance race for Ferro Energia 111 GT Sports and Saloon Cars. Wayne Robb (Ford Focus ST) should be contender for podium places in Saturday's Zwartkops 200 endurance race. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. The 200 kilometre race will include a mandatory three-minute pit stop, during which teams have to change at least one wheel on their cars, without the use of power tools. The race has attracted 39 entries, with pre-event victory favourites to include Wouter Roos and Peet Visagie (Origen Oils Volkswagen Golf GTI), Mark du Toit (TAR BMW Z4), Ishmail Peck (National Motorsport BMW 130i), Piet Potgieter (Nathan's Volkswagen Golf), Mike O'Sullivan (All Things Motoring Honda Ballade), Wayne Robb (Ford Focus ST) and Craig Priestley (Tactical Fluid Volkswagen Polo). ALSO READ: Kyalami shows its teeth to National and Regional Extreme Festivals Others to watch will include Melanie Spurr (Origen Oils Volkswagen Polo), Ishmael Baloyi (TAR Honda Civic), Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic Honda Ballade), Lenard Archer (ACD Welkom Hyundai Getz), Jonathan du Toit (TAR Honda Civic), Jonathan Visser (Auto Express Volkswagen Polo) and Shaun Vermaak/Strati Yannakis (Gapcon BMW M235i). BMW M Performance Heading up the supporting programme over two races each, the BMW M Performance Parts Series will be split in two categories due to the number entrants. Topping the list in classes A, B and C should be people like Leon Loubser (Monaco Motors 335i), Renier Smith (M3 Turbo), Nek Makris (335i), Bob Neil (Delmon Mining M3 Turbo), Anton Pommersheim (Eagle Granite M3 Turbo), Andreas Meier (#CEC 318i STC), Carlo Garbini (Kimbo 328i Turbo) and Fabio Fedetto (M4). Bernard de Gouveia (De Gouveia Accountants M3) should be the man to beat in the races for cars in Classes D, E and F. He will face off against drivers like Dawie Olivier (International Race Supplies 330i), Gerhard du Plessis (Deep Civils M240i), Nick Naidoo (Waldans Cartage 1 Series M Coupe), Craig Herbst (The Blue Store 335i), Eugene Gouws (Master Mowers M3), Neil Reynolds (Valve Hospital 330i) and Andre Scheepers (Curvent 325i Turbo). Volkswagen Challenge Wayne Masters (Performance Masters) should be the man to beat in the largely Polo campaigned ATE Volkswagen Challenge. Stuart Mack (AutoZone) currently tops the ATE Volkswagen Challenge title points ladder, and will wish to keep it like that on Saturday. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. He will be chased by drivers like Jayden Goosen (Ferro Energia), Elna Croeser (ATE Brakes), Dean Ross (Norbrake), Ian Walker (Mellow Velo), and current championship leader Stuart Mack (AutoZone). V8 Supercars The Dunlop V8 Supercars should see current title leader Warren Lombard (Pepboys Automotive Ford Mustang) fighting to maintain a narrow points lead over Thomas Reib (Café 9 Automotive Chevrolet Lumina). Warren Lombard (Pepboys Automotive Ford Mustang) will go to Zwartkops as the current Dunlop V8 Supercar points leader. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. Others who could challenge for podiums should include Wayne Spicer (Wellness Group Jaguar XK8), Franco di Matteo (Di Matteo Jaguar XK8), Terry Wilford (Fuchs Ford Mustang), Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Auto Ford Mustang), Auke Compaan (CMI Lubricants Ford Mustang), Richard Fuller (PotAround Ford Falcon) and Steve Herbst (Prei Instrumentation Chevrolet Corvette). Single-seaters The all-new Liqui Moly Super Vee category will kick off with a 21-car grid, led by drivers like Lushen Ramchander (Liqui Moly Forza), Blane de Meilon (Lantis), Morgan Jacobs (Liqui Moly Stealth), Nick van der Westhuizen (N+W Stealth), Kanya Mahajana (Sting) and Mark Tucker (Forza). The all-new Liqui Moly Super Vee category will kick off with a 21-car grid, led by drivers like Lushen Ramchander (Liqui Moly Forza). Photograph: Brandsponential. With 26 drivers facing the starter, the DOE CIM Lubricants Formula Vee races should see ultra close spectacle, with top competitors likely to include title defender Lendl Jansen (Bull Security Rhema), Peter Hills (MXTwo Rhema), Gert van den Berg (DOE Parts Rhema), MD Bester (MXTwo Rhema), David Austin (DA Rhema), Anton van der Merwe (MonitorNet Rhema) and Vaughn Hills (MXTwo Rhema). How much and when? The Zwartkops gates will be open from 06h00, with racing to commence at 09h30. Admission will cost R140 per adult and R100 per student, with kids under the age of 12 going in for free. Food and drink will be on sale or you may take your own and you are welcome to set up camp and braai on the grass embankments. Everybody is invited to visit the pits and the circuit's Mini Moke trains will run between spectator areas and the pit gate throughout the day. The full event programme will be available on the Extreme Festival Presented By Coca-Cola website closer to the weekend. All relevant spectator information can also be accessed via the Extreme Festival Links page. The day's events will be broadcast live on the Extreme Festival website. NOW READ: Regional Extreme Festival puts on a fizzy display at Zwartkops
The Courier
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Courier
Final Ford Focus ST taken on last hurrah in Highland Perthshire
I've been writing about cars for this newspaper since 2006 and this must be at least the 10th Ford Focus ST I've driven, if not closer to the 15th. They're always a pleasure. The latest version has a 2.3 litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 280hp. The model that was dropped on my doorstep in Dundee came in an attention-grabbing bright shade of blue, which was ideal. Hot hatches shouldn't be boring. The headline figures are 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. But that doesn't tell the whole story. Plenty of electric cars these days can better that acceleration figure. The delight of a hot hatch is in the way the straight line speed pairs with cornering ability. When I became a motoring writer in 2006 the majority of cars were manual and it was unusual to have an automatic model. That situation has flipped entirely, so much so that this is the first manual car I've driven this year. After my left hand refamiliarised itself with what to do I thoroughly enjoyed changing gears. Fords have always had nice gearboxes and it was a pleasure to snick my way through the speeds, with the engine giving a pleasing roar each time. One day a work job took me up to Pitlochry. It would have felt wrong to cruise home on the boring A9 so instead I wound my way back to Dundee through a series of backroads. Its dynamic chassis, light weight, and accurate steering make it much more fun to string through a series of bends than even the fastest car Tesla can produce. There are loads of drive modes to play around with too: Slippery, Normal, Sport and Track. I found track too savage for day-to-day driving. It didn't rain much when I had the car so Slippery mode went untested, and I spend half the time in Normal and the other half in Sport. Suffice to say there's a mode to suit everyone. The Focus ST comes with an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, which is a fancy name for a piece of kit that helps prevent wheelspin. Even when I gave it full welly from a standstill the tyres didn't spin fruitlessly; they gripped smartly and got on with their job. Regular readers will be aware cars get praised when they have easy-to-use buttons or dials for the major controls. Putting the heating controls on a touchscreen, as Ford has done here, makes me shake my head in disappointment. When you're driving it's so much fiddlier to adjust the temperature or fan settings if you have to stab a tiny corner of a screen. That goes double when the car you're driving is as fast and fun as the Focus ST. That niggle aside, the Focus ST's interior is otherwise praiseworthy. Bolstered part-leather seats hold you in place during even the tightest cornering. They adjust electrically and despite being firm I found them comfortable. Red stitching, alloy pedals and ST-engraved stainless steel plates on the sills further elevate the car above the workaday basic Focus. The fun doesn't stop when darkness falls either – powerful adaptable LED headlights blaze the way ahead on even the blackest of nights. You can accompany your ride with a thrilling soundtrack thanks to the 10-speaker Band & Olufsen stereo system. When you're not using the Focus ST as a performance car it does a perfectly good imitation of a family hatchback. Children have plenty of room in the back and there's space in the boot for a large shopping trip or the family dog. There's even an estate version of the Focus ST if you want a more practical performance car. A not-at-all-unreasonable fuel economy figure of 34.5mpg means the Focus ST can be used as an everyday runaround without feeling like you're pouring petrol down the drain. Prices for the Focus ST start at around £37,000. I drove a limited edition model called, er, the Edition, which comes with a Track Pack that enhances performance. It had a price tag of just under £43,000. Sadly, this is probably the last Focus ST I'll drive. Ford has called time on the car – it will come off sale at the end of this year, pulling the curtain on a run that stretches back to the first ever Focus ST in 1998. I drove my first one in 2007 and my last one in 2025. I'll always have fond memories of it. Price: £42,905 0-62mph: 5.7 seconds Top speed: 155mph Economy: 34.9mpg CO2 emissions: 185g/km
