yet another hot Ford that will never see the US

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:36 am

ew Ford Focus ST-3 WR300 Hot Hatch

The all new Ford Focus WR300, the hottest hatch on the planet with an incredible 300BHP designed by German car tuning specialist Wolf Racing. Available soon to buy in the UK from selected New Ford dealers, you have an opportunity to get the finest fast Ford since the Ford GT

Fast Ford enthusiasts have never been so privileged – and it’s down to the fact that we are surrounded by hot hatches from Renault, VW, Vauxhall and Citreon. Ford have got to keep up or get lost amongst the others. Back in the Eighties Ford made so many souped-up fam¬ily cars, the Blue Oval became a household name for fast cars. In 1989, the Ford Escort RS Turbo pumped out 130bhp, due to a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine, which soon became a classic fast ford. These days the New Fiesta ST has an extraordinary 150bhp and the New Ford Focus produces a whopping 217bhp, giving Fast Ford buyers a cracking choice of hot hatches to purchase.
In an ever competitive marketplace, you have to stay one step ahead or you risk losing your customers to a rival, so it is a fine line sometimes as to which are the better cars as they are all so finely matched. The Vauxhall VXR is the most powerful hot hatch on the forecourt at the moment with an astounding 240BHP, over 20BHP more than the ST Focus.
Not one to be outdone though, Ford decided they need to raise the bar a little bit more. Well they have certainly set the bar at a very high level by making the ST WR300. With a lot of technical input from the German tuning specialist Wolf Racing, you have got a hot hatch which knocks socks off its rivals, and lucky for us, it’s on sale in the UK soon!
With a larger turbo and a completely revised engine management system, the New Ford Focus ST’s 2.5-litre engine produces 296bhp and 386Nm of torque. The top guys at Wolf predict the 0-60mph time is slashed from 6.5 seconds to 5.9 seconds, with the top speed jumping up to 160mph, although this would most likely be limited due to our UK road restrictions. It’s alright for the Wolf team in Germany with the freedom of the autobahns!
I could baffle you with science and quote all the statistics under the sun, but the main thing that you are all asking is, what’s it like to drive? Although the basic looks of the car remain the same, you know for sure that you are trying the WR300, because it is rapid beyond belief and an absolute dream to drive. Thanks to a boost limiting system and revised traction control, power and torque are progressively increased through the gears, so you aren't snaking all over the road when you put your foot down.
In first and second gear the WR300 controls the torque steer as well as the standard car, and when you get into the higher gears the ST absolutely romps away. Acceler¬ation is as strong as it can be, without compromising the drive quality, and there’s no turbo lag at all. If you can’t wait to get your hands on the New Ford Focus WR300, then you can get the conversion kit from Wolf around £3,499. So basically for under £20,000 you get a brand new ST1 or Ford Focus ST 2 or maybe a nearly new ST3, stick the Wolf kit on, and you will be smoking about in a 300bhp hot hatch. Like most things in life, there is a downside to every upside. At the moment there are only 3 Ford Dealers in the UK that can convert your car for you. If you do get your car upgraded, then you forfeit the remainder of your manufacturer’s warranty, although you do get a 12 warranty with the conversion and like I mentioned earlier we are kind of restricted on our roads to truly take advantage of this cars superb power, although track days would be a day out to remember. Like all cars of this ilk, you can expect your motor insurance to go up as well as your weekly fuel bills, but that is a small price to pay for driving a car like this one.
The New Ford Focus WR300 is quicker than the standard version, has better response through the gears and sounds fantastic. If you are looking for the ultimate Ford Focus, then this is the car for you – at least until Wolf unveil there WR330 and WR360 models later on in 2007.

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yet another hot Ford that will never see the US

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