Re: Ford Focus Rally

[Howard gentry <zymmer4@domain.elided>]

--- George Graves <gmgraves@domain.elided> wrote:
> Why indeed? Is it AWD? I would think that the Ford
> Special Vehicle Team 
> (SVT) in Dearborn would have glommed on to it.
> 
> >
> George Graves
> '86 GTV-6
> 
> 
> 
> On Sunday, Feb 16, 2003, at 22:50 US/Pacific,
> alfa-digest wrote:
> 
> >
> > Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 18:16:17 -0800
> > From: "Thomas Moll" <moltek@domain.elided>
> > Subject:Ford Focus Rally
> > Actually George, Ford has made a group A rally
> version of the Focus 
> > and one
> > of them finished fourth in the recent Swedish
> Rally. The big question 
> > is why
> > it's not sold here in the US?!
> >
> > Thomas Moll
> > Seattle
> >
> > - ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "George Graves" <gmgraves@domain.elided>
> > To: <alfa@domain.elided>
> > Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2003 1:15 PM
> > Subject: Re: alfa-digest V9 #269
> >
> >
> >> The problem with Ford and GM is they almost NEVER
> make the kinds of
> >> cars that enthusiasts crave. They CAN. They know
> how, they just don't
> >> and won't. I remember well how, in the early
> '60's, when Ford came up
> >> with the gorgeous original Mustang, in spite of
> the fact that it was
> >> light, nimble, and quick 2-seater with mid-engine
> and a integral
> >> 'bread-basket-handle" roll-over bar,  Lee
> Ioccoca, in a famous memo to
> >> Henry II, said: " ...When I see the type of
> people who want us to 
> >> build
> >> this car (the real ca-buffs), I am more and more
> convinced that is NOT
> >> the kind of car that Ford should be building..."
> When we finally got
> >> the Mustang, what was it? A warmed over Ford
> Falcon. The Focus SVT is 
> >> a
> >> neat car with a great engine and tranny. But if
> Mitsubishi and Subaru
> >> can come out with AWD rally versions of their
> Imprezza and Evolution,
> >> why can't Ford make a balls-to-the-wall rally
> version of their winning
> >> Focus?  Obviously they could, but they must not
> want to. If they did,
> >> I, for one, would be standing in line at the Ford
> dealership right 
> >> now.
> >>
> >> George Graves
> >> '86 GTV-6
> --
Gentlemen,
     To say Any car
company(skoda,citron,ford,etc)makes a FIA ralley car
is a misnomer.  These FIA cars bear as little
resemblance to a production car as does a Winston
stock car to the car in production that it resembles.
     The Ford Focus that campaigns in the FIA WORLD
RALLEY CHAMPIONSHIP rounds is nothing more than a
$500,000 purpose built race car. Allwheel drive,
adjustable everything, tublar frame, etc. and it looks
a little like the car it is named after.
     If Ford decided to build a street version of this
car, it would be but a shadow of the FIA car; and durn
expensive, I would imagine.
     But there is a main point of performance that
these world class ralley cars have that we public
consumers can only dream about..and that is TIRES. At
any world ralley, all of the teams have hand built
tires, as many as 10 different compounds and tread
designs.None of these tires are good for the public.
These tires, beastly expensive, are to be ruined in
ONE 25 mile stage. Then, depending on the make up of
the next stage roadway, another set is doctored to
tackle that section.It may have completely different
tread, compound and size..and each corner may have a
different tire on it.
     So, if Ford did build us a Focus that had all
wheel drive, it would not have a paddle shift tranny
or the magic tires that the FIA team uses.
    We can only dream of such a car in our driveways.
Howard
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