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Automotive Industry

2002 Ford SVT Focus - Cars Worth Noting - Brief Article

Automotive Industries, March, 2002 by John Peter

Life is full of little surprises. First Ford surprises us with an impressive Focus ZX3. Now SVT has taken it to the next level with this mini muscle car.

No surprises here. The design is a lesson in understatement The new front and rear fascia, rocker panels and monochromatic body trim blend in so well that without a standard ZX3 for reference, you'd think it was stock.

The SVT interior is sharp and surprisingly up-scale for a car in this class. The Euro-Focus seats offer extra side bolster and the leather-trimmed black interior comes with either red or blue cloth seat- ing surfaces.

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The heart of this "souped up ZX3" is the 170 hp 2.0-:L Zetec 1-4. The engine is all-new from the block up. It features a new head casting, beefed-up valve train and new two-stage intake plenum that help push the redline to a surprising 7,200 rpm. A 4-into-2-into-1 header adds a sweet exhaust note.

Power is put down to the front wheels through a 6-speed Getrag transmission with a dual-mass flywheel, a first for a front-wheel-drive Ford vehicle in North America.

Large 11.8-inch front discs stop the car from 60 to O in 120 feet; which puts the SVT Focus in exotic car territory

Surprisingly, the only complaint with the SVT Focus is that it may be too good.

With its tuned suspension and 17-inch wheels and sticky Continental tires, the Focus isn't as tossable as I'd like. But the biggest surprise of all -- you can pick up the SVT Focus for under $18,000.

Automotive Industry

2002 Ford SVT Focus - Cars Worth Noting - Brief Article

Automotive Industries, March, 2002 by John Peter

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