Want to see the 2009 Focus? *Pics added!

[hotrodkris]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyzx3

This car with wide fender flares if executed correctly would be truly epic looking. Very much like a 3-series Bimmer.

FIFY

[CaysE]

Anything executed correctly looks correct.

And I agree about the C30 comment Brian made, mostly cause I said the same thing a page back. But like CheckMyVitals also said, Volvo just doesn't have the visibility that Ford does.

[TheBlueHornet]

Umm...I thought they were going to redesign it?!?

So now it has a bigger grill, EAP wheels, and a mini Cossie wing.

Ill return to the thread in 2010, when hopefully somebody crumples up the plans to this atrocity and returns to the FoCuS what made it popular it the first place...STYLE.

[jasinger]

Oogly!

[lunarc]

Damnit, Ford isn't drawing me back with this one!

[eff]

Originally Posted by 2focusd

You know what guys, the "Euro Focus" we all yearn for is already sold here in the US, it's called the Volvo C30. Sure you can bitch about the little differences between the two, but have you ever driven a Focus ST to compare these differences? For regular intents and purposes, it'd be a damn near identical car to the vehicle you all keep insisting needs to be sold on our shores. -Brian

You have no idea what you write about.
The C30 is absolutely nothing like the euro Focus ST.
Yes it shares a platform but that does not make these 2 cars anything alike.

I dare you to make a trip to Euroland and feel the differences.

[adamw]

Originally Posted by CheckMyVitals

I've always wondered about this, and I think the new STi will settle my curiosity. If the hatch STi outsells (or at least remains even to) the old STi sedan, then NA is ready for hatches. If it doesn't it does prove my notion that the Mazda3 and Focus hatches sold well because the performance or sport versions were left to the hatches. Now, I left the GTI out for a reason. I'm not going to take a hit at VW fans (I'm a huge VAG fan myself), but I consider them to be an entirely different breed. Not something I would base any car market appeal on.

Now, the point I was getting to about the Euro car was more something I was pointing out, to counter a point people were trying to make in this thread: that the MK1.75 (yes, I'm going to continue using it) is selling. Of course it's selling. To some it's a cheap car. To others it's a proven chassis. Either way, it gets the job done no matter who you are... unless you're a hatch fan and have become accustomed to the incredible luxury of having a hatch. But the point I was trying to make is that the Euro hatch will sell MORE. Guaranteed.
This:

will not offend, nor deter anyone who is currently buying an '08
and this:

will draw in an entirely new audience, on top of obviously bringing a ton of enthusiasts back.

It'll be tough to argue that a Euro '08 Focus may be a LITTLE more expensive, but we all know it'll be a rebated Mazda3... which will outsell the current Focus.

The only thing I'm trying to point out, is the defense of "it's selling!" when talking about the MK1.75 is garbage, for we all know the Euro would sell MUCH more. However, the defense of "we have something new and different" is completely valid. I love having a coupe. I like the new restyle. I prefer the hatch... but... c'mon:

Epic win.

This is very well put, regardless of the slightly older pics. The white sedan pictured above at least has the proper shape, not like the current 08 and 09 that just don't jive, I look at it and I feel sick, the same sick feeling I get when I look at any pontiac. So pontiac brought over the Holden rear drive whatever it's called, I saw the Holden from Australia and I said "that looks good" and then when I saw it with the pontiac grill, I felt sick. It just doesn't look good. And the Volvo C30 isn't the wild animal that is the Focus ST, the suspension and steering and gearing are all different not to mention looks. If you want a Lambo but you Buy an Audi R8, you still don't have a Lambo, you have an Audi R8, regardless of the shared parts and same parent company. If you want an ST and you buy a C30, you still don't have an ST, you have a C30.

[CaysE]

Originally Posted by eff

You have no idea what you write about.
The C30 is absolutely nothing like the euro Focus ST.
Yes it shares a platform but that does not make these 2 cars anything alike.

I dare you to make a trip to Euroland and feel the differences.

Don't they share the same engine and trans, too?

[Z63R]

Comparing a North American Volvo C30 to a eurospec Focus ST is a topic for another thread entirely.

[bR0Ken_H3arT]

Yup, so I made this thread just for you guys....

Here <--- Clicky.

[2focusd]

Originally Posted by eff

You have no idea what you write about.
The C30 is absolutely nothing like the euro Focus ST.
Yes it shares a platform but that does not make these 2 cars anything alike.

I dare you to make a trip to Euroland and feel the differences.

Wow, thanks for reading my post fully and seeing that I said it was the closest thing possible that we have state-side because the engine, chassis, transmission, etc. are similar (I'll avoid saying "the same" here since I'm obviously a worthless, idiotic **** that doesn't know anything )

Seriously, you guys can all bitch all you want about the C30 not being close enough to the Euro Focus, but for many of you, if the Euro Focus came over here untouched you'd still bitch about the price, the possibility of it coming in different colors, etc. There's no pleasing some people

-Brian

[panchocito]

Looks better, but no hatch = no thanks.

[Mr. Zetec]

Dear diary....... JACKPOT!

[adamw]

The cost of the ST coming here wouldn't be so bad, I see kids all the time in an STi or an EVO or a MS3 or a GTI who clearly can't afford it but yet somehow they come up with the money, because they are enthusiasts and that's what they want to drive. If the ST came here and it owning one meant getting a second job, I know there would be a good number of people on this forum that would go for it. The rest would do what they've been doing all along, buy an entry level Focus and modify it bit by bit. Or maybe your wife gets to drive the ST most of the time, because it's the nicer of the 2 family cars that you own, but at least you still have the ST.

But I don't get it, is this new sporty-ish looking 09 Focus the look that all of the 09 will have? Or are the Euro wheels and fog lights and spoiler options you can upgrade to? Because if all the 09 Foci look like that, they're going to lose the more conserative buyers because it looks to sporty.

[belacyrf]

The ST would probably start at about 22k, a few thousand less than the upgraded C30, totall worth it!

And an RS if ever made available in the states could start and would probably sell near 30K. I would find the money for an RS, and would definately buy an ST in the absence of the RS.

[CaysE]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zetec

Dear diary....... JACKPOT!

[rpvitiello]

Originally Posted by imprtslyr0223

i think it's funny that they're using the same rims that were on the SVT EAP 4 years ago. It's a big improvement, the rear end looks awkward to me and i wish they did something with the headlights and upper grill, but it is a big improvement.

Well the whole thing looks like it was inspired by the SVT. The front bumper, fog lights, and grill pattern all look SVT. They even used a red color they used on the SVT.

Originally Posted by ZXTHR33

All in all I think they could have done more.

well it was also a cost based change, they allready spend WAY too much on this car in the first place, so they wanted to spend as little as they could to fix it.

Originally Posted by Black331

Horrible, they made it even worse, looks like an old Prius with multi-spoke wheels.

They need to just let FOE handle this stuff from now on. Who is designing this stuff at ford these days?

this car looks like a parts bin fix of foe parts.

and 1/2 the country will see no peformance bump since many states now have cali emission standards.

[2focusd]

Oh ye of little faith

-Brian

[CaysE]

I really doubt a reveal would happen at FocusSport without the introduction of some Ford-backed power upgrades.

[adamw]

Originally Posted by airforcefocus

Those who are working with this platform were probably not even present on the project when the 08 was first designed, so they are trying to implement changes that will strike an even balance between enthusiast and average consumer.

Yeah, they're different people, the original guys who designed the 08 have all been fired. J/K

[CheckMyVitals]

Originally Posted by eff

Checkmyvitals, you could have at least shown pics of the new euro MY2008

I was hoping no one was going to call me on that. I flipped through 3 Google image pages for the C1 Focus sedan, and settled for the first one found. By the time I went to grab a ST pic, I was already over it.
But considering there's one on page 1... here:


Plus, I don't like the facelift

[CheckMyVitals]

Originally Posted by 2focusd

You know what guys, the "Euro Focus" we all yearn for is already sold here in the US, it's called the Volvo C30. Sure you can bitch about the little differences between the two, but have you ever driven a Focus ST to compare these differences? For regular intents and purposes, it'd be a damn near identical car to the vehicle you all keep insisting needs to be sold on our shores. That being said, how many of you have went out and bought a C30? I personally know of one person who always yearned for a Euro Focus and bought the C30 as soon as it became available (BlckXenonZX3), but I've yet to see the mad frenzy hit [FJ] where everyone puts their money where their mouth is and jumps all over a brand new C30. Instead, I've heard that the C30 is "a lot of money", "not AWD", and a plethora of other reasons; it all just kinda sounds like making up excuses after being called out on something and falling on your face to me

That being said I really like the '09 coupe and need to find out when it'll become available to the public. If for some ghastly reason Ford North America decides to not offer us a Fiesta 3-door (at this point I could even live with the 5-door...) hatch, I think an '09 SES coupe in white (assuming it'll have rebates/discounts which is so very typical of Fords) could bring my money back home to Dearborn so that I don't have to buy a Honda Fit

-Brian

I have rebutted this C30 comment already... on the same page you made this comment.

I threw up a pic of an ST, but never once mentioned that the ST is the car I'm looking for Ford to bring over. I wouldn't be able to afford it, and it'd likely be cheaper than a C30. I can almost bet you that 80% of us here cannot afford a C30... I looked, and I can't. Not too many students walk onto a lot of new Volvos and pick a colour. If Ford were to bring the car over, I'd likely be in a lease right now with the only option checked off being power windows.

[CaysE]