Ford’s Focus ST hit the scene hard a year ago, and today this enthusiast platform is catching on with the same crowd that made the Mazdaspeed3 so popular. Powerful and practical, the Focus ST offers a responsible way to get around and run your errands all wrapped up in a package that’ll put a smile on your face when you throw it into a corner, or let the boost creep on in 6th gear on the freeway. Steve’s Black Ford Focus ST has seen a few upgrades that give the car a great themed look, chief among which is a set of Avant Garde Wheels M310.
On a black car, going with black details can get lost visually, but the details stand out on Steve’s build, with a set of Spyder LED DRL Light Tube Projector Headlights with black housings, complimenting the car’s tuxedo black finish. All in all, the styling of the Avante Garde M310 Wheels for Focus ST really adds a lot to the styling of the car and gives it a more purposeful look than the stock wheels.
Getting the car a little lower than stock, the stock springs have been replaced with by a set of Eibach Sportline Springs for Focus ST. The reduction in ride height gives the car the muscular stance it should have had factory. But the exterior is just the beginning of the story.
Steve’s Focus ST isn’t exactly stock either – it boasts a host of upgrades that make it a much more potent performer than it was from the factory. Thanks to a Cobb AccessPort for Focus ST and a Pro-Tune, this beastly Focus ST is laying down 280HP at the front wheels – but that’s just horsepower. Torque comes in at a staggering 363 lb/ft of torque at the wheels – that’s way more torque than Ford’s 4.6L SOHC V8s could ever muster.
The Focus ST has a tendency to run on the hotter side – and even though the OEM exhaust system is considered a restriction, there’s more power to be had with a Front Mount Intercooler than an Exhaust system. Steve chose to go the comprehensive route and opted for Mountune hardware (Mountune has recently come to the US with close ties to OEM – Mountune is to these Euro Fords as Brabus is to Mercedes Benz). Intake is handled by a Mountune Air Intake System coupled with a Ford Racing Performance Parts (FRPP) inlet to keep that turbo fed and air charge temps are kept low thanks to a Mountune Front Mount Intercooler for added cooling capacity and reduced pressure drop across the IC, and to maximize the gains of his FMIC, the system features CP-e Hot and Cold Chargepipes with an HKS BOV. Taking it a step further than most take their bolt ons, Steve stepped it up with an ATP GTX2867R Turbocharger Upgrade, TTR Intake Manifold and Mountune High Flow DI Injectors to wring every last pony out of the Focus ST’s 2.0L EcoBoost turbo engine.
With any high power FWD car, you’re going to run into torque steer. Opting to get a proper limited slip rather than continuing to use the “E-Diff” feature, power gets distributed evenly across both front wheels thanks to a Quaife ATB Limited Slip differential. Now, with a limited slip to get the power to the ground, the last piece of the puzzle was keeping that power reliably transmitted. With a SPEC Clutch Stage III Clutch/Flywheel combo, there’ll be no slip here.
Of course, as incredible as Steve’s build is, it isn’t “finished” yet – as is any project. Once you get the Mod bug, there’s no stopping. We applaud how thorough and well thought out this beast of a Focus ST is and we can’t wait to see his next upgrade.
Thanks for reading, and a big thank you to Steve from FocusST.org for sharing his photos and his build with us. You can check out the build thread here.
If you’re interested in modding your Focus ST or Fiesta ST, talk to the Modification Experts. We know Ford’s new ST vehicles inside and out and offer the Experience, Expertise and Enthusiasm to help you turn the car in your garage into the car you imagined it could be.
Story by Nick Gregson
Photos courtesy MyFocusST