Final Exam
Blasting around in a hopped-up Focus ST to close a chapter in rock history
By Steve Turner
With it gorgeous weather and varied topography, it’s clear why California is so heavily populated. Once you get away from the cities and into the twisty roads in the hills, you know why it is often the scene of new-car drives hosted by manufacturers. The state also has a storied musical history that spawned some of your author’s favorite bands. When one of those bands scheduled its final performance at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve 2015 it meant one thing… that a trip was in order.
Such a trip also provided us the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a special Focus ST that Ford Performance injected into Ford’s Southern California media fleet. This 2015 ST is upgraded with a whole host of Ford Performance Parts and mountune gear that enhance its performance without detracting from its drivability, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
This trip actually provided our first chance to spend a little quality time in the latest Focus ST. While it is quite similar to our own 2013 ST project car, the 2015 model does feature some refreshed styling in and out. While we aren’t huge fans of the latest fascia, the Ford Performance ST did look sharp with the red racing stripes over the Tuxedo Black paint. Inside it features a redesigned console; a leather-wrapped, flat-bottom steering wheel; and a more informative gauge cluster screen.
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