It's called emissions and insurance standards. They also measure HP differently IIRC. At the flywheel instead of the rear wheels.

 

they have some, there is a bolt in kit for a V8 swap for the focus, uses many different V8s, manual trans and an 8.8 out back with mustand geometry suspention.....


you want an AWD Focus? all you have to do is take a 4WD escape drive train and put a Focus body on it...IIRC the dementions are right for it.....

but this is a topic for a new thread, if you like start one and i will post more

 

We measure HP at the flywheel here too...HP is now standardized in pretty much every country.

 

Now that would be awesome. 3.0L Duratec/4wd in the a Focus... way to much trouble to had.

 

...almost as cool as a 400HP rwd Focus.

 

Who knows, maybe the focus RS from europe will find it's way over here with fords new one car for all markets concept. The one version of the RS had the volvo straight 6 in it, AWD and 270 hp and 300 foot pounds.

 

Brady, since both are unit-bodies (aka uni-bodies), how will that be possible?

Unit-bodies do not have a frame or a chassis, the entire body/chassis is one welded unit.

Unit-bodies only have stub frame up front to support (in this case), the engine/transaxle.

This is also welded to the unit-body.

 

never said it would be easy, and that is why no one has them runing around right now.....but i am just talking about the drive train, mount the motor, trans, and rear end, just said the dementions are right, never seen one though.

but someone figured out how to mount a V8, mustang trans, and shortened rear end in a focus, so i bet it could happen. Welcome to Kugel Komponents

 

There's really not alot of advantage to puting a V-8 in a focus, except for a prostock car for the drag strip. It to much work, takes up to much space and adds alot of frontend weight. It would make more sense to use forced induction on a 4 cylinder or a V-6 at best. There getting massive amounts of power from 4 cylinders these days and would keep the car light and nibble. Ford going to start using ecco-boost engines with direct injection and turbo's. An ecco-boost 4 banger in an awd focus at around 300 hp would be a much better set up than a V-8 and still good mpg. V-8's are going to be things of the past before too long and mostly found in trucks at best, maybe special edition mustangs for old times sake. It's going to be a different world in the automotive industry in the next few years. You have 4 cylinders that will run circles around V-8's and still get 40 mpg.

 

not true at all!!!!

with the 4 banger the weight is 70-30
with the V8 it is 60-40
so that is better with the V8

and the V8 can make power on cheep gas but a big turbo 4 needs premeum gas.....

you also get rear wheel drive and anyone who has a front wheel drive car can tell you (if they know what they are talking about) that the rear wheel drive cars drive better.....

 

Dude, the weight of an all aluminum 4 banger is next to nothing. The octane all depends on the tune. However, the ford ecco-boost V-6 has 2 turbo's and runs on 87 octane or E-85 at 350 hp and it's aluminum. I don't have enough information at this time on the ecco-boost 4 cylinder to say alot about it. However, check the cosworth site and you'll see what can be done with just a duratec 2.3 and it's going to be old technology compared to whats comming. I've had both rear wheel drive and fwd cars, the fwd cars by far will out handle the rwd. I just traded an 07 mustang GT for my mariner, before that, I had a focus ST. The focus by far would out corner the mustang at high speeds. We are talking about an awd focus and other future awd ford that will be powered by ecco-boost engines, so rwd or fwd doesn't come into play as they will be awd. I wouldn't be afraid at all to road race you with a turbo'ed 4 cylinder focus against a transplanted V-8 focus. Thats why indy cars went to 4 cylinders, big power, less weight. I'm not knocking V-8's, I love them, I just know they have there place and it isn't in every modern vehicle. In the 70's, I transplanted a 302 into a pinto, it made it nose heavy compared to the 4, but it screamed down the 1/4 mile and thats all I cared about since I was a drag racer. I also put a create boss 302 into a 70 maverick, 4 speed top loader and ford 9' with 4:11's. With full interior and open headers, it ran 12.90 in the 1/4 on the stock boss 302. That was awesome numbers back in 78. So as an old drag racer, I'm sure not here to bash V-8's. Give me a 351W stroked to 427 and an 86 ranger and I'm racing again hee hee.

 

yes the V8 will weigh more but the weight distrabution front to back is better with the V8 then the stock focus. thats all i was saying. the V8 takes (relative) weight OFF the front end. i HATE how front wheel drive cars "pull" when coming out of a corner.....and how they "pull" to the side when under straight acceleration.....rear wheel drive cars dont do that.

 

"O YES", the notorious torque steer. FWD cars will do that, try one with alot of power. You better have both hand on the wheel ha ha. It helps to have a lsd in the car. Ford doesn't offer a lsd for there fwd cars, but there are some aftermarket units. I forgot who the manufactures are that make the units now. I knew when I was on focaljet.com and focus fanatics.com, it's been awhile since I messed with a focus. Before I had the focus, I had an 02 ZX2 with the 2.0 zetec, 5 speed. That car really impressed on how far 4 cylinders had come since the pinto. I had alot of with the ZX2 and focus, they gave me new respect for 4 bangers. I mostly mess with 4x4's now a days, I'm in to off roading, but still make it down the the strip several times a year. My 07 mustang GT was bad to the bone, it gave me new respect for the newer V-8's. It was starting to get me in trouble. So it was back to the trails before I ended up in jail ha ha.

 

i agree that teh 4 bangers have come a long way, i just dont see a major form of racing to really get going with 4 banger and front wheel drive, there might become some sub sections that do that or one class but i just cant see the motor sports to draw the crowds in like big V8s do......like NASCAR i just could see them moving to FWD, but could see a small sub section starting that is FWD...

 

Stock car racing has to be V-8's, it's american as apple pie. The bush series was V-6 awhile back, but they went to the V-8's as well, Thank goodness. Nothing like the sound of V-8's roaring around the track. Indy cars like a mix of lazer beams and chainsaws ha ha.