#focus

While Microsoft and Ford‘s previous collaboration, MyFord Touch, drew significant criticism from users as well as from Consumer Reports, their latest product promises to be a big hit. Designed for the new Ford Focus Electric, the MyFord Mobile app has earned the International CES Best of Innovation Design and Engineering Award in the software and mobile applications category.

To say that Ford put a focus on the Focus would be an understatement at this year’s SEMA Show. Nine different, fully customized Focuses were shown off in the Ford booth, with several of them part of a spectator voting competition. Projects ranged from mild to wild, with a plethora of colors being splashed on each creation.

Ford is giving racing enthusiasts a new Focus race car option with their ST-R that debuted at Frankfurt Motor Show. The Focus ST-R race car will feature a powerful 2.0L EcoBoost engine, FIA regulation roll cage, upgraded brakes and track-tuned suspension.

It’s difficult to remember when Ford last had as strong a line-up as it does today, but don’t believe for a second that the Blue Oval team are foolish enough to take a moment to relax. Rather, Ford is set to reveal the most efficient non-hybrid family vehicles, the Focus ECOnetic Technology and the Fiesta ECOnetic Technology, both of which are set for their debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Ford is delaying the full launch of the 2012 electric Focus. Initially, the Focus EV was to be launched in 19 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Seattle. However, plans have changed and the primary launch will be concentrated in California and New York.

With 305 turbocharged horsepower the Focus RS might just have been the ultimate hot-hatch. Now, for the first time, Ford has confirmed it will have a successor, arriving in late 2013 or early 2014 with at least 350-hp while sticking to its front-wheel-drive strategy.

Ford is taking advantage of their Facebook page by asking their fans which of the four possible warning sounds that will be used in the upcoming Focus electric vehicle is their favorite.

American consumers are buying more four-cylinder vehicles than ever before. According to research by IHS Automotive, 43 percent of all new cars delivered in the U.S in the first half of 2011, were powered by four-cylinders. In 2005, 43 percent of all new cars in the U.S were powered by sixes. The remaining 57 percent of cars sold in the US  this year were six, eight and twelve cylinder engines.

German tuner MR Car Design has transformed Ford‘s Focus RS into a viable contender to Audi‘s RS3 and BMW‘s 1-Series M. Taking one of Europe’s most popular hot hatches, MR Car Design pushes out 355-hp out of the turbocharged 5-cylinder engine, a 54-hp increase from the factory 301-hp. The enhanced performance comes courtesy of an ECU reflash, MR Car Design downpipe and exhaust, high-flow catalytic converter and a K&N air filter.

The success of the Ford Fiesta brings with it another trend—the revival of the hatchback, long-derided in America as being cheap without the cheerfulness.

While all Elantra’s can achieve 40-mpg, the most efficient Cruze on the market is the Eco model, which can achieve 42-mpg.

The Land Down Under just got some exciting news from Ford. Even though production is coming to an end, Australia will be gifted with 315 Ford Focus RS models in a limited edition production and available in three different colors.

The Ford Focus RS500 debut has been a little interesting, to say the least. Ford had built a new website, teasing the release of the car over several days. They claim however that the website was “hacked” and the official (and enticing) photos of the Ford Focus RS500 were released 48 hours early. Perhaps it was a truly intentional (and brilliant) marketing ploy, but word spread quickly and now it appears the Ford Focus RS500 is already sold out – with a limited run of 500 units – before official pricing has even been announced.

In the future, Ford is looking to “focus” on the compact car segment. The pun here is intended, as Ford has announced plans to launch 10 vehicles in North America based off of the new Focus’s architecture. In a recent interview with Ford’s marketing boss Jim Farley, the folks at Car & Driver got some insight into these plans.

Several weeks ago we ran a few photos of a Ford Focus RS that was spotted in a suburb of Detroit. This of course led to speculation that FoMoCo was planning to bring its amazing hot hatch to the U.S.