Demon Performance Centre’s 380bhp
third-generation Focus is believed to be the fastest Mk3 ST in the UK. Not bad
for a more-door that doubles up as a family runabout!
The Mk3 Focus has been a huge success for
Ford; it’s a model that is celebrated the world over and was the best-selling
car across the globe in 2012. With accolades like that to its name, it’s
surprising that we don’t see many modified examples knocking about.
The
bold red ST badge promises a more colorful driving experience, as proof that
the Focus ST meets strict performance-enhancement targets in power, stopping
distance and more. It does it all with efficiency in mind – best-in-class
manual fuel economy too.
Of course, the low number of mutated Mk3s
is likely to become a thing of the past as soon as a factory special edition is
launched wearing the legendary RS badge. In the meantime, lead-footed Focus
fans can satisfy their appetite for octane-based amusement with the fantastic
Mk3 ST and an accompanying portfolio of tuning options available direct from UK
Ford fettling firm, Demon Performance Centre.
“We wanted to be a step ahead of the game
when it came to the ST and bought one to use as our company demonstrator
vehicle two months before the model was released on general sale to the
public,” explains Demon director, Pete Williams. In fact, the new arrival was
handed over with less than 48 hours to spare before its scheduled unveiling at
2012’s Ford Fair. “We had a mad rush to ready the car in advance of the show,
but managed to drop it 30mm on H&R lowering springs, threw on a brand new
set of Compomotive MV multi-spokes and had our friends at McWraps decorate it
in custom livery just in time for the trip to Silverstone,” he says.
The
unique sport suspension can be felt at every turn, since enhanced Torque
Vectoring Control helps hold the road better while accelerating through a
corner.
Show Stopper
Despite the tight turnaround, the updated
ST took pride of place on Demon’s show stand where it was constantly eyeballed
by admirers keen to find out what lay ahead for the fresh Ford. Understandably,
there was little to shout about. “We knew that we were going to push the engine
hard on stock internals, but hadn’t had the opportunity to develop the required
upgrades prior to the event,” says Pete. “Even so, it was clear that interest
in the ST was high, and this encouraged us to partner with other tuning outfits
in an attempt to establish a range of exciting aftermarket products for the
car.”
The Focus soon left Demon’s Crewe workshop
bound for the Gloucestershire headquarters of alloy artisans, Forge Motorsport.
With a long and colourful history of research and development in the field of
airflow solutions for high-performance vehicles, Forge was well placed to
produce equipment that would improve the ST’s breathing capabilities.
Subsequently, the car became a test subject for new designs that included an
enlarged intercooler, custom hard pipes, an induction kit with a giant
Pipercross foam filter, an uprated actuator, a recirculation valve and all
necessary silicone joiners.
With a dump valve thrown in for kicks, the
fettled Focus was ready for its first trip to the dyno within a fortnight of
arriving at Forge HQ. “It made 281bhp and 315lb/ ft of torque without a remap
or any additional hardware,” smiles Pete. “That’s almost 30bhp over its
standard level of performance and paved the way for the next round of updates,”
he adds.
The
unique sport suspension can be felt at every turn, since enhanced Torque Vectoring
Control helps hold the road better while accelerating through a corner.
The ST was too new to enjoy the luxury of
an off-the-shelf aftermarket exhaust system, which meant that it would need to
be equipped with bespoke fabrication. Long-time Demon collaborator and
enthusiast-favoured engineering firm, Scorpion, offered to deliver the goods in
return for allowing the Focus to reside in its Derbyshire factory for a few
weeks. “The team used my Mk3 as their development vehicle and hand-built a
three-inch stainless steel exhaust system that has since become a staple
offering for the ST,” continues Pete. “I was really impressed with the quality
of the finished product and was given a choice of highflow catalytic convertor
or decat pipe. I chose the latter and opted for a resonated centre section and
titanium tipped tailpipes,” he beams.
