Ford Europe vs Ford US

[clutch-monkey]

Thank God for that !! What about that ricer-inspired wing tho' ? It's like a step back to the 80s and the Cosworth pram handle

no the wing is standard on the hi-po models it looks good in person, but i guess its proof that they tailor their products for each region

[Clivey]

Personally ---- YUK ---- since when did Ford become a RICE supplier ?
Wing and stikkas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lol. It's not THAT bad...it looks better than most Euro Fords (the best looking of which, they've stopped making [Puma])...it's also got to be better than the rubber spoilers on the XR3i Escort

As bad as the Ford ST models sporting twin stripes

...especially when it's only just as quick as a regular Corsa 1.8. However, that's far from Ford's worst styling offense. I don't actually think it that bad. I mean, look at the (old shape) mondeo and scorpio saloons...they look like frogs that have been stepped on.

BUT I am NOT a fan of teh "only available in ORANGE" of the new Focus ST

Well it's a good job it's not "only available in orange" then. I saw one in black a few weeks ago.

You can always add the STIKKAS yourself if you REALLY want 'em

Exactly. I dare say you can buy the cars without them if you want to. Ford have made much bigger styling screw-ups IMHO than the current falcon or fiesta. They just look a little bland (that's why they're being covered in accessories), that's all.

[Clivey]

Que?

There's some chump round here pootling about in his new Focus ST in Tasty Blue with white "ST" stickers down the side.

Yeah, I thought I wasn't mistaken. I did see a black one a few weeks ago. It looked a LOT more classy and expensive than the orange, especially with the chrome effect surrounds on the grille and bumper. Shame this generation of Focus is so bland (even if the original looked like a motorised snail along with the KA, at least it was inventive).

As for the orange itself - it stands apart from everyone else's "hot hatch red" - VW Golf GTI, Astra VXR, etc.

Actually, apart from magazines, TV etc. I've only seen a couple of red new Golf GTIs (most are silver or black around here) and only one red VXR (which looks awesome in Arden blue).

Ford Europe make good cars, Ford America makes cars which aren't quite as good as you'd hope/think/expect, Ford Australia makes interesting cars.

Ford in general make good cars WHEN THEY PUT THEIR MIND(S) TO IT In general, '90s Fords are examples of how NOT to do things (at least styling wise).

[Blitz_]

Thank God for that !! What about that ricer-inspired wing tho' ? It's like a step back to the 80s and the Cosworth pram handle

1. rice burner

What every 16-20 year old who's seen "The Fast and the Furious", or "2 Fast 2 Furious" is likely to drive. Usually running a ridiculous amount of negative wheel camber due to the car being lowered without getting an alignment done, wheels larger than can reasonably fit in the wheelwells (giving lots of tire rub), a 3 foot tall aluminum wing, under car neon tubing, "Type R" decals, a boost gauge (esp in a normally aspirated car), and has the overall appearance of an automobile onto which every advertiser in Super Street has barfed a part.
Required equipment includes a 5 inch exhaust tip on an otherwise stock exhaust system, a 4 million watt stereo system that, from outside the car, seems to do mothing other than vibrate the rear hatch glass, and every aftermarket gauge that the local Pep Boys carries (not necessarily connected to anything).
Not to be confused with a "tuner car", which may be quite a bit faster than anything you've seen away from a racetrack.My friend's sixteen year old brother had a really fast Chevelle, but fter seeing the Fast and the Furious, he traded it for a 17 second rice burner.

Quote:
2. rice burner
1.The ability to "trick out" your moms civic with high end parts from the automotive section in your local SUPERwal-mart. (watch out for those falling prices!)

2.Any low end "import" with a foldgers coffee can for a muffler...(the best part of waking up...is foldgers in your cup!)

3.Usually your average 4 cylinder, front wheel drive car with a park bench for a "spoiler"(i.e. "racing in a rice burner is like racing in the special olympics...even if you win, you're still retarded!")

Quote:
3. rice burner

To qualify to be a rice burner, you must:
- have Stickers that add hp
- have a Fartcan that adds hp
- have cut springs that increase cornering capability
- have a hatred for muscle cars because they have less hp per cubic inch
- have no idea what porting heads or the word camshaft means
- think that turbos automatically take your e.t. from 16 to 10
- constantly brag about beating Camaros and Mustangs to your friends, but when they're riding with you, you won't race them because "they're not worth it"
- dangerously weave through traffic like a maniac and piss off everybody else on the road
- play your music loud enough to wake the dead
What can I say? We need riceburners. If everyone had a car like mine, I'd have no one to make a fool out of. I hope people with riceburners newver "wake up". I look forward to seeing that look of disappointment on their faces for years to come when they blow their engines with a 100 shot of nitrous (not "NOS") and still lose to me.

Quote:
4. rice burner

Badly modified car made to look fast but most probably running the original 4 cylinder engine with less than 100 horse power. Usually Japanese, although, there are a few European and American examples about.

Identifying features include:

* Ear piercing fart like sounds produced by the exhaust.

* Loud music coming from the car.

* Badly modified lowered suspension makes the car bounce dangerously even on the smoothest of roads.

* Often seen wrapped around the tree.

* Often driven by spotty teenagers with their equally spotty girlfriends on the passenger seat.

* HUGE wings made out of sheet aluminium.
Oh look! Another rice burner wrapped around a tree.




the falcon isn't rice, the stripes are optional and are they are there because they look great in person and they were also options on the older falcons such as teh XY and XW, which, if you were to say they were rice, i would personally buy an air ticket to find you and send you 6ft under Ford Australia are simply keeping some of the older styling cues to keep the image recognizable.

hehe the GT is a muscle car, definetely not rice, it has the power and performance to match its exterior styling.

[Matra et Alpine]

Que?

There's some chump round here pootling about in his new Focus ST in Tasty Blue with white "ST" stickers down the side..

Yeah did a check on the Ford site. The orange is 'new' but not the only one -- phew !!!!
My misunderstanding -- or error by the blonde manning the Ford ST at the show hmmmm my mind might have been somewhere else

The Ford oange is THE most hideous colour I have ever seen on a car in 40 years of being interested. When you see one for real the shock of it will hurt the eyes

[nota]

I couldn't agree more with Matra about those silly stripes and especially these ridiculous spoilers, aka "today's tail fins" lol

In general, '90s Fords are examples of how NOT to do things (at least styling wise).

Mostly only seen 1990s UK & US Fords via pictures, so unfamiliar in general. Didn't like the jellybean Sierras or gloopy Taurus. As far as styling goes I still think Ford's early '90s Falcon range was spot-on, imho one of the cleanest & best looking large sedans of their day. The wagon was ok too

What do you guys think of the EA?

Pics 1 & 2: 1990 'EA-model' Falcon GL (poverty-pack baseliner)
Pic 3: found this while searching, it's only for a laugh but that's not a bad burnout is it from this bone-stock 1995-ish 'EF' with base-6cyl

[mhaire]

I pick the US.Well, since I'm from the US, I guess I'm a little partial.

[KM2]

The new Focus ST is definitely not only available in orange. Seen black ones in addition and I think there is a fiarly full range of other colours as well

[fpv_gtho]

Thank God for that !! What about that ricer-inspired wing tho' ? It's like a step back to the 80s and the Cosworth pram handle

The rear spoiler...and the rest of the bodykit...its supposed to be reflective of the Falcon V8 Supercar, hence its dimensions

[GroupB]

Europe, How can the designer of the Edsel(soo ugly) design the Mk1 Cortina??

Best Euro Fords: GT40, RS200, Escort TwinCam, Cortina Lotus, Capri RS2600, Capri RS3100, Escort RS Cosworth, Fiesta XR2(mk1), Escort RS1600i etc etc

Best American Fords: '64 Mustang, '57 T-Bird, '63 Galaxie 500 erm........


Abit biased though..

[Matra et Alpine]

Europe, How can the designer of the Edsel(soo ugly) design the Mk1 Cortina??.

I thought he jsut influenced.
That the design was pretty well on the boards and he introduced the upswept rear wings and the side panel details ? Maybe the lights ??

I've never bought into that tho as the Ford Consul Capri had most of those features a year earlier and was more akin to a scaled-down America car. Not sure, did he design IT ???

[Mustang]

the local ford dealership is having a massive promo 2 days next weds and thurs, they are having it to promote the new focus ST



and they also have a ford GT down there, alond with the fiesta st's

but the bit im interested in is that M-Sport are also taking all there new fessies down there for a big display and may take a focus i guess, and i have been asked to take my pug 205 down there to be part of the rally display stand so ill get to go in the buffet with all the m-sport lot and spend time maybe havinga test drive in the focus and hopefully the GT

cant beat ford europe lol

[scottie300z]

wow that is the absolutely best looking focus....besides the rally cars ofcourse.

[Fleet 500]

I voted for Ford US because they can do this very well...

[Mustang]

wow that is the absolutely best looking focus....besides the rally cars ofcourse.

what about this one ?

this is the old style one though :P