It seems Europeans get all of the automotive fun, right? Well, Ford->ke31 is about to reinforce that belief by unveiling the Mountune package for the already insane Focus ST.
This Mountune program does its power-boosting deeds by way of a handful of new components, including: a cast-allot inlet duct for easier breathing; high-flow sports air filter; larger intercooler for less heat soak on extended drives; and recalibration of the electronic systems. Buyers can opt to have the inlet duct and intercooler in silver or powder coated in black.
As it sits, the UK-spec Focus->ke440 ST packs a mean wallop at 250 PS (246 horsepower) 360 Nm (265 pound-feet) of torque straight off the showroom floor, but Ford's Mountune program jumps it to an incredible 275 PS (271 horsepower) and 400 Nm (295 pound-feet) of torque.
The power bump drops the Focus ST's 0-to-100 km/h (62 mph) time from 6.5 to under 6 seconds. Additionally, the 31 to 62 mph acceleration time drops to just 4.9 seconds -- a 0.8-second improvement.
The upgrade only takes about 90 minutes to install on the Focus ST and comes in at £1,225 ($1,852) for the silver components or £1,275 ($1,928) for the powder coated black components. This means a total investment of between £23,200 ($35,080) and £26,770 ($40,480), depending on the level of Focus ST and the Mountune kit chosen.
Unfortunately, there is no mention of this kit ever making it to the U.S. We can hope, right?
2013 Ford Focus ST Mountune
- Make: Array
- Model: 2013 Ford Focus ST Mountune
- Engine/Motor: inline-4
- Horsepower: 271
- Torque: 295
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
2013 Volkswagen GTI
The 2013 VW GTI comes standard with a 220 PS (216-horsepower) 2.0-liter TSI engine that hooks up to a six-speed manual transmission. This is enough juice to sprint the GTI to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.5 seconds and up to a 153 mph top speed. The GTI comes in at a base price of £25,285, making it significantly more expensive than the Focus ST Mountune's base level.
2013 Skoda Fabia->ke1347 Estate vRS
It's ugly and a bit frumpy; yup, it's a Skoda Fabia Estate. Despite its ugliness, the Fabia vRS is relatively powerful with a 1.4-liter TSI engine that pumps out an acceptable 180 PS (178 horsepower). This is enough power to sprint this bulky-looking wagon to 100 km/h in just 7.3 seconds. Sure, it's the slowest of the group, but at a bargain price of £18,000 ($27,220), it is far and away the cheapest option.