POWER TRIP
In the most significant round of upgrades so far, EBC head to Pumaspeed to more than double the power output of the Ultimate Fiesta project, using trick under-bonnet goodies…
QUICK SPEC EBC Brakes Racing Apollo Balanced Big Brake Kit (with EBC Yellowstuff pads, EBC Swept Grooved rear discs and EBC stainless brake lines) ■ Eibach Pro-Spacer Kit (20mm front) ■ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres ■ Pumaspeed Stage 4 tune with X58EVO turbo ■ Cusco Type RS LSD
In case you haven’t read our previous instalments, here at EBC Brakes we’ve launched our Ultimate Fiesta Build project this year – aiming to convert our Mk7 ST to the ultimate fast road/track spec with the help of some of the finest tuning companies in the UK and beyond.
The car will eventually be given away in an exciting competition during the summer of 2021, with all proceeds going to charity.
So far, we’ve (unsurprisingly) added one of our very own Apollo Balanced Big Brake Kits into the equation, as well as given it a good scrubbing-up with our friends at Meguiar’s in anticipation of applying a bespoke vinyl wrap, which will appear very soon.
The most recent work carried out on the car, however, revolved around what’s going on under the bonnet with that boosted 1.6-litre engine. And believe us when we say that for this round of upgrades, we really didn’t hold back.
The hot hatch was taken over to Wakefield-based Pumaspeed – one of the most comprehensive Ford tuning companies out there – where we gave the talented team the brief of supplying the car with as much power as physically possible while retaining stock engine internals.
With some of the finest road, rally and race cars built on this very site, we knew we were in safe hands with Pumaspeed, which offers a range of big-power packages for Fiesta and Focus-badged machinery.
The process was started with induction. Here, the guys added their own R-Sport Stage 3 cold air induction system – able to slurp in much more air than the standard unit.
This takes us onto the turbocharger selected – the new X58EVO unit based on the firm’s incredibly popular X57RS item. With bigger exhaust and cold-side blades, this puppy is one of the fastest-spooling bigpower turbos money can buy for the humble Fezza right now. It’s combined with one of Forge Motorsport’s Atmospheric Dump Valves to ensure the extra boost is managed with ease.
Keeping things cool is R-Sport’s monstrous Pro 450 intercooler – the largest intercooler Pumaspeed creates for the Mk7. It’s a ‘stepped’ cooler that allows for the biggest core possible – keeping boost temps low regardless of your power and driving style.
In regards to airflow out of the car, Milltek Sport’s full turbo-back exhaust system takes care of business – a non-res race-spec system that gets rid of unwanted gases fast (and makes an incredible noise to boot).
Pumaspeed’s high-volume race-spec camshaft was next put in the place of the standard item – cleverly allowing the EcoBoost engine to flow a larger volume of
fuel into the fuel rail without additional load on the standard fuel pump. Clever stuff!
It goes without saying that there’s also a raft of fuelling, bushing and hose upgrades to tie this incredibly impressive hardware together.
Pumaspeed also paid some attention to the gearbox while they were at it, adding one of their own bespoke uprated clutches as well as a Cusco Type RS limited-slip differential. This trick unit promises much more traction optimisation through the front wheels, with such a particularly track-focused item chosen to help us make the most of this pocket rocket on the multiple track days we have planned with it in the future. Finally, one of Pumaspeed’s QuickShifter kits promises to sharpen up the shifts through the manual ‘box even more effectively.
With all these top-quality parts bolted on, the Fiesta was next taken out onto the road where a base map was dialled into the ECU, ensuring it’s safe for us to drive on to our next location – MAXD Out Tuning – where it’ll be fine-tuned on the rolling road to try and hit that fabled 400bhp figure.
It’s safe to say we’ve got a bit of an animal on our hands now. Watch this space for the full results…