OUT OF THE BLUE
Dan sends his precious Fondeo to Direnza for development while he snuggles up to a pair of white 300bhp-plus hatchbacks
QUICK SPEC Focus ST-3 ■ Direnza MVT intercooler and hard pipes ■ Direnza sports cat ■ Direnza full exhaust system ■ Peron/AET Motorsport stage one remap ■ Steeda cold air inlet system (CAIS) ■ Turbosmart dump valve ■ Steeda short-shifter ■ H&R 25mm lowering springs ■ H&R 20mm wheel spacers ■ Powerflex Handling Pack ■ Focus RS Brembo callipers ■ EBC USR discs ■ EBC Bluestuff front/Yellowstuff rear pads ■ EBC braided brake lines ■ ST Mk4 19in alloys
If cars could feel jealousy, the Fondeo would by now be reading my text messages and stalking my friends on social media. And who’d blame it? After all, the Spirit Blue wagon has been cast aside while I get cosy with a pair of sporty, white three-door hatchbacks – each with rear-wheel drive and 300-and-odd bhp.
One, of course, is my Sierra (seen on page 57). The other is a brief fling with a BMW M135i, which is performing daily duties while the Fondeo spends more time in the innovative hands of our friends at Direnza. Not only has it returned to investigate a choice of subtle or shouty exhaust systems for the Focus estate, the Direnza guys are currently testing an alloy radiator for the ST250. More of that next month, but it’s already clear to see the top-notch quality of design and build being invested into these components – backed by a lifetime warranty.
So, am I missing the Fondeo? Well, you may be surprised by just how good a mildlymodified
ST250 can be. Don’t get me wrong: the 326bhp M135i is a great car – I’ve grown up with rear-wheel drive, the turbocharged six-pot powerplant is beautifully smooth, and its manual gearbox a pleasure to use – but I can honestly say I prefer the Fondeo.
Not only is the ST250 more practical, its Recaro seats are vastly preferable, it has more useful kit (heated seats, heated windscreen and cruise control to name a few), its brakes are much better (admittedly, that’s because mine has RS callipers and EBC Bluestuff pads), and it’s undeniably more fun: the EcoBoost’s power delivery is eager and thrilling, so the ST
genuinely feels quicker.
I’m in no particular hurry to hand back the BMW, but I’d certainly pick the Ford as the car to keep. Food for thought, for anyone thinking of jumping ship to a German brand. Now, give me an AMG C63 wagon and I might change my mind…