Evo

Ford Focus ST Estate

The ST’S flat-shift function gets put to the test

- Jethro Bovingdon (@Jethrobovi­ngdon)

LAST TIME I MENTIONED THE DISCOVERY of the ST’S ‘flat-shift capability’ – a system that allows you to upshift at high revs with the accelerato­r still pinned to the bulkhead. This is a tech feature that has snuck into various cars without much fanfare and remains mostly unknown. I bet not many GT3 owners are keeping their foot in at 9000rpm and snicking through an upshift as fast as their arm can move. They could, though.

So, is it a gimmick or is it genuinely useful? I think the answer is probably a bit of both. The Focus ST is, of course, more road car than track machine and hence the benefits of flat-shifting are measured more in fun than saved tenths. And there’s definitely something enjoyable about practising the technique. It’s surprising just how hard it is to keep your foot flat whilst upshifting, and the sensation of an almost dualclutch-style uninterrup­ted flow of power creates a real edge. You feel like you’re exploiting more of the car’s performanc­e in a more efficient and exciting way. Now I’m used to the system I use it on occasion just for a giggle.

On track I think you’d actually see a difference on the clock, though. There’s no question that the break in accelerati­on is reduced and with a turbocharg­ed car that benefit is multiplied, as the boost doesn’t drop and then have to build again. Sadly, the weather hasn’t been conducive to putting some actual data behind this theory, but we’ll try to do it at some point. Maybe with a variety of manual cars fitted with this system.

In other news, I’m finally starting to bond with the Focus. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s such an effective tool in day-to-day life and I happen to think it looks terrific as well. Oh, and I drove a Mustang Mach-e recently, too. That may have something to do with it. More on which next time…

Date acquired February 2021 Total mileage 13,726 Mileage this month 1453 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 31.1

‘You feel like you’re exploiting more of the car’s performanc­e in a more exciting way’

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