You will certainly be familiar with the Ford Focus, the familiar front-engined, front-wheel-drive compact. But this Ford Focus that come in the picture, has little or nothing to do with the production model.
Just look at it to realize that very little remains of the American model: only the A-pillars and the windshield structure resemble a Focus. The entire bodywork has been replaced by an aerodynamic kit, as effective as it is spectacular.
But the secret to the high performance of this competition machine is in the engine. The Focus's humble four-cylinder block gave way to a 3.8 twin-turbo V6 in rear center position, from the… Nissan GT-R . Not content with this engine transplant, Pace Innovations pulled power levels to 850 hp, in an engine that (in its updated version) already delivers a respectable 570 hp.
The Australian tuning house has paired Godzilla's V6 block with a six-speed sequential transmission, which delivers full power to all four wheels. The adoption of carbon fiber panels for the bodywork helped to maintain the under ton weight.
That said, there was only a suspension to match the demands of Pikes Peak… et voilà. The Ford Focus – or what's left of it – debuted at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, with driver Tony Quinn at the wheel.
This mountain race takes place every year in Colorado, USA, and is known as the «race to the clouds»: it is 20 km long with an altitude difference of almost 1500 meters between the start and the finish, and an average slope of 7%.
This year's edition took place at the end of last month, but just now we have footage of this powerhouse in action. Only seen: