Anyone remember those old XR2 's ?

This thing looks pretty good, what do you think ?


It's time to dust off your baseball cap and dig out those old Duran Duran albums - the XR2 is back! Even Ford admits that the new Fiesta ST owes its existence to the Eighties hot hatch favourite, beloved of boy racers for nearly a quarter of a century.

The latest version debuts at next week's Geneva Motor Show, and will be at dealers by the end of the year. Blue oval bosses expect the cars to disappear so quickly they'll leave tyre marks!

The newcomer will be the first car to be badged simply 'ST'. Early indications were that Ford would call the hot Fiesta the ST150, in line with the ST170 and ST220 performance versions of the Focus and Mondeo. But the decision was taken to drop the numbers from the name to avoid confusion - and it suggests the hot hatch will be available with more than one power output.

At launch, however, the car will have the 150bhp 2.0-litre engine originally predicted. The Duratec unit is based on that of the Focus ST170, but has been detuned slightly to reduce torque steer in the lighter Fiesta bodyshell. Official performance figures will be revealed closer to the car's on-sale date, expected in October, but sources suggest the ST will accelerate from 0-60mph in less than eight seconds and have a top speed of near 130mph.

Ford insiders say the handling set-up is still being finalised, but the firm's testers have been using a Focus RS :o as a benchmark when driving the car at the Lommel proving ground in Belgium. Thanks to its agile chassis, the Fiesta's lap times are said to be nearly on a par with those of the rally-bred Focus, so it should deliver real on-road thrills. :o

Externally, the ST can be distinguished from lesser Fiestas thanks to its wide mesh grille, integrated foglamps, chunky bumpers and discreet side skirts. Smart 17-inch 11-spoke alloys will be fitted as standard, while a small roof spoiler completes the package.

Inside, the newcomer boasts half-leather sports seats embroidered with ST logos, a leather-bound steering wheel and metal foot pedals, along with aluminium-effect finishing on the door handles and gearknob.

 

Front.

 

Rear