The new Ford Focus Rally Car is a modified version of its 2006 model. The new race model that is added with more intelligence and power is based on the Ford Focus ST road car. The man behind the technology of this powerful version of the Ford Focus ST is Christian Loriaux, the technical director at M-sport, a British-based company that is known for the Blue Oval’s WRC programs.
The engine of the WRC has not been changed from its base road car model. Therefore, to meet the race conditions, the new WRC has to be fitted with additional engines that qualify the racing criteria. Thus the car has been now provided with a 2.0-liter Duratec engine unit, turbocharger and 34-mm inlet restrictor by M-Sports, to meet the current demands. The all-alloy block of this engine reduced its weight considerably and made it racer friendly.There are slight modifications made in the suspension parts too. In order to take the new model in the racing grounds, the weight reduction and the cost reduction were imperative according to the WRC engineers. Thus they reduced the use of titanium material in the body and provided the racer model with a cheaper and lighter material. There were proper adjustments done in order to have a better balance between the handling and traction.
Another notable change is in the gearbox. The Ricardo gearbox is featured with five gears instead of the earlier six gears. This facility again is intended for weight reduction and less energy loss through friction, but without any compromise on the performance.
source: 2fastline.com
