By Bryan Redeker

            This Sunday will be Racetech’s first autocross of the year. The event will be at GVSU, which is where one year ago, the Mustang suffered suspension failure and came home on a flatbed. This year should go better with a complete new front and rear suspension, very sticky tires, and improved suspension geometry. Brandon and I will also be running the Fiesta in HS.

            Since the Mustang has completely new suspension geometry and tires, all of the tire pressure data from the past few years gets thrown out. We don’t have any data on the Fiesta either for tire pressures. Brandon and I will be going into this autocross blind, with no real idea how to set up the pressures on either car. Our assumptions are a low pressure on the back of the Mustang for grip off the line, but also lower front pressures than we have been used to in order to try and reduce potential understeer due to the higher front spring rate than is recommended. For the Fiesta, I am thinking about a very high rear tire pressure to decrease rear traction and promote rotation. The Mustang rotates with the touch of the throttle, while the Fiesta will need some left foot braking and high rear pressures. Going to look at the data from my ZX3 and see if that points me into a direction to start. I think I used to run 38 psi front and up to 42-44 psi in the rear. I also put the Koni’s on full stiff and a massive rear sway bar. There are none of those adjustments on the Fiesta, just tire pressure.

            We do have a magical instrument that will help guide us to setting up the Mustang and Fiesta on course. I have a Longacre pyrometer that we can check the tire temps at the outer edges and center. That data will tell us either to decrease or increase pressure based the temperature spread between three points on the tire. Since we don’t have a compressor at the track, we will go high and bleed down from there. I am expecting the Fiesta will draw a large crowd around it when it shows up on Sunday. When you are trying to prep two cars for competition, trying to walk and learn the course, and find time to relax, having a crowd makes things hard. The group that will see the car in action this Sunday are the hardcore weekend warriors, and making a good impression in front of them is important. I am hoping that a few of them will make a change to the Fiesta next year after seeing it on course this weekend.

By Bryan Redeker

            On Saturday, Sara and I took the Fiesta into Spring Lake to find the Stonehenge replica to snap some pictures. As luck would have it, the road leading to the massive structure was full of turns and elevation changes. The road follows close the Grand River before turning towards the north. The further we got away from the city, the more fun the road became. Once again, I am surprised how well composed the Fiesta is on twisty roads. There is very little body roll, no complaining from the tires, and the steering response is as good as my Mustang track car. Even on a very warm and humid day, the 1.6L DOHC engine was very responsive and had minimal trouble climbing the hills with the AC turned on. There were only a few occasions that I could have used an extra 50hp, which was when I was going up a steep hill in forth gear. Downshifting into third would have taken me to around 5k, so leaving it in 4^th was the only real option. Forth gear is where I think the car needs more power. Trying to make a pass on a rural back road usually requires a downshift into 4^th to pass, and the Fiesta needs a little bit more power to make that happen in a quicker fashion. Besides that, the Fiesta reacts well to the elevation changes and numerous different types of turns that were placed on the road ahead of us. Long sweepers, decreasing radius sweepers, and esses is really where the Fiesta shows off its European bred suspension. After we finished taking the pictures, I could not wait to jump back on the twisty road to head to our next destination. I have a feeling the Fiesta couldn’t wait either!

By Bryan Redeker

            Pulling into the parking lot at Ford Research and Innovation Center, my jaw dropped at all of the European Ford’s parked everywhere. It was hard to find a parking spot because I kept looking around at all of the neat stuff. European Focuses, Mondeo’s, and even some Australian Falcons. For a Ford fan, this place is like heaven. There was also a good number of Fiesta’s running around the area in all sorts of colors. I had no idea at the time, that what I was seeing was just a tip of the iceberg compared to what the rest of the day had in store. Brandon and I met up with Kristen, and headed towards the RIC building to meet the VIRTTEX simulator team.

            Walking through the main doors of the RIC, I notice the large number of flags hanging from the ceiling. I learned that each flag represents the nationality of the employees at that building which is a nice reminder that Ford is a global company. Brandon and I are greeted by the VIRTTEX simulation team, and get our first look at the control room. Computer screens, TV monitors, computers, panels full of switches, and massive glass panes that separate the control room from the simulator. Outside the control room sits a giant carbon fibre bubble that is elevated by large hydraulic cylinders. Imagine the creatures from the remake of “War of the Worlds” except paint them white, and you get the idea of it looks like. We get a technical run-down on exactly what the simulator consists of.

VIRTTEX stands for Virtual Test Track Experiment, which is a full motion simulator that provides a safe environment to test a driver’s reaction to events. The carbon fibre bubble has a full size Taurus-X placed on stanchions, and screens that cover all 360′ of the inside. There are 5 projectors that show the views around the car, including one in the back seat for the rear view mirror. Once sitting in the simulator, you forget that you are not outside on public roads. A 400hp motor powers the hydraulic cylinders that move the simulator 12 feet front, back, and side to side. The cylinders also rotate the simulator up to .6 lateral g’s of acceleration. Pitch and dive are also very realistic, so when you accelerate, the car’s nose lifts, and then does the opposite under braking. For safety, there is an accelerometer that measures the maximum amount of g-force being generated under emergency maneuvers. Exceed the g-force, and well, you will need to watch the mission video.

By Bryan Redeker

I am up first to try the simulator, while Brandon stayed in the control room to watch my progress. I got into the Taurus-X, buckled my seat belt, and waited for the instructions to start. Sitting in the car, the only thing that is different is the gauge cluster, which is digital instead of analog. Otherwise, this thing is real. The screen lights up, and I am sitting on the highway next to some fields. I put the car into drive and start to accelerate up to 70mph. I mash the gas, and the simulator pitches up and vibrates just as it would if I was really driving. Once at speed, I test out the lane detection systems. I drift to the left, and an audible beep is heard to let me know I am drifting. This is the system from the Volvo line-up, and it works very well. I drift again, and this time it is not a noise, but a vibration to alert me. There were a number of different things I tried out to see my reactions to them.

Next task was to read a set of numbers near the console. First attempt I got 5 out of 6, next attempt I got all 6. More driving follows and I practice switching lanes, which moves the simulator a full lane width over. You really get a great sense of driving from this simulator. I get to do another task that distracts me from the road, and I find a semi-truck has cut me off. Do I slam on the brakes to avoid crashing? Do I dump the car into the ditch and miss the truck? Nope, I do the typical Bryan thing which is to check my mirror, turn the wheel, and hit the gas to drive around the obstacle. My brain calculated there was not enough room to stop, and the ditch would suck. I picked the best route to safety. My next move wasn’t so safe, but lots of fun. I made an attempt to do a 4 wheel drift down the highway at 80mph. The end result was a lot of laughing and a loud crash. Oops, I figured I could recover the spin, but I exceeded the allowable g-force and the simulator shut down.

Brandon jumped in the simulator next, and tried out the lane departure warning systems. We both had about the same thoughts on which ones were are favorite, and which we did not like. Brandon decided not to crash the simulator as I did, which I guess was a good idea. Instead of the number reading while driving, he used Ford’s Sync system. Since Brandon knew what was going to happen with the semi-truck, they turned the motion off on him without warning to see his reactions. It was strange that you feel more motion sick with the motion turned off than with it on. Neither of got sick, but driving with no motion was very odd feeling. After he was done driving, we got a chance to see the simulator’s mechanics up close. Everything is top notch, and the quality of the machining would make any engineer drool.

By Bryan Redeker

Now for the really fun part and the segment we can’t show you pictures of. After the simulator, we headed over the headquarters of SVT. For those of you that don’t know what SVT is? Here is a quick lesson. SVT stands for Special Vehicle Team, and are responsible for making all the stuff the enthusiasts want to drive. Their first creation was the 1993 Cobra and Lightning. They also produced a limited run of Cobra R Mustang’s in 1993 for dedicated track use. From there, they continued to build Cobra’s on the SN95 platform, Contours, Focuses, and Lightnings. Currently, they build the very quick GT500 and the Baja inspired Raptor truck. SVT is kind of like Kelly Johnson’s Skunk Works, in that is a small team of people working on some very cool stuff away from what the mainstream is doing. If it has the letters SVT on it, you know it is going to be good!

Trying to find SVT is hard; the headquarters is in a very plain looking building away from the rest of Ford’s campus. Parked out front is a number of GT500’s, Raptor’s, Lincoln’s, a couple of WRX’s, and a white Fiesta 5-door hatchback. Walking inside, the building looks just like any office building, except there is a Ford GT engine at the end of the hallway. Brandon and I met Patrick Hespen, who would be our tour guide. The building is split in two, with one side bearing the name Roush, and the other side is SVT. Walking into SVT will take your breathe away. Tall cubical walls line the office perimeter, while every wall is blanketed with Ford Racing posters. An entire wall is dedicated to the pinnacle of Ford Racing. Pictures of the Ford GT40’s at leMans, 427 Cobra’s, and Shelby Mustangs from the 60’s reminds the team of when Ford stood on top of the motorsports world. It wasn’t Ferrari, it was the blue oval. In front of the receptionists desk, sitting in a glass case, is the natural carbon fibre Ford GT wind tunnel test car. Down the hall from that is the 6.0L V12 GT90 engine, 4.6L DOHC Cobra engine, and Brandon’s favorite, the 2.5L DOHC Contour engine.

Once inside the cubical walls, it looks just like my bedroom when I was a teen. Car posters, racing posters, die cast cars, and tons of parts line every office. Wheels, struts, engine components, gears, springs, broken stuff, test samples, and prototypes were stuffed everywhere. I felt like I was a kid again with all of this stuff around. Seeing all of the racing posters on the cubical walls made me feel good. These people are car people! They are just like me, and maybe that is why everything they make is what I want. One wall had a collection of articles taken from magazines begging Ford to bring over the Focus RS and other European Ford’s. They even have a wall dedicated to the SVT Focus, Focus R concept, and RS. Walking thru SVT renewed my faith that Ford still keeps motorsports a big part of what they do. For me, motorsports is what makes me want to buy a product. I don’t care for “green” labels, I care about proving your engineering skills in the heat of competition. That is what makes great cars and trucks.

By Bryan Redeker

While touring SVT, I asked Patrick if they still had the 2.5L V6 powered European Focus. He responded that where we are going next has something much better. We walked past the Ford GT engine in the hallway, turned the corner, and went thru the doors into the work shop. A large garage full of lifts, machining equipment, and people wrenching on all sorts of stuff greeted us. Guys in dress pants and shirts are working on a number of Raptor trucks, GT500 prototypes sitting on lifts, stacks of experimental parts, and rows of wheels and tires. On the wall is the Ford GT that was used at the NAIAS display. This place just keeps on getting better. After a quick walk thru the shop, we head outside.

Just outside the garage door sits a row of GT500 prototypes in various stages of development. Many of which I will not tell you about. I saw the prototype front grille that were first tested, but changed due to the placement of the air intake. Just past the GT500’s was an entire row of Ford GT’s, including a few of the Gulf inspired “Heritage Editions” and a 2000 Cobra R. There was even a Fiesta sedan that was missing the motor. Ford Racing has the engine, and I assume they are working on some goodies. All I will say about the sedan is that it reminds of the Mondeo, which is a good thing. I also saw GT500’s with camo, and a few with some special things on them. What kind of things? I can’t say, but I liked what I saw. Then we came to Holy Grail of small Fords. Sitting in the back of SVT, with a halo of goodness surrounding it, sits a white European Focus. What is so special about this Focus? Well, it  has massive wheels, sticky tires, huge brakes, aggressive lower air intake with intercooler, heat extractor vents in the hood, widened fenders, a large wing off the back, diffuser under the rear bumper, carbon fibre trim, and special seats. This was the RS. Sitting there, just begging to be taken out onto the race track. To be standing in its presence is truly amazing. The car looks like it is ready to take on any STi or Evo, and beat it badly. This car is the anti-Prius, and it is exactly what I want. Please Sara, can I get one?

After seeing the back lot at SVT, Patrick met us out front of the building in a new Raptor truck. I don’t like trucks, I don’t understand trucks, and I don’t know why you would want a truck. However, when you see the Raptor, it looks like a truck that I would build. Motorsports is a big part of who I am, and the Raptor is a truck that looks like it just came from Baja. It has the look of pure function, and no lick-n-stick crap all over it. This is not just a decal on the back that says off-road, this thing is the real deal. Cast aluminum control arms, big brakes, coil-overs, Fox shocks, wide wheels and tires, and switches on the dash. Yep, this is a real off-road race truck. Patrick took us for a ride, and I was very impressed with the 6.2L V8 and how the engine mapping can be changed with a flip of a toggle. All of the electronics on this thing is meant to work off road. Grab your helmet, put some numbers on the door, and you can race Baja! I came away with a ton of respect for the Raptor. The nice thing about SVT is that when they make something, it really works. It is a package that works on the track and the street. I have tried to do that on my own, and it never works. It is either too much of a race car, or too much of a street car. You can’t beat what SVT does!

By Bryan Redeker

We got back from our Raptor test drive, and head back inside of SVT. Patrick presents Brandon and I with some paperwork to sign, and a set of keys. We sign our life away, grab the keys, and head back outside. Sitting in the parking lot is a brand new 2010 Mustang GT500 coupe. The GT500 looks menacing in dark grey with silver leMans stripes over the top. Dark forged aluminum wheels, the first using a 5-axis CNC milling operation for a production car, and massive sticky shoes beg us to take the car for a drive. Walking around the back of the GT500, the exhaust tips are dark gold, a sign that this one works for a living. It is not easy to get the exhaust hot enough to turn gold on a street car, so this one has spent some time at the track.

Brandon climbs into the passenger side, and I open the driver’s door. The seats are black with silver inserts to match the stripes. Sticking up from the center console is the short throw shifter with classic white ball on the top. Gears 1-6 and the shift pattern are printed on the top, with the leMans stripes going down the center. Adjust the seat, put on the seat belt, insert key, and push in the clutch. A quick turn of the key and the massive V8 shakes the ground. I think people in Windsor can hear this thing start. Staring me in the face is the tachometer, and a slight blip of my right foot sends the needle racing. I grab the shift knob and move it to first gear. Wow, there is only a few inches of travel with this shifter, something that is lacking on the Fiesta. Bring up the revs, let out the hydraulic clutch to find the pressure point, and the GT500 starts to move forward. Having gobs of power under your right foot is something that is slightly addicting.

I take the GT500 for a test drive around Greenfield Village and neighboring streets. Once in traffic, I realize that the GT500 is very civil. The car is not harsh on the Michigan roads, the exhaust note is not too loud, the brakes are not overly aggressive, and the clutch doesn’t require He-Man strength to push it in. You could actually use this car for daily transportation, as well as taking it to the track. Again, this car is a trademark of SVT. Instantly, I fell in love with the shifter with its very short throws, precise placement of the gates, and just the right amount of effort. I like to know that I am really moving mechanical parts when I shift, and you get that feeling with the GT500. There is no disconnect between you and the car. The only bad part about the car was that we were on city streets and not a race track. There is no place for fun on the street, and I wasn’t going to fool around with this car. I did get a chance for a quick take-off from a stop light, but you get the speed limit in seconds! I was able to test out the handling while coming up quickly on a turn. I did a 3-2 downshift, utilized the well placed pedals for a nice heel-n-toe shift, turned into the corner, and got on the gas coming out. Right away, you can tell this car handles far better than any other factory Mustang. Even for a live axle car, the back end stays well planted on the bumpy roads while putting the power down.

Brandon and I switch spots in the car, and he gets to take it back to SVT. We were both very impressed with how well the GT500 is as a package. The suspension is much better than the Ford Racing sourced components on our dad’s Shelby GT. The new GT500 looks like it wants to go road racing, rather than drag racing. The new car is much more refined than its predecessor. Even the look of the car is much improved. If Sara would let me have one, and I lived in a place with no snow, I could easily drive a GT500 every day. Since it is a tad out of my price range, and I need something that goes well in the snow, I will stick with getting a Fiesta. Before we headed home, we had a chance to meet Jost Capito. For Brandon and me, he is our version of a Hollywood star. Jost is the Director of Global Performance Vehicles, as well as the father of the Focus RS. Brandon and I were honored to meet Jost and spend time talking with him about performance cars. He really is the perfect person to run the performance vehicle division of Ford. Not since John Colleti have I talked to somebody at Ford’s management that speaks my language.

Overall, we had a great time going to Ford and SVT. The things we saw and did helped renew my faith in the blue oval. Motorsports and safety are a big part of Ford. Technology is what they use to accomplish the task of integrating safety and motorsports into the cars we buy.

By Bryan Redeker

Today Brandon took the Fiesta to show it to some people while I was at work, so I drove my Mustang. You would think that going from a 120hp Fiesta to a 380hp, 400+ft-lb torque, full race suspension from Maximum Motorsports, and massive brakes would cause me not want to go back. Honestly, that is not the case. You are right, the sound of a highly tuned V8 is addicting, and so is enough torque to make the earth spin backwards. But there is more to a car than just the numbers; it is the total package that really counts. The suspension on my Mustang is all race quality stuff, many tubular lightweight parts, spherical rod ends, CNC’d aluminum components, and has all been adjusted to provide the maximum amount of grip. That comes with sacrificing comfort. Replacing rubber with aluminum transmit a lot of NVH to the driver and passenger. The roll cage that stiffens the chassis impedes entry and egress, and doesn’t allow for anymore than one passenger. The big V8 only runs good when the weather is 80’F outside, and can’t adapt to anything else. Oh, it sucks a lot of gas as well.

So how does this lead to the Fiesta? Well, the Fiesta provides all of the cornering fun that my Mustang has in a more civil package. While the Fiesta has way less power, it makes better use of it. You really can go to WOT without having to worry about swapping ends! The turn in and steering response of the Fiesta is on par with the road racing suspension of my Mustang. I spent tens of thousands of dollars building my Mustang to go around corners. The Fiesta comes as a complete car, ready to go, and handles outstanding! The amount of confidence the Fiesta inspires is also a nice change compared to the Mustang. There is no doubt that a small mistake in my Mustang will end in disaster. The level of precision to drive the Mustang at the limit is something I lack. The Fiesta on the other hand encourages you to find the limit, it wants you to push, it gives you the feedback needed to be safe. There is a reason why my Focus ZX3 still holds the record for my fastest lap time. The car made me feel confident enough to push, and rewarded me with outstanding response and feedback. The Fiesta is the same way, the car communicates to you as a driver. It amazes me that Ford can build a small car that handles like a pure bred track car, right out of the box and it is comfortable to drive everyday. This car will make people better drivers because they will be confident from the feeling you get while sitting in the driver’s seat.

By Bryan Redeker

            I just finished reading Autoblog’s review of the 2010 Taurus SHO, and one of their complaints was the lack of feeling you get while driving. Reading that reminded me that one of the things I like the most about the Fiesta is the fact that you are part of the driving experience. You are not a passenger, you are involved. The car is quiet and smooth, but not to the point where you feel disconnected. You hear the engine rev, the intake roar, you feel the vibration in the seat from the drivetrain, the steering wheel gives you feedback on what the tires are doing and the brakes do the same. The feeling you get from driving a car is important, and the Fiesta gives you a sense of the mechanical fury that takes place in the engine. Too many cars disconnect the driver from the car. They isolate the driver from anything mechanical to the point in which you lose the visceral feeling of what the car is doing. Perhaps one of my only complaints of the Fiesta is the shifter, since it lacks the mechanical feel of a tight short-throw. I want a car to be an extension of me. The Fiesta does that, and that is why I feel so connected to this car.

By Bryan Redeker

            When you think of a small car, cargo room is one of the first things you think of that is compromised. The Fiesta is surely one of the smallest cars I have driven for an extended period, that doesn’t mean I have given up on moving things with it. On the way home from my surprise birthday party on Saturday night, I stopped by the shop to pick up my Mustang wheels. I recently had the ADVAN Racing tires replaced with something more street friendly, and another set of wheels mounted with a set of Hoosiers for track use. Since I was out, I thought I would swing by and pick up 2 of the wheels. I used my wife’s Escape Limited to take the collection of street wheels to get mounted, and I did not think I could transport 4 massive wheels and tires in the Fiesta. Once at the shop, I folded down the rear seat, covered the rear cargo area with an old sheet to keep it clean, and began putting in the wheels. Hmm, two wheels fit with no problem. Can I fit three, or four? Ok, the third tire is in the back, how about the fourth? With a little work, I rearranged the wheels so that I could indeed get all four 17″ x 9″ Cobra wheels and tires into the Fiesta. Wow, wasn’t expecting that to work!

            I jump back in the driver’s seat and realize that the headlights are pointing up too high. I kind of expected this since I once hauled 4 race tires, jack stands, jack, tool box, and a change of clothes for a race weekend with my Focus a couple of years ago. Brandon and I drove to Detroit with the headlights pointing up so high they missed the road. It just is not safe to do that, but the Focus lacked something the Fiesta has. Well, this Fiesta has, and I doubt the bean counters will allow for the US cars. Leveling headlights is the answer to what the Fiesta has that the Focus did not. I was able to turn the knob on the dash, lower the headlamps to the correct position to counter the weight in the back. Now I am not blinding people with headlamps, and I can get a clear view of the road. Another great safety feature! Once again, the Fiesta surprised me with its ability to haul all of my street wheels/tires and could level the headlights so I could drive home safely. There are many mid-size sedans that lack the cargo room to haul wheels and tires of this size, and lack the adjustable headlamps as well. Trust me, I know, I tried to haul these wheels once in a mid-size car. Took two trips to get done what the Fiesta did in one.