2001 Ford Focus FR200 Pictures, Specifications, Information

In response to a growing demand for aftermarket performance parts for sport compact cars, Ford Racing Technology unveiled its version of the "ultimate" compact performance parts car – the Focus FR200 – as part of the Innovations Day luncheon at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in 2001.

The Focus FR200 is the second in a series of performance parts project vehicles created by Ford Racing Technology to develop and market new lines of parts for the performance parts aftermarket. It follows the Mustang FR500, which made its debut at the SEMA Show in 1999.

The FR200 is a 304-horsepower, turbocharged version of the Ford Focus ZX3 and, like its sibling the Mustang FR500, is designed to be the ultimate combination of high horsepower and superior handling in a small, front-wheel drive car.

Although the exterior of the car has some dramatic changes, the heart of this car lies in the Ford Racing-modified 2.0-liter Zetec engine, which delivers 304 horspower @ 6750 rpm and 285 lb.-ft. torque at 3500 rpm – more than twice the horsepower and torque of the production Focus.

To handle that increased horsepower and torque on the road, Ford Racing widened the wheel track in front and back by four inches (the bodywork is widened by five inches front and back to cover the tires), and built a prototype bolt-on double A-arm front suspension, with prototype, three-way adjustable front and rear coil-over shocks. The FR200 delivers all the power smoothly through a European production MTX75 transmission case with FRT prototype gears. The powertrain also features a 3.82:1 final drive gear, Torsen limited slip differential and Ford Racing prototype half shafts.

The exterior of the car is meant to be as aggressive as the changes underneath. Ford Racing asked Mustang FR500 designer Don Johnson of D. A. Johnson Design to create a distinctive look, highlighted by an "outrageous" rear spoiler that is the car’s signature piece.

The front fascia and fenders, the rear quarter panels and rear fascia, and the rocker panels are all redesigned and made of carbon fiber, as is the hood, which also was changed to handle the addition of the intercooler. The car also features European Focus four-door tail lamps.

Inside the car, the extreme performance theme is carried out through the use of a JBL audio system, featuring two, four-channel digital pre-amp units, a TrafficPro Radio/CD/Navigation system, 11 strategically-positioned speakers, and 570 watts of power, delivering 111 db(a) SPL.

The FR200 also features Ford Racing sport leather seat upholstery by Classic Soft Trim, a Ford Racing prototype two-tone leather steering wheel, and a Ford Racing prototype instrument cluster with a 180 mph speedometer and 8000 rpm tachometer (7200 rpm redline).