The Goodwood Festival of Speed, held annually on the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex, England, is a mecca for speed freaks. Started essentially as a showcase for historic marques, it has ballooned to include all manner of wheeled lunacy, and this year’s event includes the debut of the refreshed 2015 Ford Focus ST. A definite C/D favorite, the current Focus ST is both a 10 Best winner and a member in good standing of our long-term test fleet.
Native Son, World-Class Reputation
Although Ford was born in America, the brand has long reserved a special place in its heart for the U.K. (and Britons a special place in their heart for the brand), so it makes sense that the latest ST would make its debut there.
As with the already revealed 2015 hatchback and sedan, the new ST’s tweaks start with a refreshed front fascia. The look includes a set of sleeker headlight units that imbue it with a squintier and slightly more aggressive countenance. LED running lamps are standard, while the ST2 and ST3 trim levels have HID headlights. The grille is slightly larger, but it retains approximately the same overall shape. Gone, however, are the thin, fanglike elements that split it into three sections.
The lower area adopts an egg-crate look, and the fog-lamp lenses are now polygonal in shape instead of round. A newly sculpted hood plays nicely into the more aggressive look. Out back, a deeper blackout panel now spans the entire fascia, and the trademark twin hexagonal exhaust finishers carry over.
Gray, 18-inch Rado aluminum wheels are standard, and an additional new wheel design and red painted calipers are optional. Magnetic Metallic replaces Ingot Silver in the exterior color palette, and buyers can now add stripes—in Satin Black and High Gloss Red—to their cars. Doing so also nets matching mirror caps.
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