Ford Focus CC3 - Jeremy Clarkson review
30 Apr 2007, 16:20
Cu o mica intarziere, am gasit articolul lui Jeremy Clarkson despre cabrioul de la Ford.
imi cer scuze ca nu pun si o traducere, dar nu am timpul necesar. in plus, stilul lui face dificila traducerea partilor cu adevarat savuroase.
Nu am pus articolul integral - cei care-i cunosc stilul, stiu ca rpima jumate din articol de multe ori nici nu are legatura cu masinile...
From The Sunday Times
By Jeremy Clarkson
April 22, 2007
Ford Focus CC-3
Unlikely, but it’s a ray of sunshine
And on the road, what you need is a convertible car. Yes, I know a convertible is always going to be heavier than the saloon or hatchback on which it’s based because it needs underfloor beams to replace strength lost when the roof was removed. And yes, I know that because of the weight, and the loss of structural rigidity, a convertible will never handle or accelerate quite as well as a normal car. But who cares when the sunlight is flashing its radioactive Morse code through the overhanging trees, and the morning dew is picked out in the overnight cobwebs and you have an excuse for putting on your Aviators and listening to some Don Henley.
This brings me on to the Ford Focus CC, which like most of the mid-range convertibles these days has a metal roof that folds electrically into the boot. On paper this sounds good. It means that when you’re driving with the roof up it’s as quiet and as refined as a normal saloon. And when it’s parked the roof cannot be slashed by vandals.
There are, however, some drawbacks. In order to fit into the boot a roof that is big enough to shield four adults the rear end must be as big as an aircraft carrier. You only need look at Peugeot’s effort to see the ugliness that can result.
What’s more, you are bound to end up with very little space for rear passengers, and when the roof is down almost no boot space at all.
At first it looks like the Ford suffers from all these problems and more. The extra weight, thanks to all the ironmongery, means the 1.6 litre version will barely move. Unless you want a diesel, you really have to go for the 2 litre, and even this struggles. And despite the best efforts of Ford’s chassis engineers, who are some of the best in the business at the moment, it’s not what you’d call a sprightly point-and-squirt car. It feels like you’re driving around in Al Gore.
So yes, you get the vandal-proof roof but the price you pay is limited rear space, a small boot, a dramatic loss of performance and some suet in the handling mix.
And yet, after a few days I began to like this car very much. Yes, it has the bulbous rear end, but actually when you stop and look at it, as a whole, you have to admit it’s a very elegant car. I don’t know why but it puts me in mind of a Riva speedboat parked in Portofino with an Agnelli at the wheel. It has a Sixties playboy look somehow.
And while it may not be the best handling car in the world, it rides beautifully, soaking up the worst bumps and potholes without a murmur of complaint. In short, it’s tremendously comfortable.
Of course, at this point you may be saying that you don’t care, because it’s still only a Ford Focus. True enough, but it’s built in Italy by the people who styled it — Pininfarina — and it’s available with a range of colours both inside and out that are bound to appeal.
Will it go wrong? Well, I’ve had one of the old Focuses for six years and it’s still as tight and reliable as the day I bought it. So no, I don’t think so.
It isn’t what I was expecting, the Focus CC. I thought it’d be an updated version of the old Escort cabrio, a molten banana with an Essex girl at the wheel. But it isn’t. It’s a refined, elegant, comfortable and remarkably well priced tool that’s ideal for those of us who are 98% motorist and 2% hedgehog.
Vital statistics
Model Ford Focus CC-3
Engine 1999cc, four cylinders
Power 143bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque 136 lb ft @ 4500rpm
Transmission Five-speed manual
Fuel 37.7mpg (combined)
CO2 179g/km
Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.3sec
Top speed 130mph Price £18,795
Rating 4/5
Verdict More Pininfarina than Ford
imi cer scuze ca nu pun si o traducere, dar nu am timpul necesar. in plus, stilul lui face dificila traducerea partilor cu adevarat savuroase.
Nu am pus articolul integral - cei care-i cunosc stilul, stiu ca rpima jumate din articol de multe ori nici nu are legatura cu masinile...
From The Sunday Times
By Jeremy Clarkson
April 22, 2007
Ford Focus CC-3
Unlikely, but it’s a ray of sunshine
And on the road, what you need is a convertible car. Yes, I know a convertible is always going to be heavier than the saloon or hatchback on which it’s based because it needs underfloor beams to replace strength lost when the roof was removed. And yes, I know that because of the weight, and the loss of structural rigidity, a convertible will never handle or accelerate quite as well as a normal car. But who cares when the sunlight is flashing its radioactive Morse code through the overhanging trees, and the morning dew is picked out in the overnight cobwebs and you have an excuse for putting on your Aviators and listening to some Don Henley.
This brings me on to the Ford Focus CC, which like most of the mid-range convertibles these days has a metal roof that folds electrically into the boot. On paper this sounds good. It means that when you’re driving with the roof up it’s as quiet and as refined as a normal saloon. And when it’s parked the roof cannot be slashed by vandals.
There are, however, some drawbacks. In order to fit into the boot a roof that is big enough to shield four adults the rear end must be as big as an aircraft carrier. You only need look at Peugeot’s effort to see the ugliness that can result.
What’s more, you are bound to end up with very little space for rear passengers, and when the roof is down almost no boot space at all.
At first it looks like the Ford suffers from all these problems and more. The extra weight, thanks to all the ironmongery, means the 1.6 litre version will barely move. Unless you want a diesel, you really have to go for the 2 litre, and even this struggles. And despite the best efforts of Ford’s chassis engineers, who are some of the best in the business at the moment, it’s not what you’d call a sprightly point-and-squirt car. It feels like you’re driving around in Al Gore.
So yes, you get the vandal-proof roof but the price you pay is limited rear space, a small boot, a dramatic loss of performance and some suet in the handling mix.
And yet, after a few days I began to like this car very much. Yes, it has the bulbous rear end, but actually when you stop and look at it, as a whole, you have to admit it’s a very elegant car. I don’t know why but it puts me in mind of a Riva speedboat parked in Portofino with an Agnelli at the wheel. It has a Sixties playboy look somehow.
And while it may not be the best handling car in the world, it rides beautifully, soaking up the worst bumps and potholes without a murmur of complaint. In short, it’s tremendously comfortable.
Of course, at this point you may be saying that you don’t care, because it’s still only a Ford Focus. True enough, but it’s built in Italy by the people who styled it — Pininfarina — and it’s available with a range of colours both inside and out that are bound to appeal.
Will it go wrong? Well, I’ve had one of the old Focuses for six years and it’s still as tight and reliable as the day I bought it. So no, I don’t think so.
It isn’t what I was expecting, the Focus CC. I thought it’d be an updated version of the old Escort cabrio, a molten banana with an Essex girl at the wheel. But it isn’t. It’s a refined, elegant, comfortable and remarkably well priced tool that’s ideal for those of us who are 98% motorist and 2% hedgehog.
Vital statistics
Model Ford Focus CC-3
Engine 1999cc, four cylinders
Power 143bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque 136 lb ft @ 4500rpm
Transmission Five-speed manual
Fuel 37.7mpg (combined)
CO2 179g/km
Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.3sec
Top speed 130mph Price £18,795
Rating 4/5
Verdict More Pininfarina than Ford