Fiesta Rally Package now offered by Ford

   SEMA 2010 is bringing in a lot of interesting and exciting news, however some of the coolest news has to be the announcement of a Rally package that is being introduced to the Ford Fiesta.

   Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latlava and Ken Block are not going to be alone for long, because anyone and everyone can now buy an R2 rally kit to transform their once civilized grocery getter into a full blown rally racer that would make their inner child proud. The kit was previously only available throughout Europe, however,  Fords promise of a global platform comes with promising modifications for rally enthusiasts.


   M-Sport, which has been working with Fords WRC division since 1997 to finely tune the rally breed that Ford boasts, created this awe inspiring kit. The kit will convert a stock Fiesta to rally Spec. The stock engine which is a 1.6-liter Ti-VCT four-cylinder engine will be upgraded with racing spec parts that will include: pistons, conrods, camshafts, valve springs, injectors, airbox, air filter and a sump baffle kit. All of these enhancements will help the Fiesta to deliver 168 horsepower and 134 lb.-ft. of torque,which is quite an increase over the production Fiesta.


   Some of the other parts included in the kit include:
• Five-speed Sadev sequential gearbox with flat shift gear cut
• T45 steel multipoint roll cage 
• Reiger adjustable dampers with Eibach springs
• Ventilated disc brakes with AP four-piston competition calipers


   Team O’Neil Motorsports is the only official reseller and installer that is authorized to work with the R2 kits. Only the Fiestas that are prepared by Team O'Neil Motorsports will be eligible for the U.S. Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship.


   The news of this kit may make you want to run out and purchase said kit, however you may want to save up a little first. People looking to buy this kit will have to spend around $30,000 (fiesta included in price) in order to become a rally superstar....or at least try to become one.




Author: Brad Roy

End to an Era.

Rest In Piece

   A well known brand officially closed down yesterday after struggling to stay afloat. Although Pontiac has unofficially been axed for over a year, yesterday the final call was given and Pontiac was officially shut down.

   Unlike Saab, which was sold to Spyker; a Dutch super car maker, the decision was made to end Pontiac altogether along with its sister brands, Saturn and Hummer. It seems that Automakers are shutting down brands that they view as unneeded in order to restructure their faulting divisions. Even successful automaker  Ford, which made 2.6 billion dollars in April through June, has made the decision to axe Mercury after declining sales in order to focus more on its new global format and expansion of Lincoln. Pontiac however, was not buried in order to focus on better things.

  After declaring bankruptcy and taking loans from the U.S government (which it has still not paid off despite its claims) GM announced that it would be closing 3 of its brands and selling off Saab in order to restructure their company. It is sad to see such brands axed because of poor decisions made by rich people. Pontiac could have been successful and thriving, however its knight in shining armor arrived too late.

   The G8 which was the first high horsepower hero to be met with exceptional reviews arrived too late, as did its brother, the Soltice. Both were due to be cult classics but were never given a chance, which is quite a shame. The G8 is quite a head turner and I can say in all honesty that I do a double take every time I see one pass. One can not help but wonder what could have been with Pontiac, but one will never find out. The end to a car brand always comes too soon, but in this desperate time and broken economy, it can not come soon enough for a struggling automaker.

Author: Brad Roy