2012 SEMA Show: Tuners Adjust Their Ford Focus

The 2012 SEMA Show previews continue this week with a quick look at some of the Vegas-bound vehicles from Ford. Show-goers will no doubt be treated to a wide range of radically redesigned Blue Oval products, but at this stage, the automaker is shining the ol’ spotlight on just two: The 2013 Ford Focus and the brand-new Ford Fusion. In fact, Ford has provided early renderings for five examples of the former and four of the latter, with the company expected to add “dozens of project vehicles from the industry’s top builders” to its SEMA exhibit—which goes live when the event opens on October 31.

2012 SEMA Show: 2013 Ford Focus

Since its launch last year, the 2013 Ford Focus has benefited from a steady stream of buzz for its “customizability.” The company itself, for example, launched a factory-backed graphics program that features a collection of very custom-esque vinyl designs, and the new 2013 Ford Focus ST showcases some nice performance-enhancing hardware of its own. But as is obvious from the automaker's first batch of SEMA cars, plenty of room for further personalization remains, even in that car. Ford's 252-hp hot hatch was the starting point for the SEMA Foci created by:

• Tanner Foust Racing—Top Gear’s Tanner Foust—also an X-Games Rallycross gold medalist—deployed a unique body kit, adjustable suspension, cold-air intake and MagnaFlow exhaust for an “aggressive, yet approachable” package that’s designed to be as comfortable on the road as it is on the track.
• Bojix Design—One of Europe’s top tuners wrapped its Focus ST in a dynamic orange exterior that also shows off Ford’s iconic “leaf and highway” graphic. The car also will feature bigger stoppers and a coil-over suspension upgrade for even better handling.
• M&J Enterprises—M&J teamed with the Cosworth crew to find 30 percent more horsepower and 20 percent more torque in the Focus ST’s high-powered EcoBoost engine; the result is a SEMA version that makes more than 327 horses and 324 lb.-ft. of twist, while wearing a Tangerine Scream finish.
• Galpin Auto Sports—Perhaps best known for its work with the Ford Mustang, Galpin proved it knew how to handle the Focus, too, by creating a rally-ready car that also hides a methanol-injection system beneath its aggressive body kit
• Steeda Autosports—Another well-known Mustang massager also fired up a Focus ST for SEMA, highlighted by proprietary suspension components, Brembo brakes, a 19-inch tire/wheel combination and a sophisticated Euro-style appearance.

2012 SEMA Show: 2013 Ford Fusion

An ordinary mid-size sedan might not seem like an ideal choice for SEMA, but the reimagined 2013 Ford Fusion, of course, is no ordinary mid-size sedan. It offers up a striking exterior design and two EcoBoost powertrain alternatives, both of which ended up in SEMA cars from:

• Tjin Edition—“The perfect blend between performance and luxury,” the Tjin Edition Ford Fusion relies on the performance-oriented 2.0-liter EcoBoost for motivation, upgrades like a 3dCarbon lip kit and LightWurkZ illumination for style, and an advanced turbo kit and custom MagnaFlow exhaust for added power.
• MRT Performance—Specific details are few on this Fusion, but it sure looks good in its black-and-blue exterior paint scheme; it's expected to “remove any questions that the new Ford Fusion is a top choice for sedan customers.”
• Ice Nine Group—Although it relies on the high-efficiency 1.6-liter EcoBoost that allows the production Fusion to reach 37 mpg on the highway, the Ice Nine edition takes its style cues—including its aggressive rear wing—from Australia’s famed V8 Supercar Series.
• 3dCarbon & Air Design—Drawing on the combined expertise of two well-known tuning shops, this Fusion has been fine-tuned to highlight its already sophisticated design and transform the car “into a striking sedan that would be a head-turner on the Autobahn, or any road.”