Ford Plans Fast Focus Small Car

Ford is preparing to launch something that's small and fast and very European.

The company confirming that it will bring a European "ST" version of its Focus small car to the U.S. in 2012.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally  will release full details of the Focus ST at the Paris Auto Show on September 30th.  The company release in pictures in advance of that unveiling, and confirming that it will have a four cylinder Ecoboost engine.  That's expected to give the vehicle about 250 horsepower.

That will give Ford three versions of the Focus small car, a sedan, hatchback and coupe.  The hatchback and coupe will be on sales in the United States early next year.

The Focus will be Ford's first "global car", designed to be sold all over the world, in essentially the same package.  Small details will be changed for individual markets.  But this strategy saves Ford billions in product development costs.

The company is retooling the old Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne to build the new Focus, which is now built next door at the Wayne Assembly plant.

The complex has now been renamed Michigan Assembly.