With bigger brakes and tweaked exhaust outlets, this Ford Fiesta ST prototype could hint at a special-edition hot hatch due within the coming years.
Drive’s spy photography partners have caught a mysterious 2021 Ford Fiesta ST prototype on German roads, with upgrades that could preview a send-off special for Ford’s baby hot hatch.
Spotted on Germany’s Nurburgring race track, the Fiesta ST prototype is distinguished primarily by new front brakes, with larger slotted discs – which are significantly larger than the 278mm units fitted to the model currently in Ford showrooms (see the gallery below), often criticised for poor on-track braking performance – and new gold calipers.
While the exhaust tips are of similar diameters to the current car’s outlets, they have been repositioned slightly in the bumper, requiring cuts to be made into the bodywork as a result – hinting at an upgraded exhaust system hiding behind.
Affixed to the tailgate is a sticker reading ‘BWI Group’, a Beijing-based company specialising in suspension and brake products for independent sale and global car manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and crucially, Ford.
MORE: 2022 Ford Fiesta ST facelift revealed
Ford enthusiasts might recognise the BWI Group through one of its leading product lines: MagneRide, the magnetically-controlled adaptive damper system used by the Ford Mustang sports car and GT supercar.
However, it’s not clear what relation BWI Group has to this prototype, and whether MagneRide – or one of the Chinese company’s other chassis and brake products – is fitted to the pocket-sized hot hatch.
While some might suggest the BWI Group sticker indicates this Fiesta ST prototype isn’t a Ford-run project – particularly given the current-generation Fiesta is entering its final years on sale – our spy photographers note the test car is an official Ford prototype.
A online search reveals the same ‘K 065745’ licence plate has adorned Ford Focus and Jaguar XK (as the British brand once owned by Ford) prototypes over the last two decades, further pointing to its Ford origins. The ‘K’ on the plate likely signifies Ford’s engineering base in Cologne, Germany, where vehicles are registered under the ‘K’ designation.
No other changes of note have been made to the prototype – including its front end, suggesting major engine changes are unlikely.
The purpose of this Fiesta ST prototype isn’t clear, however one theory points to a ‘final edition’ version of the performance city car, which could be introduced around 2023 as a late-stage send-off variant to mark the end of the current-generation ST’s run – and likely the entire Fiesta ST lineage, as Ford of Europe’s upcoming all-electric switch is expected to kill off the hot hatch line.
Such a model could retain the facelifted Fiesta ST’s uprated 147kW/320Nm 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder engine, but add larger front brakes (designed for track driving), a stiffer suspension tune, freer-flowing exhaust, and possibly new wheel and bumper designs. However, this all remains speculation for now.
Ford already offers a special ‘Edition’ version of the Fiesta ST in Europe, which adds adjustable coilover suspension (with twin-tube dampers), new 18-inch alloy wheels, and a slew of black accents.
Our spy photographers speculate the prototype could preview a special-edition variant pitched as a farewell for Ford’s assortment of Fiesta-based rally cars, namely its World Rally Championship challenger that will bow out at the end of the 2021 season; its replacement set to be based on the Puma small SUV.
Expect to hear more about a future 2022 Ford Fiesta ST special edition in the coming years, should the prototype materialise as a production car.
The post Hotter Ford Fiesta ST prototype spied with bigger brakes appeared first on Drive.
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