The Brand New Ford Focus CC

I’m very excited this week.?I’ve just booked to jet off to Las Vegas in a few months time and it’s officially my favourite place on the planet.?There’s no culture to speak of, not much history, everything is loud and brash, there’s sleaze galore and horrendously tacky souvenirs and it’s precisely because of these reasons I love it.?It doesn’t get much better than hiring some form of new Ford I’ve never heard of, sticking on the air conditioning, classic rock on the radio and cruising down the strip in a complete break from normality.

When I try to describe Vegas to those who’ve never been, it’s a nearly impossible task.?The sheer size of everything has to be experienced to be believed.?Last time I was there I was walking up the strip and saw the Venetian hotel roughly five minutes walk away.?Literally an hour later I arrived.?Everything is so deceptively large it takes forever to get anywhere.?Based on my casino performance it’s probably for the best that I spent most of my time walking to slot machines and gaming tables rather than playing at them.
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My best performance involved sitting at a slot machine playing with one cent at a time, consistently losing but managing to stay for hours due to the small denomination I was using.?Every twenty minutes or so, a very pretty girl came over in not much clothing and asked if I’d like a drink.?Once I’d sussed out they were complimentary (I must’ve been losing lots the casino wagered) I proceeded to get merry on expensive looking cocktails at a cost of roughly one dollar.?Who says casinos always win?
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It’s in a British person’s upbringing to talk about the weather and I’m no different.?Vegas has only one type – stupidly hot.?You can go for a swim, get back on your sun lounger and be completely dry (including your hair) in 5 minutes.?You certainly can’t walk barefoot to get an ice cream else your feet will drop off, not that the ice cream will fare much better.?With these temperatures and glitzy cocktail lifestyle, it’s small wonder that the car of choice over there is anything convertible.
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Great Britain you may have noticed is nothing like Las Vegas.?It’s rainy, not very glitzy and has work to attend and bills to pay.?It is very normal.?As a result, I found it highly surprising to learn that Ford not only launched a convertible Focus entitled the Focus CC in 2007, but you can still buy the Ford new today.?Two years isn’t a long time, but for a car that won’t sell it might as well be eternity.
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For a kick off, drop top cars are designed with one purpose in mind – to look cool.?The Ford Focus is a good-looking family hatchback but would never be mistaken for its sporty credentials.?Secondly even if you had the most beautiful convertible within your grasp, how often would you be able to take the roof down, considering the weather we have?

Yet somehow people are buying the Focus CC and you know what, I can see why.?For a start it really does look good.?The back end has been elongated to accommodate the metal roof that folds away electrically and whilst there’s no mistaking it for anything other than a Focus, it’s very elegant.?Designed and built by Pininfarina in Italy, the Focus CC has been styled from the same pages as Ferrari and that quite frankly is all the glitz I’d need.
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I know convertibles are actually heavier than the standard car, because of the extra rigidity required to stop the car flopping about without the roof holding it together and yes, this means the acceleration and handling are also compromised.?The Focus CC despite this is a joy to drive and rides the bumps in the road with ease.?Make no mistake, you won’t be going anywhere at lightening speed with the 2 litre engine and won’t be going anywhere at all with the 1.6, but Ford have made this a grand tourer rather than a sports car and it’s a winner as a result.?I don’t normally get excited over the colour options, but the Focus CC has so many that you can’t fail to find a combination that suits you and will have people flashing admiring glances as you drive by.
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The Ford Focus CC [http://www.fordonline.co.uk/new-ford-cars/focus-coupe-cabriolet.aspx] is actually very much like Vegas.?It doesn’t have much heritage, is bigger than you’d imagine and takes forever to get anywhere, but it’s a welcome break from the norm.

By: Mark Creese