Polaris Decal 500 New 7076505 on 2040-parts.com

2012 Ford Focus ST gets 297bhp

Those clever chaps at SuperChips have given the 2012 Ford Focus ST a bit of an ECU tweak to deliver 297bhp and an extra 85lb/ft of torque. When we reported last week that WTC outfit Arena had in roped Ford’s tuner of choice, Mountune, to give the new Ford Focus a makeover, we were a tad disappointed to discover that they were tweaking the rather journeyman Focus Zetec S. That meant the Zetec S got 200bhp – a handy jump – but we bemoaned the fact that they hadn’t fiddled with the Focus ST to give us a car to fill the void left by the absence of a Focus RS in the current iteration of the Focus.

Natural Balance Pet Foods, Ford to break parade-float record

While most of us are home on Jan. 2, working off a two-day sports hangover, the 123rd Tournament of Roses Parade will take place in Pasadena, Calif., with the world's heaviest and longest parade float--powered by a 6.8-liter Ford V10. The Natural Balance Pet Foods float will measure 116 feet at its longest point and weigh in at 100,000 pounds, all of which is certified by the book of Guinness World Records.

Fuel duty freeze is 'no give-away'

MOTORING GROUPS have given a cautious welcome to Chancellor George Osborne's announcement of a freeze on fuel duty until May 2015. But Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin's insistence on the value of HS2 to the UK cut little ice with opponents of the high-speed rail scheme. On fuel duty, both the AA and the RAC pointed out that Mr Osborne was already getting big sums from motorists in taxation.