SPY PICS: Ford Focus hardtop convertible

Whoa. That is pretty sweet. Depending on pricing this is going to be slotted right next to the EOS. If it undercuts the EOS in pricing I can see it doing quite well.

Additionally, I love the way the back looks, but I'd like to see it with the top up.

Ummm....this car is already out. I've been in one.
Doubt you'll get it in the US, it's based on the Euro Focus platform.

Hmmm...apparently we don't get it in the States. Shame really, it is very pretty. I hate to say it but usually I find the Pininfarina designs look dated in a sort of abstract way [maybe it is just the basic proportions] but this is a very attractive car I must say.

...granted it isn't quite as pretty with the top up, but that is to be expected.

No, this car is really sweet.

HELLO FORD - why can we not have cars like this?

Ford cannot sell a car like this in the US because it costs too much to build a car like this for our market. The europeans expect an attractive and well built and refined car and Ford doesn't think we want or expect the same thing? That of course is a long line of mistakes made by Ford. Quality has been sold here for quite a while and they only need to look at Honda, Toyota, etc... to see why all domestic's share of the market has been shrinking. Ford, we do want a quality car from a domestic manufacturer, but you are not willing to rebuild your reputation the right way!

While I'm usually one to defend domestic automakers, it confounds me that cars like this Focus can be built with style and refinement unlike anything found in the US. Yes it's true that the exchange rate makes it difficult to economically import this vehicle, however I would assume that the high quality materials apparent in this car would be more expensive in Europe than in the US. Yet that doesn't stop them from building it. I really wish someone would be willing to break it down in dollars and cents and explain why we can't have cars like this built in the US. (P.S. This is not an open invitation for smart-ass commentary. If you have something meaningful to add then thanks)

The license plates are European! Therefore not on US soil.

Give Mulally some time, and that will ALL change.

Xerokool - you get no European Fords in the US, and we get no American Fords in Europe.

They are like 2 completely separate companies (for one thing Ford Europe is making money).

That's not a spy. This car is on the euro market for a while.

Yeah, this car is already on sale. It's really quite nice, though. I wish Ford would sell it here- if not as their own product for pricing reasons, then as a Mercury convertible. Mercury shouldn't be there at all, but it fits.

S4 your right i don't know why they just don't sell it as a mercury

It would show how bad US Mercurys are.

Seriously, I've driven many of the hatchback version, it's great. Refined, quiet, quick, safe, with a fantastic manual gearbox (smooth and direct), a great clutch set up and direct steering, and great handling, with a well put together, nice feeling interior (although it gets cheaper and harder as you go down and back), and some nice little faux aluminium details, like on the steering wheel, and the centre console is fauz aluminium too (quite convincing though, and it doesn't scratch).

Ford can build great cars, but the exchange rate really is killing them to sell European made cars in the US (strong Euro, super-strong pound, weak Dollar).
Before tax, the basic 1.6 version (slow!!!! 13 seconds to 60) is around 26000 dollars. With Britsh VAT, 32000 dollars. They ain't cheap.

The Focus is (again) Britain's best selling vehicle, as it has been for many years, since launch in 1998 I think.
It's so good Jeremy Clarkson has one.

Nice ride!!!

That is a great looking car. It really bothers me how they sell the Mondeo in Europe and we get the bland Fusion. This has to end. Bring this car over!

If this keeps up it will end. Ford will put themselves out of business in the US the way they are going.

I was reading a really ineresting article online about Mullally trying to get all worldwide Ford divisions to start sharing all of their, data and to push towards more global platforms so that similar Ford vehicles can be offered in any country.

you can tell it's a European Ford car by one simple fact: it actually looks nice. US Ford gives us shitty cars, Europe gets nice ones. I would still never buy a Ford (EVER), but it's amazing how American car companies treat American buyers. Ford is Europe is actually pretty nice. Ford in US sucks ass. Pontiac in Europe (holden) is quite nice. Pontiac in US is very basic. Are they trying to say something about us?

It looks good but with the size and rake of that windshield it will be difficult to avoid damaging your head when getting into that vehicle.

We get this here in UAE.It's very nice,Even better looking than Eos and 207/307 CC.

JUGNU

Where is ours? WTF Ford? (***Sighs and shakes head***)

Another huge mistake by Ford. I've driven the european Focus and the NA and i'm astonished at the differences between the two cars. I really don't understand Ford's strategy in NA.
It would certainly be nice to see this car over here. But then again we're asking too much from Ford.

I seriously think if they brought this car to the US they would have to badge it Lincoln never mind Mercury.
I think it's so funny that European econoboxes' interiors rival "premium" American brands.

Well European "econoboxes" aren't really econoboxes at all since they cost the same as premium large cars in the US. It's simply a matter of very high fuel prices and space limitations in Europe meaning small cars are more practical and affordable to run.

Poor Mullaly has to clean up Ford's shambles all thanks to poor management and addicted to gas guzzlers and plastic

Yes, the Euro Focus is a different car from the U.S. one, but they started out relatively the same, until the chassis was updated for the Mazda3 and Volvo S40. Those updates were considered too expensive for what is sold as an economy car in this market. Reportedly, there willmbe more product synergies in the future; it must be frightfully expensive and inefficent to produce two completely different versions of the same car and have them selling against each other as they do in the U.S.

I don't know who you are, but it always interests me to fnd someone with my same last name.

Rupert's my first name....