Focus ST Performance Package?

[soranezumi]

I've read in some reviews (done as recently as August this year) mention of a "Performance Package" for the ST on all trim levels. Anyone here know if it is available, delayed, canceled, ... something else?

[skewedview]

I believe that is for non-US versions only.

[lddavis]

Any details? I haven't heard of such a thing for the US market. Options are actually pretty minimal for the 2013 model year, none of them performance-related.

[soranezumi]

I thought is was going to be non-US only too, but... the reviews were from american mags done after testing the car in the states. I wonder if the Ford reps are telling them wrong info or if they are accidentally letting a cat out of the bag?

I'm hoping it's the latter because I want that pack on my car.

[lddavis]

Or are they making assumptions based on other Ford product lines? After all, the point of the ST is kind of that it _is_ the Focus Performance Pack. There are Mustang and Taurus Perf Packs, but they seem to include the kinds of things the ST group already put on the Focus ST - suspension, brakes, etc. If there were something else to add, why not put in the ST to start with?

There could be some more headroom that they couldn't take advantage of for some reason -- price, of course, or to take a popular topic, the stiffness of the rear motor mount, going over the NVH targets they had to hit -- but which may not be a priority for some people. Such mods could make up an additional Performance Pack from Ford.

Googling "focus performance pack" gets me a few hits, all from early reviews:

Edmunds.com

Every ST is available with a sunroof and the optional Performance Pack, which offers the standard 18-inch wheels with a dark finish plus red trim for the brake calipers

Motor Trend:

If the M3 lets you pass - it's still up to that car's driver, because the ST is not that fast - the driver will see 235/40 R-18 Goodyear Eagles on handsome honeycomb wheels. They're painted "gray black" with red brake calipers if you've chosen the Performance Pack.

AsiaOne Motoring:

All ST customers will be able to specify the 'Performance Pack' which offers the wheels in grey black with a high contrast red finish on the performance brake calipers

NetCarsHow.com:

ST customers will now have an additional 'Performance Pack' option which offers the wheels in black with a high contrast red finish on the performance brake calipers.

Though if it's just dark rims and red calipers, I'd call that an "appearance pack" rather than a "performance" pack.

Of course, there's no such option in the Ford configurator for the US. So, it's either pre-production marketing information and Ford's changed their mind, or it's perhaps a Europe-only option, at least immediately. On the bright side, if it's just wheels and caliper paint, that's easily done by third parties -- easier than buying the parts in Europe and shipping them back to be installed.