It's Jekyll into Hyde as we transform our 2000 Automobile of the Year, Ford's good-natured Focus, into a rear-wheel-drive, V-8-powered beast.
The first question everyone asks when we tell them that we dropped a solid-axle, rear-wheel-drive powertrain, complete with a 302-cubic-inch V-8, into a Ford Focus is, "Why?"—to which we usually answer "Why not?" Truth be told, gutting the drivetrain of a compact, front-wheel-drive car and turning it into a modern-day hot rod was a bit insane. The V-8 Focus is a beast, and we still have to take it to finishing school to iron out the rough edges. Keep you eye on automobilemag.com and Automobile Magazine in the near future for an update on our progress.