2002 Ford Focus ZX5 - Project Red Hot Chili Pepper

Project Name: Red Hot Chili Pepper
Car: '02 Focus ZX5
Timeline: March 2003-February 2006
Goal: Make a four-cylinder a respectable commuter.
Result: 13-second e.t.'s and a look that's not overly import.
Grade: B
Best Performance: 13.93/96 mph
Biggest Mistake: 18-inch wheels with 215/40/18 rubber in New Jersey.
Best Move: Precision Turbo & Engine turbo kit. It made up for all the Pepper's shortcomings.

We shoulda swapped in a V-8!

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Red Hot Chili Pepper's Story!

Bustin' Loose With A Little Juice Our '02 Focus ZX5 blows past the 15-second zone and enters the 14s with the addition of a Nitrous Express 75hp wet system.

Focusing On Flow Our '02 Focus ZX5 gets some extra horsepower and a meaner attutude with a couple of exhaust upgrades.

Positive Shifting The Red Hot Chili Pepper kicks its sluggish shifts to the curb with a hopped-up transaxle and torque converter from Performance Automatic

Out the Door With an Easy Four Our '02 Focus gained 4.3 horsepower in 10 minutes with the addition of a Granatelli Motor Sports mass airflow sensor.

Tuning the Tenacious Turbo Crazy Horse Racing gets the bugs out of our Focus project car and we head to E-town. The boost is loose!

A Sticky Situation The Red Hot Chili Pepper bites hard with slicks from Mickey Thompson and brakes from Steeda Autosports.

Fire! Fire! Fire! Performance Distributors puts the red hot in Project Red Hot Chili Pepper

2002 Ford Focus ZX5 - Five-Alarm Chili Our Red Hot Chili Pepper gets a makeover with help from Roush Performance Parts and Motor City Auto Body.