John Peñano Brings Rally Innovations Modified Ford Focus STRally Car to SEMA Ford Booth

Feb 23, 2013

2013 Ford Focus ST at SEMA

Let's start from the beginning when the first Ford vehicle was purchased and delivered to a Dr. E. Pfenning on July 28, 1903. The 8 horsepower, 2 cylinder Model A was the first building block off of the assembly line that laid the foundation to what the Ford Motor Company is today. More than a century later, Ford has unveiled to the American public a sport compact car that rivals the likes of the Civic Si and the MazdaSpeed 3: the Focus ST. After making a big splash in the European market, Ford decided to bring its hot-hatch to the states where compact car enthusiasts were aghast by the performance from this new contender.

SEMA featured Rally Innovations modified Ford Focus ST

With every car comes the need for enthusiasts to modify it to their liking. This is where John Peñano comes into the picture. Starting with an already potent 252 horsepower, turbocharged Focus ST and his team at Rally Innovations, John turned an already amazing car into and even better rally car. With the help of manufacturers such as Eibach, Roadwire, Baja Designs and of course K&N, John and his team were able to build a rally car worthy of being displayed in Ford's massive booth alongside legendary cars such as the Cobra Jet and Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s RTR Mustang.

Sporty Ford Focus ST Modified to Rally Car takes SEMA Center Stage

Since 2006, John and his team at Rally Innovations have been building show quality and performance vehicles for major brands such as Kia, Mitsubishi, Honda and Ford. What sets Rally Innovations apart from the rest is their specialty of "offering builds from the ground up, from rendering to completion." The questions that crosses every car builder's mind is what does it take to get a vehicle ready for an event as exclusive and as prestige as SEMA? In John's words, "It takes a good team of individuals, precise planning and execution and open communication with all parties involved." We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

With the eye catching paint and sporty aerodynamic additions, this Focus ST is sure to impress even the most perfection oriented enthusiasts. And with a full array of tools at their disposal, we would expect nothing less. So if you are looking for anything from renderings of a concept to fully built realization of a dream etched on a piece of paper, Rally Innovations is the way to go.