Driven to Extremes SAHARA is a ‘one-make’ vehicle expedition as it is much easier for the Max Adventure team to provide support by carrying a comprehensive set of spares and specialist tools for that particular model of vehicle.
The expedition is open to anyone with a sense of adventure and in any Mk1 or Mk2 Ford Focus.
With so many used cars for sale under £1,000, there were plenty of options to choose from when deciding on which model should be selected for the Sahara Expedition. These included the Volkswagen Golf and Polo, Vauxhall Astra and Corsa, Peugeot 207, Ford Fiesta and Focus and even an old Jag X-Type! What we had to consider though were...
After consulting with our mechanics and even those colleagues that owned Rally Schools, it was decided that the Ford Focus would be the car of choice for our Sahara Expedition 2025.
The Ford Focus was first launched in 1998 to the acclaim of the motoring press thanks to its dynamic handling and won European car of the Year in 1999. It was replaced by the Mk2 Focus in 2005, having sold hundreds of thousands, so there are plenty out there to choose from.
There were 5 different engines sizes available on the Focus Mk1…
and no less than 7 different engine sizes for the Mk2...
With a car weighing between 1.2 and 1.7 tons empty though, we would advise against the 1.4 as it may not have the power to get you through the soft sand.
As for petrol or diesel, it doesn’t really matter, but diesel is always preferred on serious expedition vehicles for the following reasons…
Manual or automatic doesn’t really matter.
With no low range gearbox fitted as you'd find on a large 4x4, when negotiating challenging sections of terrain, autos give you more control in slow speed situations as there isn’t a clutch to burn out. Manuals however give you greater fuel range, can allow the vehicle to be bump started if your battery dies and are simpler in their design, which means they have a better chance of being fixed by a local Moroccan mechanic with limited tools.
The following modifications will need to be carried out…
Please contact us for further information on how to modify your Ford Focus.