The AB35 Fiesta project was created to celebrate the Ford’s 17-year sponsorship of the All Blacks.
“The AB35 project was all about showing our commitment to the All Blacks this year. We had a huge amount of fun designing this car and it is great to be able to finally reveal it to the public. The AB35 Fiesta represents the spirit of our brand. It’s a dynamic, premium car that’s small on price but big on features. People who get behind the wheel of this car will find it a fantastic driving experience, and show their support for the All Blacks,” said Chris Masterson of Ford NZ.
Ford has made only 35 of the AB35 Fiestas, with 34 going on sale today and one AB35 Fiesta being auctioned for charity between 29th May and 8th June. Proceeds from the auction will go to three charities; Ford New Zealand’s official charity Variety – The Children’s Charity and the New Zealand Rugby Union’s official charity partners Plunket and KidsCan.
The project began with a European-built Ford Fiesta Titanium-spec 5-speed manual with the Ford 1.6-litre Ti-VCT Sigma engine as the initial canvas. The team then transformed the vehicle, focusing on exterior, interior, and performance.
The AB35 Fiesta features an MP140 Power Upgrade from UK specialist Mountune Performance.
The Mountune MP140 consists of a Mountune Intake high-flow air induction system, a high performance Mountune Free Flow Cat-back Exhaust system including high-flow catalyst and tubular manifold, Mountune Twin Exhaust, oxygen sensors and re-calibration of Ford’s 1.6-litre Ti-VCT Sigma engine to produce 104kW at 6750rpm and 170NM at 4250rpm.
The kit results in an 18 per cent power improvement over the standard specification of 88kW and 152Nm. The Mountune boost in performance reduces the standard 0-100km/h time from 9.9secs to 7.9secs.
On the outside, the Mountune Body Kit, limited edition 17″ wheels and exclusive graphics give the car a distinctive presence on the road and help with air-flow, down force and handling, says Ford. There’s also an exclusive graphic package, personalised plate and side skirts.
Inside, Sony provides component speakers with an external crossover unit and individual tweeters in the front. A secondary 800W Sony Amplifier drives a 1000W subwoofer in a custom fibreglass in the tyre well. You’ll also find alloy sports pedals and leather wheel, seats and gear knob.
The AB35 Fiesta is now on sale to the public at Ford dealers with an RRP of $35,990.
