It’s been 3 months and 6,000 miles of driving since I picked up my 2014 Focus ST. No issues or problems to report, and I have been getting very well adjusted to the comforts, capabilities and reachable performance this SVT platform has delivered. Hearing the growl form the 2.0L Ecoboost in the daily grind and enjoying the occasional canyon run, each day I am reminded what a delicious little car this is. Things have changed, however, since I decided to turn to the aftermarket and make this beast a little more beastly at the hands of UK-based tuner Mountune. Mountune has been tuning all kinds of Fords for close to 30 years, and with a history like that I was more than willing to give them a crack at my ST. After joining the inevitable forums and doing search after search I remember seeing a Chris Harris video with a Fiesta ST, stating that the UK Ford Dealers were installing the performance package. With additional research it appears that Ford honors it’s warranty in the UK with Mountune performance packages which is very important to me as this is my daily driver. After picking up an intake and catback exhaust, I was approached by Ken Anderson who is the CEO of Mountune USA. Needing a test vehicle for CARB certification, we worked out the details and would be fitting the full MP275 performance package (MTune ECU Calibration, Front Mount Intercooler, and Intake). Needless to say I was very excited about being the first customer car with this certification, complete with warranty intact, in the United States. Opting for a few more package options, Mountune was also needing a test vehicle for their prototype springs for the ’14 model year. The front spring perches are different from the ’13 to the ’14 so a bit of work would have to be done to get them fitted properly. Still, lowering a car is great and all, but I needed new shoes too! I picked up a set of Mountunes 18 x 8 OZ Formula HLT in “Grigio Corsa”, which serve as a fine looking set of wheels. Overall, I’m very impressed with this package. The throttle response is linear and smooth, and the overall power delivery is much stronger than stock. Mountune changes the timing, boost, and fueling to match the power targets. Also changed is the throttle map slightly to provide a smoother more linear profile. All of the Ford OE features are still there such as “over boost”. The stock Focus ST has a tendency to dart around at highway speed. With the suspension upgrades and a ET45 offset from the OZ wheels it has widened the track by a half of an inch. The Mountune MP275 ST has a more planted and confidence inspiring feeling that really enjoys being driven hard.