're KTGThe Fiesta RS Turbo is a great car straight

out of the box. lt has the same fuel injected1600cc engine as the Mk 3 Escort Tuibo,one of the best sporting Fords ever made.The suspension is well sorted and the discbrakes are excellent. Other good points aretasty three spoke alloys, aggressive bodystyling and grippy Recaro seats.

Despite this, the RS Turbo sti l l isn't quickenough for most of us. To satisfy the cravingfor more power, Detection Techniques hasattempted to improve the Fiesta'sperformance, without making it undriveable.In brief, the mods on the car we testedconsist of a reprogrammed computer chipwhich plugs into the back of the standardFord EEC lV module, o 3" bore stainlesssteel exhaust system designed to redback pressure, and a Kenlowe funder bonnet temperatures down.Suspension is by Spax; gasshorter springs lower the ride40mm. Extra stopping power isTar-Ox 12-groove discs and hal l round.

Virtually every modern car now has anelectronic engine management system,which controls most or all of the engine'sfunctions. Fuel injected and turbochargedcars need computer control more than most

60 MAX POWER

the boys at DetectionTechniques years tobreak into it.

One of its tasks isto control thewastegate of theGarrett T2turbocharger. Thewastegate is cruciallyimportant, since itcontrols the amountof boost pressuregenerated by theturbo. Too muchboost and your enginewonlt last long.. .

Ford programmedthe wastegate toal low 1-2 p.s. i

maximum boost, and around 8-g p.s.i at6000rpm. This is enough to allow 133bhpand 1-35lbs/ft of torque - not bad.

Striking a balance between top end powerand low/mid-range torque isn't easy; evenfitting a performance cam won't guarantee aresult. Because of this, Ford opted for strongtorque at low engine speeds so the FiestaTurbo would be driveable, and not just quick.

This still left scope for improvement though,as the turbo unit is capable of handling farmore boost pressure than Ford allowed itfor.

After months of detailed analysis andresearch, Detection Techniques designed achip - known as a power module - whichwould allow increased boost pressure, cutdown turbo lag and also improve low speed

running and cold starting.The power module works by overriding the

engine management system's internalcomputer program. lt effectively replacesFord's instructions with its own. lf the cargoes in for a service, or is sold, the modulecan be unclipped from the back of the EEClV computer, returning everything to factory

Small badgie, hig power. Igobhp puts this Fiesta into thesame performance leaglue as the Escort Cosworth

' Detection Techniques fitted seriously tsuspension to its test car - ride is rock hi

On the limit handling (below) is fantastic.More grip than a gip tactory working overtir

to get the optimumtiming for ignition andfuel l ing.

The EEC lV enginemanagement systemfound in the RSTurbo, is regarded asone of the best in thebusiness.lt 's taken

spec. Absolutely bri l l iant!There is one small catch. Simply

reprogramming the computer to allow ahigher boost pressure can be disastrous,since the standard fuel injectors can't supplyenough fuel for more than 12 p.s.i of boost.To get around this problem, the Detection

Techniques car the edge over some prettyserious machinery. Even the Escort Cosworthcan only just beat its 0-60mph time of 5.5seconds, and a max speed of nearlyl5Omph is suitably mind-blowing.

Our road test covered A roads. B roadsand motonruays. As ever, the most smilesper hour were had on the twisty bits of acountry road. 1-90bhp, a light body andlowered suspension - how could we not havefun? The car even sounded great - unusualfor a Ford - with a weird whaaaaaaaaapsound every time the turbo cut in. Which,looking back, was most of the time...

Like any powerful front-driven car, thechipped Fiesta loves to torque steer. lt'sentertaining at f irst, but rapidly becomes apain in the arse, especially when you'reentering or leaving a series of bends. Too

Techniques Phase I kit includes a set oflarger injectors, which carry on fuelling rightup to a maximum of 16 p.s.i boost - that's 4p.s.i more than before. Flywheel power soarsto 19Obhp at 5500rpm, and torque to200lbs/ft at 3750rpm.

There is a wimp conversion, called thePhase 0, which gives 165bhp and l7Olbs/ft

Deep inside the Fiesta's engine bay lurks 79obhp worthof pure turbomuscle - enough for a 5,$second O-6omph

of torque. Choose this instead of the Phasel, and we'l l pay your psychiatrist 's bil l .

Total cost of a Phase I chip swap is f350,including fitt ing and a few quid for Queenie'spigs/ bank. We think that's a bargain.

Driving Detection Techniques Fiesta Turbois l ike being kicked out of a nightclubThere's the same sudden transition from notmoving very fast (if at all), to discovering thatyou've just broken the sound barrier. Or thepavement, if you land wrong...

This car is as subtle as a baseball bat. lthas two speeds - normal and abnormal. Theyare separated by the Garrett T2 turbo,instantly provoked by a stab on the throttle.How fast you go is directly related to your willto l ive.

Acceleration in the dry gives the Detection

much right foot in the wet, and the car getsmore out of shape than an over-SOsaerobics class.

Further development of the suspension isneeded to make the car more stable.something worth thinking about if you'reconsidering a chip swap. PowerEngineering's two-litre Fiesta proves smallcars can handle big power.

Torque steer apart, the Spax shocks 'n'

springs really improve the Fiesta's handling.The pay-off is an over-firm ride, and onbumpy roads that can mean the driver isworking hard to keep the car trackingstraight. lt's a price worth paying though,'cos on the l imit in a corner the Fiesta feelsfantastic. Body roll is reduced, and withperfectly weighted steering there's a realsense of control.

We'd be interested to knowhow a 'chipped' engine survivesin the long term - the turbo mightbe enough to cope with mega-boost, but what about the lesssophisticated com ponents?

That apaft, in pure drivingterms the Detection Techniques'Fiesta RS Turbo is an experienceyou - and other road users - won'tforget in a hurry. lf the standardcar has a lager lout image, thisone deserves l ife membership ofthe AA - and that's AlcoholicsAnonymous, in case you'rewondering. Pretty wild!

Standard Fiesta Turbo intertor featuressuprcme Recaro seats