We know...we've been pretty slow with our updates. For that, we apologize.

Things have been pretty hectic outside the Focus world. Recently, there has been some bubbling of activity with details on the new (European only) 2009 Focus RS, new renderings of the MK-III generation Focus, and other news from Ford on the Focus' little brother, the 2011 Fiesta, and its bigger brother, the 2010 Fusion.

SVTOA has recently announced its 2009 venue for its 9th Annual Redline Rendezvous Performance Driving Clinic.

Join SVTOA and Track Guys LLC on August 31st and September 1st on the Grand Prix Track at the Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario. Yes, that is the BIG track (home to American LeMans and Grand Prix races). If you want a really good driver training course and see what your Focus can do, this event is for you!

Event details and registration information will be posted soon on the SVTOA Redline Rendezvous website.

It's bad enough when Big Brother watches over your shoulder, but it's worse when your mother or father sees what you're up to.

In October 2008, Ford announced a new technology called MyKey that will be standard on the 2010 Focus Coupe and then spread to the rest of its lineup. MyKey does three basic things:

1. Allow parents to limit a vehicle's top speed to 80 mph (and even set chimes to make the teen driver aware that the car has reached 45, 55 or 65 mph);
2. Allow traction control to be permanently engaged
3. Allow parents to limit the stereo's volume up to 44% of its max; and
4. Allow parents to set a sustaining chime if the seatbelts aren't being used.

Ford even went to the extent of polling teenagers on the system. Of those surveyed, 67% of teens didn't like the idea. That number dropped to 36% if the MyKey system led to parents letting the kids use the car more.

Although the current North American Focus isn't based on the new C1 platform, its sales are still brisk. That being said, ever since the reorganization at Ford Motor Company and the naming of Alan Mullaly as CEO, there has been official word from Ford that North America will get the newest Focus platform coming in 2010.

The folks at Auto Express and Auto Bild somehow came across this speculation of what the newest Ford Focus will look like. There are some styling hints from upcoming Ford models (the 2010 Ford Fusion and the 2011 Ford Fiesta). There's no definitive word on the available models or what will power them, but based on what is coming out from Ford in the last few months, we're eager to see whether Ford will live up to its promise that North Americans get a brand-new Ford Focus.

Starting March 2009, the 2009 Ford Rallye Sport edition (pictured here in Performance Blue) will be available in UK showrooms. Starting at an economical £24,995 (so that's over $43,000 CDN), you get an aggressive bodykit, and luxuries like car alarm, heated door mirrors and windshield, xenon headlights, Recaro seats, and Ford's Easy Fill fueling system. Under the bonnet, you get 300 horsepower and 325 lbs-ft of torque being pumped through a six-speed manual transmission to the front wheels.

The car comes with . If you had some extra money lying around, you could splurge and get parking sensors, Ford's Key-Free system, USB and Bluetooth connections, and automatic climate control! If the price tag is a bit staggering, those on a limited budget may have to make-do with the ST3, which is about £4,000 (or $7,000 CDN) cheaper.

Some people get all the fun!

About a dozen Focus enthusiasts in the US were invited to the Wayne Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan to see the first 2008's roll off the assembly line. Included with the batch were some notables, including members from our US friends at FocalJet.com, FocusFanatics.com, and "Turbo Tom" Lesperance.

You can read the article here at The Detroit News website.

The 3rd Annaul FocusCanada.net BBQ in Burlington, Ontario was another great success. Focus owners from across the area were assembled in one location for the largest Focus gathering in the country. Thanks to AnthonyD for hosting another great event, as well as darkpuppet for organizing the whole shindig.

You can view the thread coverage and pics on the FocusCanada web site.