P14 - August

After years of buying, building, and eventually selling a parade of Focuses, I think I’ve finally found the one I’m sticking with. P14, nicknamed August, is a Vista Blue 2008 Focus SE Coupe—my first time diving into the MK2 platform. It’s already proven itself to be a solid daily driver, and for once, I’m aiming to keep it that way.

This build is about balance. In the past, I’ve gone deep down the mod rabbit hole—sometimes to the point where my cars lost their drivability. This time, the goal is simple: enhance what’s already good, keep things comfortable, and make it more fun to drive without ruining its daily practicality.

The name August is a nod to an old friend I haven’t heard from in years. He used the name online, probably because he was born in August. It stuck with me—and so has the memory of the guy. Naming this car after him just felt right.

OEM+ upgrades have been refreshingly simple so far—like adding cruise control just by swapping in a different steering wheel and flipping the right switches in the ECU. That kind of plug-and-play potential is what makes this car exciting to build on.

I don’t know where this build will end up, but I know one thing—I’m keeping this one.