We all know Jay Leno, formerly the host of the Tonight Show and now host of the Jay Leno Show, is a major fan of classic cars. He collects them. So when it was announced that Leno’s new show would have a segment in which celebrities raced a car around a specially made track, no one was really surprised.
Well, the show debuted last week on Friday, September 18. It’s called “The Green Car Challenge” and the first car to perform was a Ford Focus converted into an electric model. This car is supposed to be a forerunner of a Focus that Ford plans to release in 2011. And the first racer of the segment? Drew Barrymore!
The Focus includes an electric motor that generates 141 horsepower and delivers 236 lb-ft of torque and it is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. It is said that Ford had to be some what creative to come up with the vehicle. Parts like springs and shocks were taken from a European Focus and the car also includes Recaro racing seats, a roll cage and a five-point safety belt.