We car enthusiasts take risks with this hobby. We tend to pour lots of time and money into our cars and genuinely care for them. In some cases we’re lucky enough that nothing ever happens to our toys, but not always. In a split second all of that effort can be lost thanks to theft, a severe storm, or a collision. My friend Brian was unfortunate enough to experience that first hand earlier this year.

This was Brian’s original Mk3 Focus, a 2012 Tuxedo Black SE with a DCT. Unfortunately, one day while he was just minding his own business another driver suddenly turned right in front of him and he couldn’t do anything to avoid the impact. The Mk3 Focus has proved time and time again to be a safe platform and this time was no exception. Brian walked away from the crash which is of course the most important part, but sadly the SE was a write-off due to extensive damage.

In need of a new car, Brian knew he wanted to get another Mk3 and so the search began for a replacement. The best-case scenario would have been if the collision had never happened in the first place, but Brian took the hand he was dealt and played it pretty well, ultimately finding and picking up this as his new car.

This new sedan is a 2013 Titanium, which Brian found out in Eastern Canada. Why go so far you ask, when there were plenty of Foci to choose from that were much closer?

I was surprised to find that he would be travelling across the country to pick this up but when he shared the details on it I completely understood why. As mentioned it’s a 2013 model, but when Brian took delivery it had just 9800 kilometers on the odometer! Along with the super-low mileage it is very well optioned and wears the gorgeous Performance Blue paint, which was what Brian actually originally wanted for his SE but was unable to find at the time.

As icing on the cake, to make it just that much more attractive as a replacement, it’s also a 5-speed.

After picking it up, Brian drove it back across the country and shortly after brought it by to show it off. He asked if I’d be willing to take some photos of it so that he could share them on our forums to officially unveil the car and I happily obliged. Yesterday we met up and I took these so that he could do just that.

I’m very happy for Brian, seeing him back in a Mk3 after the whole ordeal. He now can call a newer, lower mileage, higher model Focus his and has a third pedal to play with. These may just be machines to most people, but cars are obviously so much more to enthusiasts like us. In fact, cars are how Brian and I originally met and Mk3s are something we’ve had in common since then. The collision was an extremely unfortunate event but the SE did what it was supposed to and kept him safe. Now that the Titanium is home, work can begin again as it gets modified and personalized.

Yes, it’s risky to get so attached to our cars and spend the time and money on them that we do, but as they say, no risk no reward; and the rewards – the people we meet, and fun we have – are definitely worth it.

-Bill