Monday 8th August 2011

Focus RS Is Back, Says Ford

More powerful, third-gen RS on the way, says FoMoCo, and it's still two-wheel drive...

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Not a Mk3 Focus RS, yesterday

Ford has confirmed that the new Focus platform will spawn a third version of the Focus RS superhatch - and that it will get even more power than the 300bhp Mk2 car, and yet stick to front-wheel drive.

Ford's global chief of small cars, Gunnar Herrmann, has even hinted to the Sydney Morning Herald that the new hatch could be heading towards a 400bhp power output.

"I think [more power for the next RS] is sustainable. With the limited edition RS500 we went up to 350 horsepower and some of our development units we have them up to 380hp. And then you really get into engine durability. But it can handle it."

It seems more likely that an output of around 350bhp will be the true figure, but either way the clever Revoknuckle suspension and Quaife limited-slip diff are going to have their work cut out this time around.

Those 350 horses will come from a pumped-up version of ford's 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine, which will deliver around 250bhp in the ST. That means the warble of the off-beat turbocharged five-pot engine is done with - but we knew that was gone anyway, killed by Euro5 regs.

The new Focus RS is expected to revealed - at least in concept form - at the Frankfurt motor show this September, although PH's friends at Ford reckon that we might even see something a little sooner than that.

[thewheelman]

Great news, i owned a mk1 RS Focus, & that was a great car, had a drive in a mk2 & loved that too. I was kind of hoping they'd do an RS Fiesta with a 2.0 engine & fwd & finally do a 4wd Focus. Ah well, not a problem, i've always been a fan of fast Fords.

[Johnboy Mac]

Whay do I suspect that the ST with 'only' 250BHP would be the better buy?

[Rawwr]

Oh now this will be an interesting thread

[Corsair7]

2.0litre and 400bhp..... wow

[wab172uk]

The 3 Gen Focus is a big old Bus now.

A FWD Fiesta RS with 240/250bhp would be a far better car IMHO.

[Gary C]

Shame about the FWD.

While the TC & SC will I'm sure make it a none event, it does make 350-400hp a bit pointless apart from willy waving.

[Frik]

Rawwr said:

Oh now this will be an interesting thread

You can't see it, but I'm using my "not convinced" face.

[Stu R]

Excellent news. Plenty of modded ones out there seem to be able to handle that sort of power well enough, and the last one was a lot of fun.

[superman84]

Corsair7 said:

2.0litre and 400bhp..... wow

Nothing new though. Time they did a proper version with awd.

[kambites]

Hmm, 350bhp from a 2.0 turbo doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

[Rawwr]

Stu R said:

Excellent news. Plenty of modded ones out there seem to be able to handle that sort of power well enough, and the last one was a lot of fun.

Aye, I loved it but I was always a bit of a Ford we.

[ludicrous speed]

400bhp + FWD? That's just silly.

[superman84]

kambites said:

Hmm, 350bhp from a 2.0 turbo doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

Why not?

[mainaman]

What's the point of 400 bhp,if it will be electronically torque-limited in the first gears?Still we need mad hatchbacks like this and the ST will probably lack the LSD and the Revo-Knuckle.

[Mr Whippy]

Per gear torque limiting... suddenly a 1000bhp fwd car is drivable

Stupid idea. Make it awd or rwd, rather than making up fancy names for a small scrub radius suspension and then pretending it actually makes a difference to the ability to put power down.


Made me chuckle a few months ago, I saw some spacer kits on a website for the Focus RS, to make the wheels fill out the arches more, and improve the cars stance... nice way to offset all that expensive front suspension you cretins.


Gah... just gah...

Ford need to get a 200bhp Fiesta or 150bhp Ka out imo, rather than carrying on with these hot barge hatches. My mental image of all these bloated hot hatches (new Megane, Focus etc) is of a fat person who wears sports gear for casual use. It just looks wrong.

Dave

Edited by Mr Whippy on Monday 8th August 12:39

[thetapeworm]

I'll stick with the 2.5 ST for now, I'm not convinced with the current Focus styling, the dashboard reminds me of an old Nokia phone and the removal of character from the engine note seems like a bad thing even if it does mean it costs less than a V8 to run.

I'm willing to be swayed though and am pleased they are considering such things rather than making it a 130bhp ECO-hybrid with a spoiler.

[thewheelman]

As i said in my first post, give the Fiesta the RS treatment, it's already replaced the Focus in the WRC, a fine base to start with, give it 220bhp, it'll be a great car.

[Greenwich Ross]

I'll wait for the Mk 10 Focus RS with 1000 bhp going through the front wheels.

Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111eleven

[kambites]

superman84 said:

kambites said:

Hmm, 350bhp from a 2.0 turbo doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

Why not?

Because I can't see how it will be anything other than a laggy, non-linear pig of an engine.

[Rawwr]

thewheelman said:

As i said in my first post, give the Fiesta the RS treatment, it's already replaced the Focus in the WRC, a fine base to start with, give it 220bhp, it'll be a great car.

I'll go with that. A 200bhp Fiesta would be a hoot, and lets face it, it's about the same size as a mk1 Focus anyway.