Ford Focus RS - the inside line
Ford development team explain all about the 4WD system and more
Cologne unveil was a big event
To recap, the Mk3 Focus RS will be powered by a 2.3-litre turbocharged version of the Mustang engine (now making "well in excess of" 320hp, an upgrade from the original "more than") and channelled through a six-speed manual gearbox.
But it's this torque vectoring on the rear wheels that's behind the great leap forward over the Mk2 RS, Ford assures us. "It transforms this car into something that will stand out among the competition," Dave Pericak, the guy running the new all-encompassing Ford Performance department, told us.
Torque vectoring essentially helps the car round corners, and if you're understandably a bit hazy on how it does this, think of it like paddling a canoe (stay with us here). Many brands make a song and dance about torque vectoring but most of the time it's by braking. Which in canoeing terms is like turning your boat by paddling backwards on the side you want to turn - it gets you round but slows you down. Active (or dynamic in Ford speak) torque vectoring works by pushing more torque to the outside wheel, which in canoe-speak means paddling harder on the opposite side to the turn direction. You don't slow down.
Who wouldn't want a Block selfie?
Yes, it can send 70 per cent of the power to the rear wheels but the trick bits are the two electronic clutches that can send 100 per cent of this to one wheel or the other, which is claimed not just to eliminate understeer into the corner but also improve lateral acceleration beyond 1g. Ford's head of global engineering, Raj Nair, explained it to us like this.
"With all-wheel drive the normal advantage is tremendous exit acceleration out of the last third of the corner, but sometimes you lose that crispness in the entry of the corner and when holding that speed at the apex," he said. "With torque vectoring we can really improve turn-in, and really improve that crispness to the apex. You also get this capability to actually drift the vehicle".
Mainly standard body keeps costs down
Pericak assured us that power wouldn't just be sent to the back when the rear wheels lose grip. He also told us briefly about differing driving modes that tap into the torque vectoring as well as other parameters. "Depending on the modes the driver selects will depends on how much fun we want to give you," he said. "One mode will allow you to have quite a bit of fun with the car..." There's a Ford pdf explaining it all here.
Ford Performance's Dave Pericak
We did discover that Ford will start selling this car by the end of this year, rather than next year as initially hinted at. We were also told the "burbles, pops and crackles" engine note promised won't be artificial. No one would boast it'll crack five seconds to 62mph, but you'd have to assume that was the goal.
The benchmark cars according to Pericak where the Subaru WRX, VW Golf R, Mercedes A45 AMG and the Mitsubishi Evo. Next to them the RS is going to "shine". "When you get out of this vehicle you're going to have the biggest smile on your face for the longest amount of time," he promises. Bagsie we go first.
There will be a VW fan boy along in a minute to rubbish the styling and say how much better a Golf R is. (I drive an Edition 30 GTi but would take this RS over any Golf in a heartbeat).
and im not saying they are better (well the RS3 will be cause of the 5 pot but hugely expensive as well), i would certainly pick the RS over the S3 and R so ner
VW's system brakes the inside wheel, ford's puts more power to outside wheel.
So not final then.
and they may be 'baiting' us with the BHP amount. Without a confirmation its not final - simple.
and they may be 'baiting' us with the BHP amount. Without a confirmation its not final - simple.
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