RE: Ford Focus RS Edition FPM375 | Spotted
Monday 5th December 2022
Ford Focus RS Edition FPM375 | Spotted
The last RS was a brilliant if acquired taste - and probably the perfect antidote to an anodyne EV age
It’s been a rough couple of years for fast Ford fans. Try saying that three times in quick succession. Last month, the car giant announced that the Fiesta, one of the UK’s best-selling cars, would be axed, taking the mighty ST with it. And it wasn’t that long ago when Ford announced that the Mk3 Focus RS would be the last of its kind owing to increasingly stringent emission laws. A familiar story, but one that never gets any easier to hear.
Luckily for us, the final Focus RS was arguably one of the all-time great hot hatches. With the first two models coming in front-wheel drive format, Ford finally bit the bullet and made the switch to sending power to both axles. Which always seemed a more accurate representation of the car’s rally heritage, even if the Mk3 Focus never set foot on a WRC stage. Coupled with the new Drift Mode – a big deal back in 2017, lets not forget – and you could do four-wheel skids until the tyres couldn’t take it anymore. All for a little over £32k. Incredible.
Shortly after the car’s launch, the RS Edition arrived. It came with the usual gear you expect in a top-of-the-line model, such as Recaro seats, a ‘Luxury Package’ for the cabin and colour-matching brake callipers, but, mechanically, it was near identical to the regular RS. Well, apart from the addition of a Quaife limited-slip differential up front, which had a notable effect on the car’s handling. Namely, dialling in a corner for a more focused drive. We drove one back in the day, noting that the diff allowed you to get back on the power earlier without watering down the car’s signature hooliganism too much. If shaving tenths off your lap time is high on your priority list, then the Edition upgrade was a must.
No changes were made to the power output, but it’s not like the standard RS was short on power. You got 350hp and 350lb ft of torque from a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Not quite as characterful as the five-pot motor in its predecessor, but that became irrelevant when a 0-62mph dash could be achieved in 4.6 seconds. This car, however, packs even more of a kick. It’s been upgraded to Mountune’s FPM375 spec, which does what it says on the tin by upping the power to 375hp courtesy of a high-performance air filter, new recirculation valve, crossover duct and tweaks to the ECU.
Inside, it’s short on frills, but, crucially, it comes with those stunning black and blue Recaro sports seats. What’s more, you get a carbon fibre finish on the handbrake (lucky devils), plus there are the usual trio of gauges on the dashboard so you can show your friends when you’re on boost. And for those looking to run it as a daily driver, this example has Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system which, if memory serves correctly, includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Factor all of that in, as well as a neat 12,000 miles on the clock and only one former owner, and it’s hard to think of a more complete Focus RS out there. You’ll need £37,000 stashed away to call it your own, though - which, let's not forget, is nearly £10k cheaper than a new Honda Civic Type R. Just for a little context. And remember that’s for a Focus RS. We’re not getting another one. Ever.
SPECIFICATION | FORD FOCUS RS EDITION FPM375
Engine: 2,261cc four cylinder
Transmission: 6-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 350@6,000rpm (375 with FPM375 pack)
Torque (lb ft): 350@2,000rpm (376 with FPM375 pack)
MPG: 36.7
CO2: 175g/km
Year registered: 2018
Recorded mileage: 12,000
Price new: £36,295 (plus £899 for FPM375 upgrade)
Yours for: £37,000
Discussion
I know a guy near Chesterfield who has a delivery miles one of these, trailers it to shows etc but never drives it
This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Personally I like it although from a personal viewpoint I’d preferred a less noticeable colour, perhaps grey, just so that one could ‘make progress’ without drawing too much attention…
This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Personally I like it although from a personal viewpoint I’d preferred a less noticeable colour, perhaps grey, just so that one could ‘make progress’ without drawing too much attention…
Augustus Windsock said:
I know a guy near Chesterfield who has a delivery miles one of these, trailers it to shows etc but never drives it
This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Personally I like it although from a personal viewpoint I’d preferred a less noticeable colour, perhaps grey, just so that one could ‘make progress’ without drawing too much attention…
Depends I guess when his pension is due ?This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Personally I like it although from a personal viewpoint I’d preferred a less noticeable colour, perhaps grey, just so that one could ‘make progress’ without drawing too much attention…
Otherwise such a waste
Augustus Windsock said:
I know a guy near Chesterfield who has a delivery miles one of these, trailers it to shows etc but never drives it
This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
At least that's how he justified it to his wife... This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Outstanding man-maths
I still like these. Drove one when they were first launched and was very impressed with it. I had a Golf 7R at the time and the Focus gave so much more drama than the Golf. You could feel the rear axle pushing the car out of corners, and it generally felt like a car with much more character. I thought about changing the Golf for one, but it was a big step up in price thanks to the finance sadly. I missed the best deals on the VW but, even when I got one, it was Focus ST money, so an RS was out of the window.
I know they have their detractors because they didn't have wide arches and the early cars had head gasket issues, but I still think they're lovely. A significant car too, as they introduced a much more interesting 4WD system that all the big players have now copied. A later car with SYNC 3 would still be a great all-rounder.
I know they have their detractors because they didn't have wide arches and the early cars had head gasket issues, but I still think they're lovely. A significant car too, as they introduced a much more interesting 4WD system that all the big players have now copied. A later car with SYNC 3 would still be a great all-rounder.
I still love mine. It's in magnetic grey, which is a bit more subtle.
It's not perfect, but it is more exciting than the VAG equivalent and can be reliable if well looked after (especially once the headgasket recall is done). I'm still furious with the accountants at Ford for such a stupid error.
It's a little tight on space for use as a daily family car (although the optional bucket Recaro Sportster CS seats free up a little room), hence mine gets used for high days and holidays - and last had a major outing up on the North Yorkshire Moors with the family squashed in. I loved it (as did the kids), not sure the wife did though
Mine has a few modifications, FPM375 and the Quaife ATB differential being the main ones.
It's not perfect, but it is more exciting than the VAG equivalent and can be reliable if well looked after (especially once the headgasket recall is done). I'm still furious with the accountants at Ford for such a stupid error.
It's a little tight on space for use as a daily family car (although the optional bucket Recaro Sportster CS seats free up a little room), hence mine gets used for high days and holidays - and last had a major outing up on the North Yorkshire Moors with the family squashed in. I loved it (as did the kids), not sure the wife did though
Mine has a few modifications, FPM375 and the Quaife ATB differential being the main ones.
Edited by ChrisCh86 on Monday 5th December 09:23
nismo48 said:
Augustus Windsock said:
I know a guy near Chesterfield who has a delivery miles one of these, trailers it to shows etc but never drives it
This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Personally I like it although from a personal viewpoint I’d preferred a less noticeable colour, perhaps grey, just so that one could ‘make progress’ without drawing too much attention…
Depends I guess when his pension is due ?This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Personally I like it although from a personal viewpoint I’d preferred a less noticeable colour, perhaps grey, just so that one could ‘make progress’ without drawing too much attention…
Otherwise such a waste
Once you take into account storage costs, maintenance & inflation you are making f
k all and would be better of sticking it in an ISA or similar if it's just an investment you can't drive. Does seem to be a Ford thing, this went for £25k I noticed the other day. Owner has kept it for 15 years to make £4.5k pointless...
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2007-ford-focu...
Jon_S_Rally said:
I still like these. Drove one when they were first launched and was very impressed with it. I had a Golf 7R at the time and the Focus gave so much more drama than the Golf. You could feel the rear axle pushing the car out of corners, and it generally felt like a car with much more character. I thought about changing the Golf for one, but it was a big step up in price thanks to the finance sadly. I missed the best deals on the VW but, even when I got one, it was Focus ST money, so an RS was out of the window.
I know they have their detractors because they didn't have wide arches and the early cars had head gasket issues, but I still think they're lovely. A significant car too, as they introduced a much more interesting 4WD system that all the big players have now copied. A later car with SYNC 3 would still be a great all-rounder.
Good to read an account of someone who's driven one properly on the road and can compare it with a similar product. Must admit when released, these were overhyped and as such passed me by, now you don't really see them anymore it made me wonder whether they had failed to live up to the hype or something. Would like a go in one for sure, not sure if I could live with the droning 4 pot or the image, but then I suppose it's no worse than most other hot hatches cranked out over the past 5 years.I know they have their detractors because they didn't have wide arches and the early cars had head gasket issues, but I still think they're lovely. A significant car too, as they introduced a much more interesting 4WD system that all the big players have now copied. A later car with SYNC 3 would still be a great all-rounder.
greggy50 said:
I don't understand people that do this.
Once you take into account storage costs, maintenance & inflation you are making fk all and would be better of sticking it in an ISA or similar if it's just an investment you can't drive.
Does seem to be a Ford thing, this went for £25k I noticed the other day. Owner has kept it for 15 years to make £4.5k pointless...
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2007-ford-focu...
It's not pointless if the person enjoys it, surely?Once you take into account storage costs, maintenance & inflation you are making f
k all and would be better of sticking it in an ISA or similar if it's just an investment you can't drive. Does seem to be a Ford thing, this went for £25k I noticed the other day. Owner has kept it for 15 years to make £4.5k pointless...
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2007-ford-focu...
Chunkychucky said:
Good to read an account of someone who's driven one properly on the road and can compare it with a similar product. Must admit when released, these were overhyped and as such passed me by, now you don't really see them anymore it made me wonder whether they had failed to live up to the hype or something. Would like a go in one for sure, not sure if I could live with the droning 4 pot or the image, but then I suppose it's no worse than most other hot hatches cranked out over the past 5 years.
I was shocked at how different they felt. Don't get me wrong, the Golf was better in some respects - the interior was nicer (seats aside) and, as a daily, it would probably be slightly easier to live with. For me though, it was just a bit too biased towards that "friendly" side. Most of the time, it might as well have been a 1.6 diesel, it felt so anonymous and plain. The Focus had a bit more of an edge to it. Yes, the ride was a bit harder, and the interior wasn't quite so polished, but the engine had more character, the drive train felt more special, and details like the Recaro seats, Brembo calipers etc just made it feel more like a proper performance car. I ended up swapping the Golf for a Megane 265 in the end, which had a similar ethos. Compromised as a daily compared to the Golf, but just felt more special.Augustus Windsock said:
I know a guy near Chesterfield who has a delivery miles one of these, trailers it to shows etc but never drives it
This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
I hope he doesn't have any dependants, or pressing need for money in old age. This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Augustus Windsock said:
I know a guy near Chesterfield who has a delivery miles one of these, trailers it to shows etc but never drives it
This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Personally I like it although from a personal viewpoint I’d preferred a less noticeable colour, perhaps grey, just so that one could ‘make progress’ without drawing too much attention…
What, like £35k a year for 20 years? Hope he’s got a decent stash of pension cars. This, along with several other mint low or delivery miles ‘fast Fords’ are his pension plan, apparently.
Personally I like it although from a personal viewpoint I’d preferred a less noticeable colour, perhaps grey, just so that one could ‘make progress’ without drawing too much attention…
I very seldom post anything online but feel compelled to dispel some of the myths about this car.
I have owned 3 Focus mk3 Focus RS, all from new. First one in stealth grey I unashamedly flipped after 3 days of ownership to RS Direct, immediately ordered another exactly the same. Turned up on collection day about 6 months or so later to find the dealership had badly scratched the vehicle when preparing it. Their body shop were 50/50 as to whether it would need a re-spray so I rejected the vehicle. They had another in magnetic in stock so I bought that instead in its unprepared state. They were able to polish out the scratches on the other car but when I went to collect the alternative vehicle I saw their efforts and one side of the car had a mirror finish which contrasted sharply with the rest of the vehicle’s factory paint so the right decision in my mind,
I had the magnetic RS for about a year. In that time took it to Le Mans, got the Mountune short shifter installed at Rates wanted to love it but always felt a bit flat to drive. It had the head gasket replaced under recall (strike 1), an unoccupied van rolled across a Lidl car park and it needed a new front bumper (strike 2) then a tree surgeon scraped their wagon with a wider than the front rear down the rear quarter (strike 3). At around the same time the RS Edition became available. I traded the magnetic one in for a Nitrous Blue Edition with the non-forged wheels, identical to the one above, except for the addition of the Mountune USA mudflaps with the decals in matching blue rather than yellow. It looked great.
Unfortunately again it felt flat to drive. Initially however the Quaife diff gave the front of the car an assured tightness over and above the non-edition variety but this seemed to disappear as the diff became run-in. I had thought that the addition of the front differential would tame the well published wayward nature of the standard vehicle, and again initially I thought it had. Given the flat feeling of the vehicle (the car whilst feeling sure footed always felt heavy and not that alive) I got the FPM375 fitted at Mountune HQ. This admittedly to some degree addressed the seeming lack of power and as many others have said brought the car to a power level it probably should have had ex factory however it never really felt like a vehicle with 375 bhp (my current standard GR Yaris feels every bit as quick if not quicker).
Notwithstanding the above it looked great, a fast Ford is a great place to be, lots of theatre with the standard exhaust and it was reasonably practical. However, it never felt that quick, always felt heavy and the turning circle was frankly abysmal.
But, and it’s a big but, the real elephant in the room is the ‘veering steering’. This applied to both the vehicles I owned. In simple terms in my experience they were dangerous. The one event that really sticks in my mind was coming off a roundabout on the A12 dual carriageway near Martlesham, admittedly accelerated relatively hard and essentially the car goes violently sideways (this is the Edition with the Quaife diff), narrowly avoiding a car in the other lane. It would be to some degree okay if it were a simple case of easing off the throttle however the car appears to enter a phase of four wheel oscillation with the drivetrain fighting itself and you are simply hanging on to the wheel until it hopefully ends. After that and other similar events I completely lost any confidence in the car. You can probably drive it to approximately 70% relatively safely, anything beyond forget it. I am meticulous with regards to tyre pressures.
I wanted to love the vehicle and I think as an owner I was in denial regarding the handling but eventually the above forced the sale. I am fortunate enough to have as mentioned the GR Yaris and a 992 911. I would confidently say with both vehicles, whilst very different, they can be trusted throughout their dynamic envelope, the simple laws of physics being the limit, unlike the RS.
I would say with the RS if it’s a vehicle that will remain polished up in the garage, something to enjoy owning and looking at, trawled out to a few shows perhaps with a few ‘pops and bangs’ then perfect.
To be driven fast on the road forget it.
I have owned 3 Focus mk3 Focus RS, all from new. First one in stealth grey I unashamedly flipped after 3 days of ownership to RS Direct, immediately ordered another exactly the same. Turned up on collection day about 6 months or so later to find the dealership had badly scratched the vehicle when preparing it. Their body shop were 50/50 as to whether it would need a re-spray so I rejected the vehicle. They had another in magnetic in stock so I bought that instead in its unprepared state. They were able to polish out the scratches on the other car but when I went to collect the alternative vehicle I saw their efforts and one side of the car had a mirror finish which contrasted sharply with the rest of the vehicle’s factory paint so the right decision in my mind,
I had the magnetic RS for about a year. In that time took it to Le Mans, got the Mountune short shifter installed at Rates wanted to love it but always felt a bit flat to drive. It had the head gasket replaced under recall (strike 1), an unoccupied van rolled across a Lidl car park and it needed a new front bumper (strike 2) then a tree surgeon scraped their wagon with a wider than the front rear down the rear quarter (strike 3). At around the same time the RS Edition became available. I traded the magnetic one in for a Nitrous Blue Edition with the non-forged wheels, identical to the one above, except for the addition of the Mountune USA mudflaps with the decals in matching blue rather than yellow. It looked great.
Unfortunately again it felt flat to drive. Initially however the Quaife diff gave the front of the car an assured tightness over and above the non-edition variety but this seemed to disappear as the diff became run-in. I had thought that the addition of the front differential would tame the well published wayward nature of the standard vehicle, and again initially I thought it had. Given the flat feeling of the vehicle (the car whilst feeling sure footed always felt heavy and not that alive) I got the FPM375 fitted at Mountune HQ. This admittedly to some degree addressed the seeming lack of power and as many others have said brought the car to a power level it probably should have had ex factory however it never really felt like a vehicle with 375 bhp (my current standard GR Yaris feels every bit as quick if not quicker).
Notwithstanding the above it looked great, a fast Ford is a great place to be, lots of theatre with the standard exhaust and it was reasonably practical. However, it never felt that quick, always felt heavy and the turning circle was frankly abysmal.
But, and it’s a big but, the real elephant in the room is the ‘veering steering’. This applied to both the vehicles I owned. In simple terms in my experience they were dangerous. The one event that really sticks in my mind was coming off a roundabout on the A12 dual carriageway near Martlesham, admittedly accelerated relatively hard and essentially the car goes violently sideways (this is the Edition with the Quaife diff), narrowly avoiding a car in the other lane. It would be to some degree okay if it were a simple case of easing off the throttle however the car appears to enter a phase of four wheel oscillation with the drivetrain fighting itself and you are simply hanging on to the wheel until it hopefully ends. After that and other similar events I completely lost any confidence in the car. You can probably drive it to approximately 70% relatively safely, anything beyond forget it. I am meticulous with regards to tyre pressures.
I wanted to love the vehicle and I think as an owner I was in denial regarding the handling but eventually the above forced the sale. I am fortunate enough to have as mentioned the GR Yaris and a 992 911. I would confidently say with both vehicles, whilst very different, they can be trusted throughout their dynamic envelope, the simple laws of physics being the limit, unlike the RS.
I would say with the RS if it’s a vehicle that will remain polished up in the garage, something to enjoy owning and looking at, trawled out to a few shows perhaps with a few ‘pops and bangs’ then perfect.
To be driven fast on the road forget it.
Julia-is3rn said:
I very seldom post anything online but feel compelled to dispel some of the myths about this car.
I have owned 3 Focus mk3 Focus RS, all from new. First one in stealth grey I unashamedly flipped after 3 days of ownership to RS Direct, immediately ordered another exactly the same. Turned up on collection day about 6 months or so later to find the dealership had badly scratched the vehicle when preparing it. Their body shop were 50/50 as to whether it would need a re-spray so I rejected the vehicle. They had another in magnetic in stock so I bought that instead in its unprepared state. They were able to polish out the scratches on the other car but when I went to collect the alternative vehicle I saw their efforts and one side of the car had a mirror finish which contrasted sharply with the rest of the vehicle’s factory paint so the right decision in my mind,
I had the magnetic RS for about a year. In that time took it to Le Mans, got the Mountune short shifter installed at Rates wanted to love it but always felt a bit flat to drive. It had the head gasket replaced under recall (strike 1), an unoccupied van rolled across a Lidl car park and it needed a new front bumper (strike 2) then a tree surgeon scraped their wagon with a wider than the front rear down the rear quarter (strike 3). At around the same time the RS Edition became available. I traded the magnetic one in for a Nitrous Blue Edition with the non-forged wheels, identical to the one above, except for the addition of the Mountune USA mudflaps with the decals in matching blue rather than yellow. It looked great.
Unfortunately again it felt flat to drive. Initially however the Quaife diff gave the front of the car an assured tightness over and above the non-edition variety but this seemed to disappear as the diff became run-in. I had thought that the addition of the front differential would tame the well published wayward nature of the standard vehicle, and again initially I thought it had. Given the flat feeling of the vehicle (the car whilst feeling sure footed always felt heavy and not that alive) I got the FPM375 fitted at Mountune HQ. This admittedly to some degree addressed the seeming lack of power and as many others have said made brought the car to a power level it probably should have had ex factory however it never really felt like a vehicle with 375 bhp (my current standard GR Yaris feels every bit as quick if not quicker).
Notwithstanding the above it looked great, a fast Ford is a great place to be, lots of theatre with the standard exhaust and it was reasonably practical. However, it never felt that quick, always felt heavy and the turning circle was frankly abysmal.
But, and it’s a big but, the real elephant in the room is the ‘veering steering’. This applied to both the vehicles I owned. In simple terms in my experience they were dangerous. The one event that really sticks in my mind was coming off a roundabout on the A12 dual carriageway near Martlesham, admittedly accelerated relatively hard and essentially the car goes violently sideways (this is the Edition with the Quaife diff), narrowly avoiding a car in the other lane. It would be to some degree okay if it were a simple case of easing off the throttle however the car appears to enter a phase of four wheel oscillation with the drivetrain fighting itself and you are simply hanging on to the wheel until it hopefully ends. After that and other similar events I completely lost any confidence in the car. You can probably drive it to approximately 70% relatively safely, anything beyond forget it. I am meticulous with regards to tyre pressures.
I wanted to love the vehicle and I think as an owner I was in denial regarding the handling but eventually the above forced the sale. I am fortunate enough to have as mentioned the GR Yaris and a 992 911. I would confidently say with both vehicles, whilst very different, they can be trusted throughout their dynamic envelope, the simple laws of physics being the limit, unlike the RS.
I would say with the RS if it’s a vehicle that will remain polished up in the garage, something to enjoy owning and looking at, trawled out to a few shows perhaps with a few ‘pops and bangs’ then perfect.
To be driven fast on the road forget it.
Very good read thanks for thatI have owned 3 Focus mk3 Focus RS, all from new. First one in stealth grey I unashamedly flipped after 3 days of ownership to RS Direct, immediately ordered another exactly the same. Turned up on collection day about 6 months or so later to find the dealership had badly scratched the vehicle when preparing it. Their body shop were 50/50 as to whether it would need a re-spray so I rejected the vehicle. They had another in magnetic in stock so I bought that instead in its unprepared state. They were able to polish out the scratches on the other car but when I went to collect the alternative vehicle I saw their efforts and one side of the car had a mirror finish which contrasted sharply with the rest of the vehicle’s factory paint so the right decision in my mind,
I had the magnetic RS for about a year. In that time took it to Le Mans, got the Mountune short shifter installed at Rates wanted to love it but always felt a bit flat to drive. It had the head gasket replaced under recall (strike 1), an unoccupied van rolled across a Lidl car park and it needed a new front bumper (strike 2) then a tree surgeon scraped their wagon with a wider than the front rear down the rear quarter (strike 3). At around the same time the RS Edition became available. I traded the magnetic one in for a Nitrous Blue Edition with the non-forged wheels, identical to the one above, except for the addition of the Mountune USA mudflaps with the decals in matching blue rather than yellow. It looked great.
Unfortunately again it felt flat to drive. Initially however the Quaife diff gave the front of the car an assured tightness over and above the non-edition variety but this seemed to disappear as the diff became run-in. I had thought that the addition of the front differential would tame the well published wayward nature of the standard vehicle, and again initially I thought it had. Given the flat feeling of the vehicle (the car whilst feeling sure footed always felt heavy and not that alive) I got the FPM375 fitted at Mountune HQ. This admittedly to some degree addressed the seeming lack of power and as many others have said made brought the car to a power level it probably should have had ex factory however it never really felt like a vehicle with 375 bhp (my current standard GR Yaris feels every bit as quick if not quicker).
Notwithstanding the above it looked great, a fast Ford is a great place to be, lots of theatre with the standard exhaust and it was reasonably practical. However, it never felt that quick, always felt heavy and the turning circle was frankly abysmal.
But, and it’s a big but, the real elephant in the room is the ‘veering steering’. This applied to both the vehicles I owned. In simple terms in my experience they were dangerous. The one event that really sticks in my mind was coming off a roundabout on the A12 dual carriageway near Martlesham, admittedly accelerated relatively hard and essentially the car goes violently sideways (this is the Edition with the Quaife diff), narrowly avoiding a car in the other lane. It would be to some degree okay if it were a simple case of easing off the throttle however the car appears to enter a phase of four wheel oscillation with the drivetrain fighting itself and you are simply hanging on to the wheel until it hopefully ends. After that and other similar events I completely lost any confidence in the car. You can probably drive it to approximately 70% relatively safely, anything beyond forget it. I am meticulous with regards to tyre pressures.
I wanted to love the vehicle and I think as an owner I was in denial regarding the handling but eventually the above forced the sale. I am fortunate enough to have as mentioned the GR Yaris and a 992 911. I would confidently say with both vehicles, whilst very different, they can be trusted throughout their dynamic envelope, the simple laws of physics being the limit, unlike the RS.
I would say with the RS if it’s a vehicle that will remain polished up in the garage, something to enjoy owning and looking at, trawled out to a few shows perhaps with a few ‘pops and bangs’ then perfect.
To be driven fast on the road forget it.
Julia-is3rn said:
I very seldom post anything online but feel compelled to dispel some of the myths about this car.
I have owned 3 Focus mk3 Focus RS, all from new. First one in stealth grey I unashamedly flipped after 3 days of ownership to RS Direct, immediately ordered another exactly the same. Turned up on collection day about 6 months or so later to find the dealership had badly scratched the vehicle when preparing it. Their body shop were 50/50 as to whether it would need a re-spray so I rejected the vehicle. They had another in magnetic in stock so I bought that instead in its unprepared state. They were able to polish out the scratches on the other car but when I went to collect the alternative vehicle I saw their efforts and one side of the car had a mirror finish which contrasted sharply with the rest of the vehicle’s factory paint so the right decision in my mind,
I had the magnetic RS for about a year. In that time took it to Le Mans, got the Mountune short shifter installed at Rates wanted to love it but always felt a bit flat to drive. It had the head gasket replaced under recall (strike 1), an unoccupied van rolled across a Lidl car park and it needed a new front bumper (strike 2) then a tree surgeon scraped their wagon with a wider than the front rear down the rear quarter (strike 3). At around the same time the RS Edition became available. I traded the magnetic one in for a Nitrous Blue Edition with the non-forged wheels, identical to the one above, except for the addition of the Mountune USA mudflaps with the decals in matching blue rather than yellow. It looked great.
Unfortunately again it felt flat to drive. Initially however the Quaife diff gave the front of the car an assured tightness over and above the non-edition variety but this seemed to disappear as the diff became run-in. I had thought that the addition of the front differential would tame the well published wayward nature of the standard vehicle, and again initially I thought it had. Given the flat feeling of the vehicle (the car whilst feeling sure footed always felt heavy and not that alive) I got the FPM375 fitted at Mountune HQ. This admittedly to some degree addressed the seeming lack of power and as many others have said brought the car to a power level it probably should have had ex factory however it never really felt like a vehicle with 375 bhp (my current standard GR Yaris feels every bit as quick if not quicker).
Notwithstanding the above it looked great, a fast Ford is a great place to be, lots of theatre with the standard exhaust and it was reasonably practical. However, it never felt that quick, always felt heavy and the turning circle was frankly abysmal.
But, and it’s a big but, the real elephant in the room is the ‘veering steering’. This applied to both the vehicles I owned. In simple terms in my experience they were dangerous. The one event that really sticks in my mind was coming off a roundabout on the A12 dual carriageway near Martlesham, admittedly accelerated relatively hard and essentially the car goes violently sideways (this is the Edition with the Quaife diff), narrowly avoiding a car in the other lane. It would be to some degree okay if it were a simple case of easing off the throttle however the car appears to enter a phase of four wheel oscillation with the drivetrain fighting itself and you are simply hanging on to the wheel until it hopefully ends. After that and other similar events I completely lost any confidence in the car. You can probably drive it to approximately 70% relatively safely, anything beyond forget it. I am meticulous with regards to tyre pressures.
I wanted to love the vehicle and I think as an owner I was in denial regarding the handling but eventually the above forced the sale. I am fortunate enough to have as mentioned the GR Yaris and a 992 911. I would confidently say with both vehicles, whilst very different, they can be trusted throughout their dynamic envelope, the simple laws of physics being the limit, unlike the RS.
I would say with the RS if it’s a vehicle that will remain polished up in the garage, something to enjoy owning and looking at, trawled out to a few shows perhaps with a few ‘pops and bangs’ then perfect.
To be driven fast on the road forget it.
Re the "veering steering", you are so right. I had a similar experience and my confidence was shot after that. I have owned 3 Focus mk3 Focus RS, all from new. First one in stealth grey I unashamedly flipped after 3 days of ownership to RS Direct, immediately ordered another exactly the same. Turned up on collection day about 6 months or so later to find the dealership had badly scratched the vehicle when preparing it. Their body shop were 50/50 as to whether it would need a re-spray so I rejected the vehicle. They had another in magnetic in stock so I bought that instead in its unprepared state. They were able to polish out the scratches on the other car but when I went to collect the alternative vehicle I saw their efforts and one side of the car had a mirror finish which contrasted sharply with the rest of the vehicle’s factory paint so the right decision in my mind,
I had the magnetic RS for about a year. In that time took it to Le Mans, got the Mountune short shifter installed at Rates wanted to love it but always felt a bit flat to drive. It had the head gasket replaced under recall (strike 1), an unoccupied van rolled across a Lidl car park and it needed a new front bumper (strike 2) then a tree surgeon scraped their wagon with a wider than the front rear down the rear quarter (strike 3). At around the same time the RS Edition became available. I traded the magnetic one in for a Nitrous Blue Edition with the non-forged wheels, identical to the one above, except for the addition of the Mountune USA mudflaps with the decals in matching blue rather than yellow. It looked great.
Unfortunately again it felt flat to drive. Initially however the Quaife diff gave the front of the car an assured tightness over and above the non-edition variety but this seemed to disappear as the diff became run-in. I had thought that the addition of the front differential would tame the well published wayward nature of the standard vehicle, and again initially I thought it had. Given the flat feeling of the vehicle (the car whilst feeling sure footed always felt heavy and not that alive) I got the FPM375 fitted at Mountune HQ. This admittedly to some degree addressed the seeming lack of power and as many others have said brought the car to a power level it probably should have had ex factory however it never really felt like a vehicle with 375 bhp (my current standard GR Yaris feels every bit as quick if not quicker).
Notwithstanding the above it looked great, a fast Ford is a great place to be, lots of theatre with the standard exhaust and it was reasonably practical. However, it never felt that quick, always felt heavy and the turning circle was frankly abysmal.
But, and it’s a big but, the real elephant in the room is the ‘veering steering’. This applied to both the vehicles I owned. In simple terms in my experience they were dangerous. The one event that really sticks in my mind was coming off a roundabout on the A12 dual carriageway near Martlesham, admittedly accelerated relatively hard and essentially the car goes violently sideways (this is the Edition with the Quaife diff), narrowly avoiding a car in the other lane. It would be to some degree okay if it were a simple case of easing off the throttle however the car appears to enter a phase of four wheel oscillation with the drivetrain fighting itself and you are simply hanging on to the wheel until it hopefully ends. After that and other similar events I completely lost any confidence in the car. You can probably drive it to approximately 70% relatively safely, anything beyond forget it. I am meticulous with regards to tyre pressures.
I wanted to love the vehicle and I think as an owner I was in denial regarding the handling but eventually the above forced the sale. I am fortunate enough to have as mentioned the GR Yaris and a 992 911. I would confidently say with both vehicles, whilst very different, they can be trusted throughout their dynamic envelope, the simple laws of physics being the limit, unlike the RS.
I would say with the RS if it’s a vehicle that will remain polished up in the garage, something to enjoy owning and looking at, trawled out to a few shows perhaps with a few ‘pops and bangs’ then perfect.
To be driven fast on the road forget it.
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