Ford Focus RS500 | Spotted
Ever wondered what the best Ford Focus in the world might look like? Here we are...
It still feels very strange that Ford no longer makes a Focus. Probably it’s going to stay that way for a long while, so popular and well-liked was the humble family hatch for 25 years. For now, it still has a place on the Blue Oval website, available to order from stock only, but once they’re gone, that really is it. While Ford news tends to be all about the Puma’s ongoing success and what on earth they’ll do about electric, the end of the Focus is almost like VW stopping the Golf.
With the Focus unlikely to make a comeback, attention has inevitably shifted to the secondhand ones. Will they ever become as loved (and as prized) as Escorts? There will surely be an equally large cohort who have fond formative memories of them, and like many a Ford, rust has claimed plenty - so supply has diminished. Add to that the fact that early cars still look brilliant and it’s easy to imagine some mild appreciation soon. Or at least cars like this one-owner 1.6 not getting any cheaper.
Let’s not forget, either, that Focuses were genuinely really good cars, which is more than can be said for a lot of Escorts. That’s especially true for the fast ones; the ST170 wasn’t exactly inspirational, but after that the fast Focuses were all pretty great. So it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if, like the XRs and RSes of the 20th century, the turbocharged STs become collectible as Ford (and everybody else, for that matter) moves away from traditional enthusiast fare.
Such was the significance of every Focus RS, however, moving the hot hatch game on with every generation, that they’ve always been coveted. Whether the first car with motorsport hardware or the Drift Mode-enhanced Mk3, they’ve always been special enough to retain their value. The Mk2, launched at the London motor show in 2008, was notable as the first 300hp-plus front-drive hot hatch. Its USP was power, and lots of it. Ford was so confident in the car’s ability, in fact, that when the 350hp RS500 arrived in 2010 there wasn’t a single chassis change. And it turns out that none were required; it was just as sorted as standard, with the extra excitement of more power. As final editions go, the matt black-wrapped ‘500 was one of the greatest.
Just 101 were allocated for the UK, all spoken for in a week back in 2010 at a £35,750 asking price. These days, the vast majority are SORN’d, owners presumably waiting to cash in when the time is right. Because all Focus RSes are valuable; the RS500 is probably the most valuable of all.
This one isn’t SORN’d, which is nice. In fact, it’s been to the MOT station on plenty of occasions over the years, returning every time with a clean pass. And that’s because, according to the test history, it’s never done more than five miles a year. Here’s a 2010 Focus RS500 as good as the day it left the showroom, with just 39 miles on the clock. 39!
It means #131 looks even better than Ford’s own example, making it perhaps the best presented in the world. The original 3M wrap looks flawless (they often need replacing), the calipers gleam red still and the interior is as-new. Because this is, to all intents and purposes, a new car. Just one that’s 16 years old, with a host of annual services to its name (having been trailered to the dealership). The cambelt was replaced at 36 miles…
Now coming from a Ford RS collection (and surely headed for another), this RS500 is for sale at £120,000. And to think almost £80k for the last one we featured looked a lot. But this thing really must be unrepeatable, and no brand has quite the following in the UK of Ford. If the RS200, Sierra RS500 and GT generations need the ultimate fast Focus to go alongside, there won’t be better...
SPECIFICATION | FORD FOCUS RS500
Engine: 2,522cc, 5-cyl turbocharged
Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel-drive
Power (hp): 350@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 339@2,500-4,500rpm
MPG: 30 (standard car)
CO2: 225g/km (standard car)
First registered: 2010
Recorded mileage: 39
Price new: £35,750
Yours for: £120,000
Meanwhile, watched a video about classic car prices at the Manor Park Auction recently and its on its arse, RS Turbos, notably have dropped even if those for sale were a bit ropey, four to six grand.
If you think about it simply as investment stock rather than a car it might work.
If I owned a car like this id want it in my living room!
Whether a focus or a 250 gto…. It’s all just metal and rubber designed to be used
The matt wrap (should be paint, surely?) really does the shape no favours.
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