After much rumour and speculation Ford has released the first pictures and details of the new Focus RS. The images are of an early prototype of Ford’s super-hatch and the launch has officially been set for early next year.
The car has been hammering around the Nurburgring recently as part of performance and durability testing. The turbocharged 2.5-litre Duratec engine in the RS will be based on the unit found in the Focus ST but has been boosted to 280bhp.
Various chassis innovations, developed in conjunction with Ford’s Advanced Engineering Centre in Aachen are being tuned for the new car by the Cologne-based Ford Team RS.The car will be front wheel-drive with a limited-slip differential.
Visitors to the London Motor Show in late July will get to see a production Focus RS for the first time. The principal architect of the Focus RS project is Ford of Europe’s Vehicle Line Director for Performance Vehicles, Jost Capito, whose Team RS development group were responsible for the first generation Focus RS in 2002, and more recently, the Fiesta ST and the new Focus ST.
He said: ‘The new Focus RS is as much a car for driving enthusiasts as the one before it and classic Ford RS models of the past. We’re staying true to the core RS principles of a no-compromise, affordable high performance road car you can live with. The new Focus RS will have the muscles, heart and soul of a genuine RS and will be exciting to drive every day.’