Be in no doubt - we like the
Ford Focus RS
a lot here on PH. It's just that, on the day, we all enjoyed the Civic Type R more, Matt's video today going into some further depth about why the Honda got the nod.
Honda and its fans probably shouldn't rest too easily though. Not given the car spotted here by those ever vigilant spy snappers. Because Ford already seems to be cooking up an even more potent version of the RS, rumour having it we'll see a revival of the RS500 name. Last time we saw that badge was back in 2010 as a
run-out special
for the previous RS, a power boost from 305hp to 350hp, sinister black wrap and strictly limited supply (just 101 of the 500 made were sold in the UK) seeing the only one currently in the
PH classifieds
£10K premium
over even regular RS models.
In subdued dark metallic grey this test mule could pass for a standard RS, bar a couple of important details. At the front there are additional bonnet vents while at the rear the roof spoiler has been raised with a couple of crude looking end plates we'll presume are improvised for testing purposes. Other than that the bodywork looks pretty much standard but we'll be guessing there's more going on beneath the surface.
Like what? There's still meant to be a 400hp Golf R 400 coming and you can be sure Ford isn't about to let VW have it easy when it does arrive. Is there that kind of headroom in the 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine? With a twin-scroll turbo and various other dedicated mods it's sufficiently different to the version used in the Mustang as to offer hope there is. Beyond more power and some additional styling features what else can Ford feasibly do to the RS to make it better than the standard model? Some lower-mounted seats would be nice but we'll be keeping an eye on this to see what comes.
[Photos: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien]