The Ford RS is back and the all-new Focus RS is on track. An early prototype of the fastest Focus road car to date is undergoing performance and durability testing at the challenging Nürburgring Circuit in Germany, in preparation for its launch next year.
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 was responsible for the first generation Focus RS in 2002 and, more recently, the Fiesta ST and the new Focus ST.
The all-new Focus RS features a specially developed, turbocharged version of the Duratec 2.5-litre engine, based on Focus ST, but significantly revised to generate over 280 PS and more than 400 Nm of torque, thus achieving an excellent power-to-weight ratio.
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. Their overriding objective is to achieve optimised driving dynamics and on road performance through an advanced technology front-wheel drive system, combined with a limited-slip differential.
The standard Ford Focus is an excellent base for a high performance car - agile, responsive and stable.
While the latest Focus ST has already proved this to be the case, the new RS will take these qualities to the next level, benefiting from extensive engineering knowledge gained through the company's highly successful Motorsport programmes, notably with the Focus World Rally Car.
"We have no doubt that we can enhance the acclaimed qualities of the already excellent Focus for an even higher performance model than the ST," Capito said. "Now, we are going through the rigorous job of proving our technical approach in extensive testing and tuning over a variety of roads, including the most demanding track in the world, the 'Green Hell' that is the Nürburgring Nordschleife!"
Customers got the first look at the proposed production vehicle at its world premiere at the London Motor Show last month. Further technical details of the all-new Focus RS will be released closer to launch.
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 was responsible for the first generation Focus RS in 2002 and, more recently, the Fiesta ST and the new Focus ST.
The all-new Focus RS features a specially developed, turbocharged version of the Duratec 2.5-litre engine, based on Focus ST, but significantly revised to generate over 280 PS and more than 400 Nm of torque, thus achieving an excellent power-to-weight ratio.
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. Their overriding objective is to achieve optimised driving dynamics and on road performance through an advanced technology front-wheel drive system, combined with a limited-slip differential.
The standard Ford Focus is an excellent base for a high performance car - agile, responsive and stable.
While the latest Focus ST has already proved this to be the case, the new RS will take these qualities to the next level, benefiting from extensive engineering knowledge gained through the company's highly successful Motorsport programmes, notably with the Focus World Rally Car.
"We have no doubt that we can enhance the acclaimed qualities of the already excellent Focus for an even higher performance model than the ST," Capito said. "Now, we are going through the rigorous job of proving our technical approach in extensive testing and tuning over a variety of roads, including the most demanding track in the world, the 'Green Hell' that is the Nürburgring Nordschleife!"
Customers got the first look at the proposed production vehicle at its world premiere at the London Motor Show last month. Further technical details of the all-new Focus RS will be released closer to launch.