This article was taken from Performance Ford Magazine
RS REBORN
The descendent of the RS Turbo is finally here, in the shape of the awesome new Focus RS.
What has a Ford badge, a turbo, more aggression than a pitbull and screams, 'drive me like a nutcase you big tart'?! Up until now, we'd have said either an RS Turbo or a Cossie of some description. Now, however, there's a new kid on the block who's spoiling for a rumble the Focus RS.
The Focus RS was unveiled to a load of dribbling journalists at the British International Motor Show. We were there and have to say it looks very, very rude in the metal, the blue paint glinting off a subtly muscular body.
At first glance the exterior doesn't seem to have changed a great deal, the only real clues to the car's character being a set of 18" rims on 225/40 rubber (denoting an 8" wheel width?), a rear bumper with fake venturis, wider arches and a hugely aggressive front bumper. This baby houses the indicators, a pair of fogs and what appear to be brake cooling ducts. In fact, only one duct performs this function, the other playing host to a chargecooler radiator with an auxillary fan to keep the engine cooler just as well, really, considering what's lurking under the bonnet.
You've probably already guessed it, but the Focus RS is most definitely turbocharged. And while no real details have been given away about the engine spec, we know it's a heavily breathed upon two-litre 16v Zetec with 230bhp. We would hazard a guess that the engine is very similar to the one found in the Focus-R concept car we drove in America (PF11/00). This excellent machine used a tiny but highly responsive Garrett T17 turbo which helped to push out 220bhp with 245 lb/ft of torque not shy for a front-wheel drive hatchback.
The Focus RS will also be front-wheel drive, but don't chuck your rattle on the floor because if the R's Quaife-diffed ability is anything to go by, it'll be one of the best handling production cars on the road. It'll also stop like no other production Ford before, thanks to huge Brembo four pots poking through the wheels with what must be 300+mm discs at the front and meaty two pots at the rear.
