There has been much excitement up on the top floor of MotorMartin Towers ever since rumours started about a new Focus RS and the direction that it may take, from complete flights of fancy through to a subtle refreshment of the truly stunning original.
And so here we are with Ford confirming to MotorMartin that the new Ford Focus RS Edition, which features a mechanical Quaife limited-slip differential (LSD), is now available to order from a bargain £35,795, providing even more traction and driving appeal for performance driving enthusiasts. Excellent news.
The Focus RS Edition, Ford say, features unique styling, including signature Nitrous Blue paint with striking black exterior details, a two-tone seat execution and carbon-fibre trim.
“Our new Focus RS Edition represents accessible performance at its finest,” explained Leo Roeks, Ford Performance Director, Europe with MotorMartin recently. “Improving on the class-leading driving dynamics of the Focus RS was no small task – but our Ford Performance engineers have delivered a drivetrain capable of wringing every drop of performance from the 350PS EcoBoost engine.”
A tight grip on performance
It’s been shared with MotorMartin that the Focus RS Edition has been developed by Ford Performance engineers and evaluated at locations across the globe to further enhance the high-performance hatchback’s class-leading traction and responsiveness using a Quaife LSD for the front axle.
The mechanical LSD limits the engine torque delivered to a wheel that has reduced traction on the road surface, and redistributes torque to the wheel with more traction to counteract the wheelspin that can hamper acceleration and stability.
By controlling the torque delivered to each front wheel, the Focus RS Edition’s Quaife LSD enables drivers to exploit the 350PS delivered by its 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine in high-performance driving situations even more, and seamlessly integrates with Focus RS driving technologies delivered as standard, including:
Ford Performance All Wheel Drive, which varies the front-to-rear torque distribution to suit the current driving situation – monitoring inputs from vehicle sensors 100 times per second and sending a maximum of 70 per cent of the drive torque to the rear axle
Dynamic Torque Vectoring – which uses electronically-controlled clutch packs on the rear axle to send up to 100 per cent of the available torque to either rear wheel, and can switch drive from one side to the other in as little as 0.06sec
Torque Vectoring Control (TVC) – which automatically applies small amounts of brake force to limit wheelspin at the front axle
“For hardcore driving enthusiasts, the additional mechanical grip offered by the Quaife LSD will make it even easier to carry speed through a corner on the track, and maximise acceleration on the way out. The new setup also delivers greater mechanical stability and control when braking hard, and will help drivers set the car up for power-slides using Drift Mode,” Roeks said. “The Focus RS Edition takes our ‘fun to drive’ philosophy to a new level for an everyday road car.”
The Focus RS Edition delivers drive modes that include the industry-first Drift Mode for controlled oversteer drifts under circuit conditions and Launch Control for ultimate performance off the start-line – accelerating from 0-62mph in just 4.7sec.
Unique design
The Focus RS Edition delivers unique details for the signature Nitrous Blue exterior, including matte black roof and mirror caps. The rear roof spoiler also features a matte black finish, with blue RS logos on the spoiler side wings.
Other standard equipment includes
Black cast 19-inch alloy wheels with RS centre caps
Brembo four-piston monoblock callipers finished in distinctive RS blue with a Brembo logo
Recaro shell seats with exclusive Nitrous Blue leather applications
Carbon fibre interior trim parts (auxiliary dials bezel, door handles and handbrake lever)
Privacy glass
Rear parking sensors
Electric folding mirrors
Cruise control with speed limiter
Ford KeyFree system
Heated steering wheel
Active City Stop
Where will you go?