Ford to Introduce New Focus RS in Geneva

Its small and its hot and we will never see it over here.

RS Series

Ford of Europe’s production RS series began back in 1984 with a purpose-built rally car for Group B rally racing, the Ford RS200. 200 of these were production models built to meet the requirements of WRC homologation and production ceased in 1986.

Its successor, the Escort RS Cosworth, was built from 1992 until 1996. The first 2500 of these were also built for homologation and a total of 7,145 were built. All of these were based on the production Escort 3-door hatchback and featured a front-engine, all-wheel-drive layout with a 2 liter turbocharged Cosworth engine.

It was another 6 years before Ford produced another RS-badged vehicle; this one based on the Focus Mark I (first generation) architecture and featured a 2 liter 212 hp 4-cylinder turbocharged engine and front-wheel drive. The Focus RS Mark I was produced from 2002 until 2003 and approximately 4,500 were built.

The newest RS

Ford’s latest RS, the Focus RS Mark II, to be unveiled in Geneva, is based on their latest C1 platform architecture. It features an aluminum block, aluminum head, 2.5 liter inline-5 cylinder engine that produces 301 hp and 324.5 lb.-ft. of torque. 0 to 62 mph is achieved in 5.9 seconds and fuel economy, according to Ford, is 30 mpg. Peak engine power is achieved at 6,500 rpm and peak torque falls between 2,300 and 4,500 rpm.

Putting all that power to the pavement is a Quaife helical limited slip diff through a 6-speed manual transmission. The RS differs from conventional Focuses with a wider track, higher spring rates, thicker anti-roll bars and exclusive 235/35/R19 Continental tires fitted to 19x8.5 alloy wheels.

Unlike the previous generation, the latest RS will be available in three colors, not just one: Frozen White, Performance Blue and the WRC-inspired “Ultimate Green.”

The centerpiece of the cabin has to be the Recaro high-performance sport seats, covered in leather-trimmed micro-fiber and color-matched to the exterior color (white vehicles will have a choice of either a blue or green interior and black leather is an option with all three colors). The RS graphic adorns the front seats and gear lever as well as the two rear seats, making this Focus a true 4-seater.