At long last the awesome Ford Focus RS 300PS,
three-door supercar is with us.
Such is the demand in the UK that we are
having 4,000 units, 50pc of Ford's lifetime production total of just 8,000 units.
And the news from this week's media launch was that
2,000 are already sold in the UK.
Priced at £25,740, plus options, even a recession in
the new car market hasn't stopped demand from RS enthusiasts and increasing
numbers of new buyers moving away from hard-core all wheel drive race and rally
bred supercars.
In addition enthusiastic drivers of ‘premium' brand
fast cars who still want performance but at a more reasonable price see the RS
as a good option.
The RS is a natural progression from the Focus ST
which has the same core 2.5-litre, five-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine. But
for the RS it has been developed in every area to boost power and more
importantly torque.
This unit produces a massive 440Nm, available through
a huge engine speed range of 2,300 to 4,500 rpm but is still evident up to 6,500rpm.
Turbo boost pressure has been doubled from 0.7 bars used for the ST, to 1.4 bars
for the RS.
Top speed is 163mph and 0-62mph takes 5.9 seconds. So
whichever of the six gears the car is being driven in and whatever the speed of
the RS there is torque available for phenomenal response and acceleration.
The most intriguing thing is that all this power is
put on the road just through the front wheels thanks to the latest state of the
art Quaife helical limited slip differential and RevoKnuckle front suspension
and steering set-up.
RevoKnuckle does many things but to keep it simple
the C-shaped mount is connected to both the hub and MacPherson struts either
side of the front of the car. This double connection keeps the kingpin offsets
much more consistent, no matter what load each front wheel is placed under.
It has allowed Ford to fine-tune the handling of the
RS and another benefit is that it reduces tyre wear caused by fast
cornering. Thicker and longer anti-roll
bars and increased diameter front and rear disc brakes over the Focus ST
accommodate the added performance.
Torque steer is just about evident, but not very much
in wet or dry conditions or on smooth or rough road surfaces. The steering felt pretty heavy at all speeds
but it needs to be precise and it is. Power delivery and the use of that power
are the real technical highlights of the RS whether an owner wants it for road
use or track days.
Not having the added weight of an all-wheel drive
system, such as those used by Subaru Impreza WRX STI or Lancer Evolutions,
allows maximum performance and of course reduces cost. As far as I can tell
there is very little loss in performance, grip and traction by having just the
front wheel drive system used for the RS over a four-wheel drive layout. Ice and snowy conditions might cause us all
to rethink that impression but for now the RS is unbelievably impressive.
So we have raw power, seemingly endless grip, a
relatively comfortable ride and a very competitive price. Add to those the high visual impact with a
massive rear wing, a very noticeable rear diffuser, 19-inch wheels and tyres
plus the usual side body skirts and the RS looks the ‘business', but thankfully
it isn't ‘over-the-top'.
Inside is generally well done with excellent sculptured
Recaro front seats and a full instrumentation pack. It takes a while to locate all the controls
and dials because there are so many of them but it all adds to the RS image.
MILESTONES.
Ford Focus RS 3-Door 2.5-Litre. £25,740.
Engine/transmission: 2.5-litre, five-cylinders,
turbocharged petrol, 305PS (300bhp), 440Nm (324lb ft) from 2,300rpm, 6-speed
manual gearbox.
Performance: 163mph, 0-62mph 5.9 seconds, 30.5mpg
combined cycle (19.8 to 28.6mpg on test), CO2 225g/km, VED new Band K £215, BIK
tax 32pc.
Insurance
group: 19A. For: All
the P's - Price, Performance, Pace, just brilliant. Against:
Having to wait until November to take delivery.
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