Ford Focus RS

[Edstock]

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9071017.001/ford-focus-rs-spied

 

"These photos show some very recent prototypes of the 3.0 liter, in-line 6 cylinder 300 bhp engined RS and can mainly be recognized by the larger air intakes in the front, the big alloy wheels and a rear wing. All that power could not possibly go through just the front wheels, so expect an all-wheel-drive system, most probably borrowed from Volvo (just like the engine) but heavily adjusted by the UK based Prodrive team."

[Pioneer]

[Hugh]

Nice. Hopefully we'll see a C2 with a 2.5 TF.

[P71_CrownVic]

Sweet!!

 

Another great Focus we will never see.

[one2gamble]

I thought they were going to go with volvos I5?

[LSFan00]

If I buy one in Mexico could I register it stateside, and would support be all that tough via a volvo dealer?

[Edstock]

Just guessing, but you might see it appear in NA by 2010. Gas prices are going up, and the EVO and turbo Subies are a growth segment for performance, which is why the RS has been created.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

It great to see the legendry RS logo being used again Ed, it has always had that same sort of reverence in motor sports as the P-51 and Spitfires got in World War II, invincible.

 

Never really understood why Ford dropped it after all those years of hard earned winning in favour of the ST, they must of lost loads of sales as RS fans punished Ford by deserting and moving into Scoobies & Evo’s. Still Ford RS look like they are going to win both drivers & manufacturers championship the World Rally Championship that is the toughest form of motor sport in the world. So l think this Focus will be a big winner for Ford, Ford seem to be ticking all the right boxes at the moment, they seen to doing everything right and are on a bit off a winning roll at the moment, long may it Continue Ed.

 

Would like to see Ford get back into F1, even if just producing some more of those awesome Cossie engines of the past. Still prefer watching Champ Car to F1 you get more overtaking. I know Ford are a bit cash strapped at the moment and not to sure if they still sponsor Champ Car, but Ford seem to find $36 millions to sponsor 22 blokes kicking a round football about in Europe, why not sponsor something with 4 wheels that billions watch all over the globe like F1.

[Edstock]

Never really understood why Ford dropped it after all those years of hard earned winning in favour of the ST,

 

Maybe it's something that Ford didn't screw up. RS Capris were the originator of the "RS", IIRC, and they were fearsome beasts indeed; then we got Cosworth-engined RS Escorts.

 

 

 

The point is, it seems Ford never diluted the RS-level of performance, and the ST, good as it is, doesn't get to RS-level, so it's an ST.

 

An example of the danger of dilution is what Chevy has done to its "SS" badge.

[NickF1011]

Just guessing, but you might see it appear in NA by 2010. Gas prices are going up, and the EVO and turbo Subies are a growth segment for performance, which is why the RS has been created.

 

I doubt we'll see anything remotely similar to an RS Focus here anytime soon. Sadly, Ford will likely spend considerable effort just getting the base products right and regaining sales strength before they give us anything particularly fun outside of the Mustang's realm. I say "sadly" from an enthusiast perspective though. Without a consistent and stable base to build upon, none of the wishful performance variants would stand a chance.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Yes you are right Ed, they are both very different animals.

 

When you look at the specification of the Focus RS on the next page Ed, the Jeremy Clarkson’s of if this world would look no deeper, and say that’s pretty average nothing special compared to an Aston or Ferrari. But if he for once took the comparison off the drag strip and on to varying road surfaces he would soon discover how bloody good the Focus RS really is. I don’t think an Aston Martin or a Ferrari would last more than a mile or two on a WRC stage.

 

It’s not how fast a car is, its is how bloody good it is, and the Focus RS is probably the best car in the world at this moment in time, WRC will soon prove the point.

 

Have you ever seen Jeremy Clarkson test drive a Ferrari like this?

[NickF1011]

Yes you are right Ed, they are both very different animals.

 

When you look at the specification of the Focus RS on the next page Ed, the Jeremy Clarkson's of if this world would look no deeper, and say that's pretty average nothing special compared to an Aston or Ferrari. But if he for once took the comparison off the drag strip and on to varying road surfaces he would soon discover how bloody good the Focus RS really is. I don't think an Aston Martin or a Ferrari would last more than a mile or two on a WRC stage.

 

It's not how fast a car is, its is how bloody good it is, and the Focus RS is probably the best car in the world at this moment in time, WRC will soon prove the point.

 

Have you ever seen Jeremy Clarkson test drive a Ferrari like this?

 

Ummm..there is hardly a shred of commonality between a road-going Focus RS and a Focus RS WRC. Drivetrains may be relatively similar, but suspension, body, and chassis are ENTIRELY different. I've heard some ridiculous price tags for the costs of a fully-prepped WRC car, with the Focus being one of the most expensive-- often topping several hundred thousand dollars.

[Edstock]

Drivetrains may be relatively similar, but suspension, body, and chassis are ENTIRELY different.

 

AFAIK, the floor-pans of all WRC cars must be production items. Then outfits like ProDrive or whatever do the conversion to WRC cars, with different drivetrains (AWD, sequential transmissions) and body parts like fenders and hoods.

 

Essentially WRC cars are much like original stock-derived NASCAR sleds from the 60's.

Edited October 19, 2007 by Edstock

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Ummm..there is hardly a shred of commonality between a road-going Focus RS and a Focus RS WRC. Drivetrains may be relatively similar, but suspension, body, and chassis are ENTIRELY different. I've heard some ridiculous price tags for the costs of a fully-prepped WRC car, with the Focus being one of the most expensive-- often topping several hundred thousand dollars.

 

If past RS models are any thing to go by they will be very close and share a most of the parts Nick, but are not the same like you say, every year folk beat the works WRC in rallies across the world to much embarrassment to the works teams cars for a fraction of the cost of a WRC, like one of these basic new Focus RS, but they normally know the stages in their country when it happens, but the WRC employ the best drivers so it rarely happens these days, most folk that are privateers have not got the money or time or sponsors to do more than one country in the competitions world tour of 16 countries.

 

Focus RS World Champion 2007?

http://www.wrc.com/page/Home/0,,10111,00.html

Edited October 19, 2007 by Ford Jellymoulds

[Ford Jellymoulds]

AFAIK, the floor-pans of all WRC cars must be production items. Then outfits like ProDrive or whatever do the conversion to WRC cars, with different drivetrains (AWD, sequential transmissions) and body parts like fenders and hoods.

 

Essentially WRC cars are much like original stock-derived NASCAR sleds from the 60's.

Nascar! They would just disentergrate if they tried this!! lol

[JETSOLVER]

Beautiful, clean and simple.

 

 

 

It doesn't stand a chance in North America as a Ford, but here is a hint Alan.

 

 

 

I'll give you 35k for it as a Mazdaspeed3.

 

As interesting as the Scooby STI was, it didn't do it for me.

 

But it sure as hell did for a lot of your former customers. And the asperational buyers you don't have anymore.

 

 

And you might be able to tempt a former SVT'er back from the land of Porsche( 07Cayman, trying to decide if I should replace it with an 08 "S").

 

At least Ford would see part of the $ from that sale.

 

Remember that ol snake oil salesman hisself said "It doesn't matter what you call it, a good car makes its own name.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Remember that ol snake oil salesman hisself said "It doesn't matter what you call it, a good car makes its own name.

 

You are right the quickest way to get round Sweden this winter is not in an Ferrari, you just need a good car with a good name like this.