Ford has taken the wraps off the highly anticipated Focus RS which is substantially different than its predecessor. First and foremost, the hot hatchback is no longer a front-wheel drive car as the Blue Oval company has implemented an all-wheel drive system equipped with a dynamic torque vectoring control system. The AWD system makes use of two electronically controlled clutch packs on each side of the rear axle which can send up to 70 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear and then the torque available can be channeled by up to 100 percent to one of the rear wheels.
Under the hood of Ford’s third generation Focus RS is a 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine delivering more than 315 bhp (235 kW). We don’t know how much torque the engine generates but Ford says it’s more than the 433 Nm available in the Mustang. To cope with the extra torque, Ford’s engineers had to work on the six-speed manual gearbox so that it would be able to handle the added oomph.
Riding on 19-inch wheels, the Ford Focus RS comes with Michelin 235/35 R19 Pilot Super Sport tires but at an additional cost the rims can get Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubbers. Also on the menu is a dual large-bore exhaust system featuring an electronically controlled valve while inside the cabin there’s a ten-speaker sound system, 8-inch SYNC infotainment system and Recaro sport seats.
The Ford Focus will be available in the following body colors: Stealth Gray, Absolute Black, Frozen White and Nitrous Blue.
Source: Ford
