Focus RS revealed in detail

Weeks ahead of the car's world debut at the London Show, Ford has released a comprehensive set of images and further technical details of its eagerly awaited Focus RS.

Along with pictures of the vivid green Focus that will be on display in ExCeL, Ford has stated that the show car is not quite the finished article.

Still undergoing development in time for a 2009 launch, the performance targets for the RS include a 0-62mph time well under six seconds.

That's thanks to a major development of the Focus ST's 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged engine. Ford is hoping that the RS will put out nearly 300bhp and more than 300lb.ft of torque.

Ford admits that it investigated the use of four-wheel drive to put all that power down to the road, but it was decided to stick with lighter front-wheel drive and instead upgrade the chassis to cope.

Lead by Jost Capito, Ford of Europe's Vehicle Line Director for Performance Vehicles, the development team are still working on combining a so-called 'RevoKnuckle' suspension design with a Quaife limited slip differential to eliminate torque steer yet provide decent traction.

The new Focus RS goes on sale early in 2009, following its premiere at the London Show later this month.

Shane O' Donoghue