Ford Focus RS : THE SHARPEST FOCUS

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The Focus RS is Ford's opportunity to show just how quick its Focus hatchback can get. Jonathan Crouch reports

Ford's RS brand has a heritage that leads us to expect excellence and the Focus RS has pulled out all the stops not to disappoint. With a completely revised front suspension system designed to manage the stresses of channelling 296bhp through the front wheels, sharpened steering, up-rated brakes and super-aggressive styling, it's a car that transcends the hot hatch genre and goes after some big name performance models.

As performance brands go, Ford's RS belongs very much in the premier league. With a heritage stretching back to 1970, the RS badge is held in reserve and only applied to the most focused high-performance machinery to emerge from the Blue Oval's production lines. RS iterations of the Escort, Capri and Sierra all hold a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts and in recent times it's been the Focus RS that's carried the torch with no little distinction. The latest Focus RS is the 21st RS-badged model to take its place on Ford's roll of honour and if past form is any indication, we can expect a thoroughly well-sorted performance hatchback. There are a select group of badges that when spotted on the tailgate of an otherwise everyday car, really guarantee that it harbours serious sporting ambitions. BMW's M Sport would get the nod as would Audi's RS. Then there's Subaru's STi and Mitsubishi's Evolution. Honda's Type-R demands respect while Renault's Renaultsport and Vauxhall's VXR are promising newcomers in this company but despite some genuine highlights down the years, both Peugeot and Volkswagen have conspired to devalue their GTi monikers with some questionable past efforts. Ford's RS stands comparison with the very best here and serves to guarantee that in gaining Rallye Sport status, a conventional Ford model has undergone an extensive package of modifications.

"This car pushes Ford into an area of the performance car market where front-wheel-drive models rarely treadâ€¦"

Shouldn't a car this powerful have four-wheel drive? Obvious rivals like Subaru's Impreza STi and Mitsubishi's Lancer Evo X certainly seem to think so and indeed, before this 305PS RS Focus came along, Ford's existing 225PS Focus ST was considered by many to have an output teetering on the edge of what a front-wheel drive chassis could reasonably handle. The problem with slapping on four-wheel drive however, is that it creates a whole series of other issues with weight and the resultant negative effects on performance and fuel consumption. So Ford went back to the drawing board and developed something new - an advanced front suspension system called RevoKnuckle. This works in tandem with the Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited slip differential to reduce torque steer (that writhing of the wheel in your hand during hard acceleration) and generally minimise the negative effects that the driven front wheels have on the steering. The solution enables the RS to deploy its massive 440Nm of torque while retaining its poise and controllability. Sixty is under six seconds away from rest en route to a top speed of around 160mph. On the move, it's tempting to rev the five cylinder engine up to over 7,000rpm, if only to listen to its glorious howl but doing so doesn't really make you go any faster. This 2.5-litre powerplant's best work is done in the mid-range, where 440Nm of torque hauls you through bends without having to change down - unless you do so just to hear the rally-style pops and crackles from the twin exhaust pipes. Should you get it wrong, you'll be pleased to know that a unique ESP stability control system has been engineered specifically for this car - though you can turn it off if you're feeling brave on a trackday. Massive brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution offer awesome stopping power. RS Fords have never been shrinking violets from a styling perspective. Fierce bodykits and super-sized rear wings big enough to hold a board meeting around have long been the order of the day where these fastest of Fords are concerned. The Focus RS continues that theme in its own muscle-bound style, confirming beyond doubt that this is not your normal Ford Focus. The front end is dominated by the huge angry intake carved into the valance. This, the grille and the slits below the headlamps are all filled with black honeycombed mesh. The bonnet features louvered air intakes, there are more honeycomb vents behind the front wheelaches and the back sports a roof-mounted spoiler with a diffuser under the car from which the chrome exhausts pipes sprout. The car's planted stance is achieved through its low skirts and a track that's 40mm wider than a standard Focus. Of course, beneath the surface, the changes to the Focus RS are even more far reaching. The springs and dampers have been completely revised and a more substantial anti-roll bar is fitted. The braking system features 336mm front discs and 300mm items at the rear to bring all that power under control. Inside, the cabin could feel a bit more special but all the basics are in place. Both driver and front passenger are clamped into extreme-looking Recaro sports seats while the RS badging crops up on every available surface including the specially-designed three-spoke steering wheel. The whole cabin is highlighted in brushed aluminium and carbon fibre-effect finishes while three additional gauges from the ST model, including one for turbo pressure, sit atop the dash. If you think of this as a hot hatch, you'll think it very expensive. This car is in fact a stage beyond all of that, something reflected by its £25,000 asking price, this representing a premium of around £3,000 over a top 225PS Focus ST. On the positive side, the RS's asking price offers a saving on comparable 300bhp rivals - say around £1,000 on a Subaru Impreza STi and a saving of around £3,500 on a comparable Mitsubishi Evo X. Both of these rivals of course will give you four wheel drive which Ford thinks is unnecessary. Whether you agree with that will have a lot to do with whether you buy this car. Saving weight has been a central focus of the Focus RS and Ford aren't about to ruin all their hard work by offering a vast array of hefty optional extras. The car is offered as a three-door only and equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox. Still, there's a reasonable standard equipment tally. The exclusive 19" alloy wheels are standard fit and all models get power/heated door mirrors, Xenon headlights with automatic levelling and jet-wash, dual chrome tailpipes, a Quickclear heated windscreen, unique Recaro sports seats with side bolsters trimmed to match the colour of the car, air conditioning and a six-disc CD stereo. You don't buy a car like the Focus RS and expect to get away lightly in terms of running costs. Drive the car as Ford's RS engineers intended and both fuel economy and emissions will be subjects that you'll be keen to avoid while regaling friends about the car's awesome capabilities. The CO2 figure, if you're interested, is 225g/km - actually not too bad for a car this fast. Nor really is the 30.5mpg combined fuel economy figure - though I'd suggest that if you manage to replicate that on a regular basis, then you probably shouldn't have bothered buying this car in the first place. Interestingly, both figures are virtually the same as you'd achieve in the much slower 225PS Focus ST. Insurance of course is unlikely to be a picnic but you do have to put things in context of 300bhp performance hatchbacks and in this company, the lightweight Focus RS won't be the biggest drain on its owner's resources. Residual values should be strong due to the car's relative rarity: just 8,000 will be built for worldwide sale over a two year production run. Ford has jealously guarded its RS performance brand down the years, to the point where the public knows that any car bearing the famous moniker is going to be supremely capable. This model is certainly a giant leap away from the 1.6-litre shopping hatches at the opposite end of the Focus range. Designed to sate the enthusiast who deems mere hot hatchbacks to be too slow, it pushes Ford into an area of the performance car market where front-wheel-drive models rarely tread. Though you'd still prefer to have four-wheel drive in wet and slippery conditions, in the dry, this car's clever front suspension system works beautifully and the result is a level of agility that rivals can only dream about. A thoroughly engineered product then. But of course, given the badge on the bootlid, we never really expected anything less.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Ford Focus RS
PRICE: £24,995 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 18 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 225g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 160mph / 0-60mph 5.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 30.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist, ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4337/1839/1497