Photo: Original image by autoevolution
When it was presented in the flesh and at full throttle at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June, the 2015 Ford Focus ST facelift lit the imagination of petrolheads. Well, except for the turbo diesel variant, which is a compromise over the petrol-fed Focus ST.
Thankfully for the US hot hatch enthusiast, Ford won’t ship the oil burning 2015 Focus ST in the U S of A, but only the full-on 2-liter EcoBoost with a hefty 252 horsepower and 270 lb-ft (366 Nm) of front-wheel drive twist. Too bad that cost-related matters forced Blue Oval engineers to fit the front axle with an open differential, not a full-on LSD.
Nevertheless, the revised Focus ST’s party piece is its retuned electronic Torque Vectoring Control system, which mimicks the duties of a limited-slip diff. That translates to the optimum distribution of torque to either of the front wheels, a feat which maximizes traction especially in the twisties and the powerplant's delivery under pedal-to-the-metal action.
Two sources close to Ford confirmed the new RS will land on US soil next year as a 2016MY and it will be imported from the Europe because Ford’s Michigan site apparently doesn’t have the tech to manufacture the Focus RS. The fire-breathing compact hatch wearing Blue Oval badges has been spied by our carparazzi numerous times and this is our pixel wizard's take on how it might look like in real life.
As it’s often the case with hot hatchback royalty these days, the looks will be overshadowed by what’s hiding under skin. We know that the heart of the beast will come in the form of the 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost that develops 310 horsepower and a solid 320 lb-ft (433 Nm) on the 2015 Ford Mustang.
If our hunch is right on the money, the 2016 Ford Focus RS will deliver over 300 hp and 300 lb-ft to its front axle, given that AWD is out of the question due to the hefty price hike such a setup brings to the mix. After all, there's a Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R for the Focus RS to brawl with at the lights...
Nevertheless, the revised Focus ST’s party piece is its retuned electronic Torque Vectoring Control system, which mimicks the duties of a limited-slip diff. That translates to the optimum distribution of torque to either of the front wheels, a feat which maximizes traction especially in the twisties and the powerplant's delivery under pedal-to-the-metal action.
The ST is compromised because it wants to be the best of both worlds
We refer to it being a consumer-friendly hatchback and a performance machine at the same time. If you’re the type that doesn’t do compromises with your choice of hot hatchbacks, then I recommend to kick back and wait for the facelifted and RevoKnuckle-licious Focus RS to make its appearance next year.Two sources close to Ford confirmed the new RS will land on US soil next year as a 2016MY and it will be imported from the Europe because Ford’s Michigan site apparently doesn’t have the tech to manufacture the Focus RS. The fire-breathing compact hatch wearing Blue Oval badges has been spied by our carparazzi numerous times and this is our pixel wizard's take on how it might look like in real life.
The front fascia is... ahem... curious, especially the housing of the fog lights
Based on the pre-production prototypes spied, both radiator grilles will also adopt an outlandish design, not at all similar to what we’ve seen on the 2015 Ford Focus ST facelift. Even still, the RS-ified Focus is still in development as we speak and a lot will change until the production-ready Focus RS will debut. One thing is certain though - in terms of visuals, the puckered up hatch will be extremely bonkers.As it’s often the case with hot hatchback royalty these days, the looks will be overshadowed by what’s hiding under skin. We know that the heart of the beast will come in the form of the 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost that develops 310 horsepower and a solid 320 lb-ft (433 Nm) on the 2015 Ford Mustang.
If our hunch is right on the money, the 2016 Ford Focus RS will deliver over 300 hp and 300 lb-ft to its front axle, given that AWD is out of the question due to the hefty price hike such a setup brings to the mix. After all, there's a Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R for the Focus RS to brawl with at the lights...
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