To tame those wild horses, Ford used a Quaife torque-biasing differential. The 0-60mph dash takes 5.9sec and top speed is 143mph.ĪLSO READ: Ford Focus RS M520 (2020) review Peak power of 212hp arrives at 5,500rpm, with maximum torque of 229lb ft from a useful 3,500rpm. The Ford’s 2.0-litre turbocharged engine drives through a five-speed manual gearbox. These four-wheel-drive Germans outgun the Focus in terms of horsepower, but not driving thrills. However, neither is likely to appreciate in value like the Ford.įancy something more civilised? Consider the Audi S3 or Volkswagen Golf R32. Both offer more oomph and, special editions aside, are cheaper to buy second-hand. The Focus is a front-wheel-drive hatchback, yet its most obvious in-period rivals – the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (pictured) and Subaru Impreza WRX – were four-wheel-drive saloons. We borrowed Focus RS number 0001 of 4,501 cars made – fresh from Ford’s heritage fleet – to decide who is right. Others, meanwhile, dismiss it as a torque-steering tearaway. Launched in 2002, some rate it as one of the greatest fast Fords ever. Opinions of the first Focus RS, though, are more mixed. With its clever Control Blade rear suspension, this humble hatchback out-handled some sports cars. The time feels right to revisit the rowdy original.Įven today, few family cars drive better than the original 1998 Ford Focus. …but it lacks the raw excitement and, well, focus of the RS. It has to work as a daily driver, a school-run shuttle, a family holdall – and it does all of those with a similar breadth of abilities to the benchmark Golf GTI. It’s talented hot hatch, as my review concluded last year: ![]() That leaves the 280hp ST as the flagship of the Focus range. Sadly, for a low-volume model like the RS, the cost of investment simply doesn’t stack up. Apparently, the car would require a hybrid drivetrain to keep fleet CO2 emissions down, or Ford risks heavy fines from the EU. ![]() So, it’s official: Ford has canned the fourth-generation Focus RS.
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