Ford Focus RS the first pictures

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

04 July 2008 00:01

The wait is over. Ford today officially took the wraps off its new Focus RS – the hottest hatch on the planet, judging by the first official details. We'll see the new fast Ford at the 2008 London motor show, but the first customer cars won't arrive until spring 2009.

If you thought the original Focus RS was a hard-nosed, uncompromising hot hatch, the second-gen Focus RS should surely qualify for an ASBO court order. It puts 300ps (296bhp) through the front wheels to make it one of the fastest - and most frenetic - hatches around.

It does sound that way, doesn't it. But Ford insists that its chassis mods have tamed the turbocharged thrust from the Volvo-derived, Duratec 2.5-litre five-pot that also powers the regular Focus ST.

You could argue that 300bhp is too much, or that Ford should have fitted four-wheel drive to the fastest Focus, but instead it's developed a raft of traction enhancing gizmos to stop the front wheels burning more rubber than Max Mosley and actually put some of that 302lb ft of torque to the road.

Click 'Next' to read more of the technical details of the Ford Focus RS (2009)

By Tim Pollard