Want something to get excited about going fast in a family hatchback? Look no further than the next-generation of the Ford Focus RS, from the same company that gave us the Sierra Cosworth and the excellent little Fiesta ST.
Development is currently underway and the model could debut in a little over a year from now. Despite the myriad or spy photos and speculative reports, we’ve never actually shown you what the car Ford are working on sounds like. Spotted at a test facility near the Nurburgring and on the track itself, this prototype was filmed by the guys at TouriClips earlier this week. It’s motivated by a powerful engine and should offer everything a rally fan could ever want: big wings, spoilers and skirts.
The exhaust sound in the video is typical of four-cylinder engines but it’s not exactly the same as the Focus ST or the new Mustang. Not surprisingly, the tone is reminiscent of a tuned Mazda3 MPS with straight pipes. The 5-cylinder 2.5-liter in the old RS will surely be missed though.
All reports indicate power will come from the same 2.3-liter turbo engine shared with the new 2015 Ford Mustang, the only major difference being it will he horizontally mounted into a front-wheel drive platform. While the Mustang EcoBoost gets 310 hp, the RS should have 330 hp. While most cars in this segment (Audi S3, Subaru STI, Golf R) use all-wheel drive to deliver the power, Ford will only offer a FWD with a manual to keep things light and responsive.
Like the Mk2 Focus RS, this one will be a special thing, appealing mainly to the connoisseurs. The Blue Oval is expected to introduce a new generation of its compact in 2017, which means RS production could be limited to a little over one year.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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