Without accounting for the destination charge, a 2017 Ford Mustang GT Premium Fastback starts from $36,645. The 2016 Ford Focus RS, on the other hand, is $35,900. It's worth it, though.
Now on sale in the United States of America from $36,605 including destination and delivery, the all-new Ford Focus RS is animated by the same engine you’ll find in the Mustang EcoBoost. But compared to the four-banger pony car, the compact-sized hot hatchback gets more power. To be more specific, 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet (474 Nm) of torque.
The modified 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbocharged four-pot plus the intelligent all-wheel-drive system and trick aero enable the 2016 Ford Focus to hit 165 miles per hour (265 km/h). To put that figure into perspective, the Mustang EcoBoost struggles to hit 150 mph (241 km/h). For that and many other reasons related to how good the Focus RS is, the first customer to take delivery of the hot hatchback is chuffed to bits about the purchase he made.
“Learning that [my Focus RS] was going to be on one of the first boats to the West Coast, it became real,” commented Focus RS owner Jackson Gilmore. “Out of the blue my dealership called me and they said ‘Hey, your RS is here, so I sent an email to my boss that said, ‘Hey, I ordered this car eight months ago, I’m taking a half day today,’ and I just kind of walked out of work. I just bounced right then,” added the fellow featured in the video below.
The fastest production Focus available right now isn’t just fast in a straight line and in the twisties. It also has something called Drift Mode. As the name implies, this driving mode allows the driver to hoon the Focus RS like he's Ken Block or something. It's very simple to be a hero in Drift Mode, to be honest.
Another highlight that should be mentioned about the Focus RS is that you can get it with a winter tire (Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4) and wheel package as a factory option. This should come in handy to prospective buyers from Maine, Vermont, Montana, and all the other states among you can think of.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News