With the 2016 Ford Focus RS production having kicked off today in Saarlouis, Germany, we wanted to take the time to see what happens when you grab this manic hatch by the steering wheel and use it like its maker intended.
The video below serves as the perfect tool for this purpose, as it takes us through the four driving modes of the car. Back in the day, Focus with serious power and a smart front axle was enough, but nowadays we get a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system coming from GKN, which packs rear axle torque vectoring - the active type, not the braking-based one.
Speaking of which, the weak point of this Blue Oval machine is its weight. At just under 1,600 kg (that's 3,527 lbs), this is one meaty hatchback.
Regardless, the button everybody is interested in sits close to the gear shifter, allowing the driver to change between the various driving modes of the car.
We're talking about four modes that control the active bits of the Focus, namely the all-wheel-drive, shock absorbers, steering, engine mapping, Electronic Stability Control and the exhaust.
Former Stig Ben Collins is here to take us through the various personalities of the 2016 Focus RS, but we know the one that deserves our undivided attention, at least until the Nurburgring gets its 2016 configuration, is the all-mentioned Drift mode of this fast Ford.
As opposed to the Track mode, the sideways one leaves both the dampers and the steering in their Normal settings, skipping the Sport settings. While the extra body roll allows the driver to get a better idea on the car's intentions, the lighter steering means you can work your way through the slide.
As a result, Ben goes for delicious slip angles and you'll be able to get a good taste of that by hitting the "play" button below.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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