Well, well, well, it seems like Ford Ireland's website let the cat out of the bag. Though this apparently unintended leak was immediately taken down from ford.ie, Photobucket user jmepamplin managed to make a print screen that you can admire just above.
Without further beating around the bush, the 2016 Ford Focus RS packs a whopping 350 PS of oomph, which equates to 345 horsepower for our Stateside readers. Compared to the Blue Oval's promise of "over 320 PS," (315 HP) this is quite the treat, isn't it? Regarding the torque, it's still a mystery right now.
As you can see for yourself, ford.ie claims: "As for power, a specially tuned 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine delivers 350 PS." Considering that FoMoCo teased us with "over 320 PS" and "over 320 lb-ft" (434 Nm), we can have a good ol' fashioned guesstimate: 350 lb-ft (474 Nm) of all-wheel drive grunt.
Just think about it: when the 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost was teased with "at least 305 horsepower" and "at least 300 lb-ft" of twist, it sorted out by having 310 ponies and 320 lb-ft. Considering that the 2016 Focus RS uses a more performance-oriented setup for the 2.3L turbo'd four-cylinder, 350 lb-ft is doable.
Then again, the Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG develops 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) from 2 liters displacement, so only time will tell if our estimate for the 2.3-liter EcoBoost holds water. In terms of horsepower, only the A 45 AMG and the updated Audi RS3 overpower the 2016 Ford Focus RS, but the differences aren't too dramatic.
The skeptics among you may ask "what makes you think Ford will really go with 350 PS for the all-new Focus RS?" Well, the hot hatchback that introduced Drift Mode into our petrolhead jargon has all the chances of getting all of those rampaging ponies for a simple reason. Remember when Ford Ukraine tweeted that the 2016 Focus RS was all-wheel drive before it was officially confirmed by Ford? Just sayin'...
UPDATE: Ford spokesman Aaron Miller sent an e-mail to AutoGuide with the following message: “we are still in testing phases, but we are guaranteeing it will at least be over 315 hp. Our final numbers will come closer to launch.” I have this gut feeling that 350 PS is definitive and Ford doesn't know how to cover this leak up.
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
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