Besides the Nissan Skyline GT-R, the Ford Focus RS is one of those cars American auto enthusiasts craved for years. After 2015, the North American performance car market finally witnessed the sheer brutality of the RS hatchback, which had given it an almost mythical status in European car circles. Their verdict? "Horrible seats but an absolute blast behind the wheel."
On a recent YouTube upload, David Patterson, a.k.a ThatDudeinBlue, got behind the wheel of a big turbo Ford Focus RS making 410 ponies to the wheels (513 hp/519 ps).
To remind you, the Ford Focus ST and Ford Fiesta ST make exceptional performance hot hatches, but the RS's AWD (All-Wheel-Drive) capability made it a must-get among hot hatch enthusiasts.
The first two generations of the Ford Focus RS didn't get into the US. As you'd imagine, the Ford Focus RS was a game changer in North America when it finally got a U.S. Visa. It was what the enthusiast market (at the time flooded with the Subaru WRX, a discontinued Mitsubishi Evolution, Civic Type R, and the Golf R) needed.
For many eager RS lovers, it was like meeting their favorite celebrity in person for the first time. And when it finally got North American dealerships, the markups were crazy, hitting highs of $60,000 for a $35,000 unit.
As Patterson explains in the video, there were stories of car enthusiasts giving up their Subaru WRXs and Mitsubishi Evolutions to experience the brutality of the RS.
"The Focus RS, in my opinion, was going to be kind of the Magnum Opus of Ford hot hatches here in America, and unfortunately, they had one big fat issue, and that is, one batch of them, unfortunately, at the factory, put on the wrong head gasket," Patterson revealed.
Like all good things, the 2016 to 2017 Ford Focus RS had a 'BUT.' There were confirmed reports of head gasket failure, leading to a recall. Head gasket issues are like a bad dream for any car enthusiast, Subaru aficionados included. The problem is often characterized by low coolant levels in the engine, white smoke from the exhaust, and ultimately – an engine failure if ignored.
In 2015, the Ford Focus RS was the most potent version of the hatchback offered by the Blue Oval label. Under the hood, it packs a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine capable of 350 hp (355 ps) and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) of torque.
The Ford Focus RS came with a 6-speed manual transmission on an all-wheel-drive layout to harness all that power.
While the power it produced was quite attractive, the driving modes it had made the difference. The MK3 Focus RS came with three drive modes; Normal, Sport, Track, and Drift.
Patterson's feature car wasn't stock. According to the owner, it made 410 whp (513 hp/519 ps) thanks to a few mods.
It's running a rear-mount Precision (64-millimeter) turbo, Subaru GReddy blow-off valve (customized for Ford Focus RS 1 of 1), Frequency Intelligent exhaust (to harmonize tail-end acoustics), and a Turbosmart wastegate.
"That peak power smacks you in the face, man. The pops on this are not overly obnoxious. It's like a nice 'bubba' after every shift." Patterson said. "I really wanted the Focus RS to feel like this," he added.
Are you itching to find out how hard this big turbo Focus RS rips? Personally, I love the sound of the MK2 RS better. Let us know what you think about the roar of the 2.3 EcoBoost engine in the comment section below.
Spoiler alert: Patterson shreds some rubber doing donuts on Drift Mode.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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