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First 2016 Ford Focus RS Engine Tuning: 375 HP by Shiftech

Many people wonder why a top-of-the-hot-hatch-chain car like the 2016 Ford Focus RS needs extra power when the Blue Oval has already managed to shove 350 ponies under the hood.
Shiftech 2016 Focus RS 3 photos
Photo: Youtube screenshot
Shiftech 2016 Focus RS dyno graphShiftech 2016 Focus RS
We usually like to answer that with a question: "When was the last time you had two glasses of wine instead of one and then said "no" to the third?"

Since the Mk III Focus RS is also offered on American land, tuners from across the world are currently in a race for working on the manic hatchback. And it seems French specialist Shiftech has fired the first shots.

Thanks to the aftermarket developer's ECU remap, the Focus RS now delivers 375 hp, while torque has jumped 80 Nm (59 lb-ft) to 520 Nm (383 lb-ft).

OK, but what about the rest of the rev range?

When it comes to real world power delivery, which is important in any performance car, but even more so in a hot hatch that often sees its driver pushing things to the limit, top-end figures such as the ones mentioned above only tell a part of the story.

This is why we've added the dyno chart of the boosted RS below. As for the kind of spectacle such a five-door can deliver, Shiftech was kind enough to provide a clip that takes us from a dyno run to vicious street acceleration moments. For one thing, the new engine mapping seems to have made the exhaust even more pop-friendly.

However, when it comes to Ford Focus RS tuning packages, the best is yet to come. For one thing, we're expecting a seriously heftier upgrade from British specialist Mountune, which now also operates in the US.

And since the 2.3-liter EcoBoost way has already been paved by the turbo four incarnation of the S550 Mustang, we're looking forward to an effervescent war.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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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.
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