Photo: Kahn Design
A powerful engine is what it is – almost any company can make one – but every time I talk about one of Ford's I get really excited. That's especially true when the letters "RS" are involved, since the big wing and green paint of the old Focus RS give me a petrolicious mood. And it seems Ford is thinking about shrinking that formula even further, which is great news.
The Fiesta RS has been rumored for many years. Much to the delight of hot hatch enthusiasts, it's back on the agenda, as British media is reporting a hotter model than the current Fiesta ST is on the way and could adopt the RS badge.
It's widely believed the Fiesta ST is a performance bargain. However, it's also the least powerful car in its class with a little over 180 hp coming out of its 1.6-liter turbo engine. By comparison, both the Peugeot 208 GTi and the Renault Clio RS deliver over 200.
Ford Performance Manager Tyrone Johnson told Autocar magazine that the power deficit will be addressed by a new variant of the popular supermini. However, he would not confirm nor deny that it's an RS model. According to him, that would require building a car that's significantly more powerful and faster than the ST version.
The official did, however, say that a Fiesta RS can be made from the current underpinnings and “if there’s a business case and if it’s technically feasible" they will move forward.
Of course, our only problem is that the current Fiesta model is an old car, launched way back in 2008. In addition, strong opposition can be expected from the latest hyper-hatches, the 231 hp MINI JCW and Audi S1, both of which use large 2-liter turbo engines.
It's widely believed the Fiesta ST is a performance bargain. However, it's also the least powerful car in its class with a little over 180 hp coming out of its 1.6-liter turbo engine. By comparison, both the Peugeot 208 GTi and the Renault Clio RS deliver over 200.
Ford Performance Manager Tyrone Johnson told Autocar magazine that the power deficit will be addressed by a new variant of the popular supermini. However, he would not confirm nor deny that it's an RS model. According to him, that would require building a car that's significantly more powerful and faster than the ST version.
The official did, however, say that a Fiesta RS can be made from the current underpinnings and “if there’s a business case and if it’s technically feasible" they will move forward.
Of course, our only problem is that the current Fiesta model is an old car, launched way back in 2008. In addition, strong opposition can be expected from the latest hyper-hatches, the 231 hp MINI JCW and Audi S1, both of which use large 2-liter turbo engines.
Google News