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The First 2016 Ford Focus RS Has Rolled Off the Line in Germany

Those who followed the news about the new Focus RS closely are probably happier than ever today because Ford’s first 350 horsepower hot hatch has just rolled off the line in Saarlouis, Germany.
Ford Focus RS 11 photos
Photo: Ford
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In the United States, the RS will be available for purchase this spring, adding a little spice to the current hot hatch lineup that includes the Focus ST and Fiesta ST. These two models are very successful in the States, as the Focus ST sales increased 9 percent last year while Fiesta ST saw a gain of 4 percent.

There are more goodies coming for the Americans, as the Ford Performance US lineup is set to grow by three models this year. The F-150 Raptor will arrive this fall, and the new Ford GT goes into production late this year. The lineup already includes the Shelby GT350 and GT350R.

The new Focus RS was developed by a team of Ford Performance engineers in Europe and the U.S., and it’s powered by an improved 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, pushing the 350 horsepower and 342 lb-ft (470 Nm) of torque to all four wheels.

The car is capable of sprinting from a standstill to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.7 seconds, making it the fastest-accelerating Ford RS model ever. Also for the first time, the car gets selectable drive modes, including a drift mode, which is not just a marketing strategy as it really works, and launch control.

The new hot hatch is just the first of 12 performance vehicles Ford will bring to customers through 2020, so you have all the reasons to keep an eye on the American carmaker.

An interesting fact is that, in October last year, over 1,500 Brits already ordered the new Focus RS. The funny thing is, a third of these orders were pre-orders, as they were placed even before the final price and specs of the car were officially announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015.
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