Ahead of its run up the hill at Goodwood, Ford has officially released a power figure for the 2017 Focus RS. It will make 350 PS, or approximately 345 hp. No other updates to previously released information have been made at this time. The original article continues below. - Ed.
After all the hype, speculation, and rumors, we've finally got the dirt on the 2017 Ford Focus RS: It's all-wheel-drive, it makes "well in excess of 315 horsepower," and it's finally coming to the North American marke
Unveiled today, the newest, hottest hatch in the Ford lineup is a technological juggernaut. Powered by the same 2.3-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine you can get in the 2015 Mustang, Ford tells us the fire-breathing five-door will make north of 315 horses.
For the record, that mill puts out 310 horses in the 'Stang. But Ford made significant upgrades for hot hatch duty, with a bigger turbo compressor, better airflow, a "much bigger" intercooler, and improved breathing through intake and exhaust. Notably, the EcoBoost engine features auto stop-start, a nod to ever-tightening fuel efficiency demands. But with direct injection, variable cam timing, and a 6,800 rpm redline, it's definitely been built for performance.
The exhaust features an active valve to "optimize the balance of back pressure and noise output." Expect hoons to wire that baby open to its loudest setting post-haste.
All that turboey power goes through an honest-to-goodness six-speed stick with a short-throw lever and upgraded clutch, and on to a seriously wild all-wheel drivetrain. Named Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring, the system features twin electronically controlled clutch packs on either side of the rear differential. Up to 70 percent of engine torque can be sent to the rear axle, with these twin clutch packs sending some or all of that power to each rear wheel.
The result: A torque-vectoring rear end that monitors sensor inputs 100 times a second to coax the car around bends. "During cornering, the rear drive unit pre-emptively diverts torque to the outer rear wheel immediately based on inputs such as steering wheel angle, lateral acceleration, yaw and speed," Ford says. "This torque transfer has the effect of 'driving' the car into the bend, achieving improved turn-in and stability, and virtually eliminating understeer."
The whole setup is good for more than 1 g of cornering grip, Ford says. It's also capable of flinging the Focus RS into lurid tail-out oversteer—"at the track," Ford insists.
Chassis improvements over the basic Focus include an advanced Electronic Stability Control with brake-based torque vectoring that, yes, works in concert with the drivetrain's torque vectoring. Lots of vectoring going on here. Springs, bushings, and sway bars are all stiffer than the Focus ST, and the RS features two-mode switchable dampers with street and track settings. The RS has electric-assist power steering, but a more rigid front suspension knuckle design and shorter link arms promise "outstanding feel," Ford assures us.
All that power and handling gets to the ground through 235/35 R19 tires: Pilot Super Sports are standard, while ultra-sticky Pilot Sport Cup 2 track-focused tires are an option. And that serious body kit does downforce duty—Ford claims the front splitter, rear spoiler and underbody aero bobbles give the RS zero lift front and rear, while that big-mouthed front fascia creates room for a significantly larger radiator.
Inside, you'll find bolstered part-leather Recaro seats and Ford's newly-simplified SYNC nav and infotainment center, along with a flat-bottom leather-wrapped steering wheel, alloy pedals, and turbo, oil temp, and oil pressure gauges atop the center console.
We're told the Focus RS will hit the market "sometime in 2016." We can't wait.
Source: www.roadandtrack.com
