Focus RS
I am so very sorry im on my 5th evo and never paid 50K im just not baller enough to buy one new.
Just not at that level lol.
That was my point.
One of the local Ford dealers has priced their GT350 (not R models) allotment in the $85-115k range. I can't wait to see what they want for the FoRS. 
http://kengrodyfordbuenapark.com/Los...by+GT350%C2%AE
http://kengrodyfordbuenapark.com/Los...by+GT350%C2%AE
i'd love to see one in person. awesome!
One of the local Ford dealers has priced their GT350 (not R models) allotment in the $85-115k range. I can't wait to see what they want for the FoRS.
http://kengrodyfordbuenapark.com/Los...by+GT350%C2%AE
http://kengrodyfordbuenapark.com/Los...by+GT350%C2%AE
i do have a legit question... is this a similar awd system to the volvo s60r haldex? it seems to have the same principle operation and response to power and additional power. interesting it has a similar issue with condensation on its single core upgraded intercoolers (just too efficient i guess)
http://www.focusrsoc.com/forums/topi...2016-focus-rs/
"First Impressions
Let?s deal with the elephant in the room, it?s a five door. However, it is a handsome looking car, conservative yes, but it has a presence. Even in the more subtle colours it is distinctive enough to separate itself from lesser Focus models. Ford state that everything you see on the car is there for a reason - for example the new front end aids cooling to both engine and brakes and the rear spoiler is designed to ensure zero lift at high speed. So no theatrical arches or bonnet vents here. The RS is now a car your mother-in-law won?t turn her nose up at, and she will appreciate those rear doors when she climbs in. I think aftermarket styling companies will have an interest here to cater for those that like to stand out a bit more.
Interior.
If you drive a Mk2 Focus, you will instantly notice a step up in trim quality and equipment. If you drive a Mk3 ST you will probably not notice anything, there is very little inside that distinguishes the RS from the ST aside from small trim touches. I have read many reviews where the authors have shown disappointment that the RS is not more special inside, but I think they fail to remember that no previous RS models have had completely different interiors. It?s got an RS badge on it not a Vignale one. Some interior plastics are still hard to the touch, but it is very well screwed together ? the Mk3 Focus is not known for problems with rattling dashboards unlike some of it?s more premium rivals (A Class for example).
The standard seats are lifted straight from the ST as is the somewhat elevated driving position, but importantly unlike the Mk2 it is no higher. Those standard chairs are comfortable and supportive even for more portly framed bodies. Getting in to an ideal driving position is very easy, the pedals are excellently spaced and the steering wheel fully adjustable. Rear seats offer good leg and headroom for your additional passengers.
Driving ? City ? Normal Mode
As easy to drive as any Focus. Steering is light, as it the clutch. Exhaust is almost silent. Your wife will not understand what the fuss is about as she pootles to the shops and back. Apart from the looks the car gets that is, it is still a car that attracts stares from the knowledgeable and the curious.
Driving ? Motorway ? Normal Mode
You can cruise in comfort for miles in the RS. In normal mode the steering feels very much like the ST, but importantly does not share the variable ratio rack. The RS has a quick (two turns lock to lock) fixed ratio unit. The exhaust is audible (just) but has no drone and no pops and bangs are present either up or down the gearbox. All very civilised for those journey where you just need to get somewhere without any drama.
Driving ? Motorway ? Sport Mode
The heavier steering is almost undetectable. The quicker throttle response is welcome though. The exhaust has also now woken up, and it will pop and bang on up shifts and when lifting off the throttle.
My ideal setting for motorway ? Sport Mode (I miss the exhaust when in normal)
Driving ? Mountain Roads ? Normal Mode
The stiffened body shell means that even in normal mode the Focus RS is no ?boat? around the twisties, however you do yearn for that sharper steering and throttle response so quickly on to??
Driving - Mountain Roads ? Sport Mode
OMG the car has come alive!
The AWD is starting to do its thing, the exhaust is barking at you and the engine is revving to its redline madly.
The first thing I notice is the ride. The Mk2 RS was a hard riding car and could be quite crashy on some surfaces. The ride on the Mk3 is sublime, Ford have nailed it. If you are worried that the transition from ST to RS will result in a more uncomfortable experience then let me assure you 100% that it will not. As progress quickens the next thing that strikes me is the power of the brakes, again perfect. To any brake suppliers out there I am sorry but there is nothing to see here for you, move on.
The exhaust is now singing, banging on the up shift and popping wildly when you lift off the throttle. It?s no Mk2 with decat and Section 59, but your neighbours will probably thank you for that. It is a completely different tone, tenor v baritone, but pleasant to the ear nonetheless.The AWD system gives you incredible confidence, on my test the roads were damp, but I just ploughed through corners faster and faster. I?ll try to describe how it feels. In the Mk2 RS when cornering hard you feel the inside front wheel pulling you through the corner. In the Mk3 you feel the outside rear wheel pushing you through the corner leaving the steering free from additional loading. Then as you accelerate out of the corner you have huge levels of traction and (obviously) no torque steer.
In Sport mode the ESC allows a degree of forced sideways action and the damp surface allowed me to enjoy this during a four mile stretch of 2nd gear switch backs. It is totally controllable, just add a good dose of extra throttle just before you hit the apex and just steer in to it slightly. No sawing at the wheel and you never feel the need to lift off the power. It is great fun and your unsuspecting passengers will believe it is all down to your driving talent.
On a dry public road you would need to be pulling some rather crazy shapes for the RS to run out of grip, I couldn?t get close to managing it on the return journey when the roads had dried. On of my fellow drivers came close but he did take a corner about 40kph faster than was sensible, causing us all a split second of panic before the car corrected his error and ploughed merrily on.
A to B on British roads the RS will take some beating, and I don?t mean just by similarly priced cars, I mean by anything regardless of its price or badge. I have never driven anything I would consider faster in this respect.
Driving ? Mountain Roads ? Track Mode
As I stated earlier, Ford have nailed the ride on normal roads so why ruin it by switching to Track Mode and making it 40% stiffer? It is not what it is designed for and there really are no benefits on the open road. Leave it in Sport.
My ideal setting for B roads ? Sport Mode
Driving ? Track ? Track Mode
Our track for the day was the Circuit de Valencia, predominately used as a motorcycle venue. The entire circuit (straight excluded) could probably be driven in 3rd gear so it is twisty, but super smooth.
The track spec cars were fitted with the lightweight forged alloys and Michelin Cup tyres as well as the optional Recaro CS seats and it was obvious after a couple of corners with the suspension now that aforementioned 40% stiffer that the grip levels had been turned up to eleven. No matter how fast or how hard you corner, once those Cups are toasty the RS is pretty much glued to the track. Ford state the car will pull >1g and I believe them. In fact I would go so far as to say the CS seats may not be up to the job for those that attend track days regularly. Harnesses will probably be in order.
Power delivery is very linear, ?off boost? gaps in the rev band are non existent and the brakes again prove to be more than up to the job. We questioned the complete absence of brake fade and we were assured both the brake itself and the pads fitted to them were completely standard on the test cars.
You probably feel the AWD less on the track than you do on the road, it just works it?s magic in the background, turning the RS into a proper point and squirt machine. All previous fast Focus?s have required a degree of throttle modulation on track, but with this one you can really use the right pedal in a binary fashion.
For an out-and-out track car the RS is on the heavy side, but for the odd day once a year it really is good fun. I suspect tyre wear will be high though.
My ideal setting for Track days ? Track Mode (does exactly what is says on the tin)
Launch Control
It is a little fiddly to select Launch Control. You have to scroll through the stalk menu and select Driver Assist and then Launch Mode before you can enable it. This is not ideal for the traffic light grand prix (if that is your kind of thing) and a simple button would have been better.
Once enabled you hold your left foot on the clutch and bury the throttle to the floor with your right. The car holds the revs on a limiter at 5000rpm resulting in the exhaust popping like mad, a bit similar to anti-lag. Then side step the clutch as quickly as you can and off it goes. I say ?side step? as to execute the perfect launch the clutch needs to be dumped rather than released and I found holding it with your big toe only rather than you whole foot the best way to do this.
The result is a neck snapping launch and 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, easily repeated time after time with the knowledge that there is no counter for launches and no warranty worries.
Drift Mode
Firstly, let us be completely honest, it is a gimmick, but a hoot nonetheless.
Our test arena was (somewhat mischievously) two circles of cones set up to mark out an imaginary roundabout. Selecting Drift Mode returns the car to normal suspension, the lightest steering setting but retains the sport settings exhaust volume.
We entered the ?roundabout? at 10mph, turned in slightly to let the car know the direction of travel and then floored the throttle.
I will be the first to admit my drifting skills are non existent, but the RS drift mode makes it probably 10 times easier than in any other car. Anyone should be able to do it after about 10 minutes practice. The same steering and throttle inputs apply as to any car, but as the RS wants to drift your inputs are less pronounced and less necessary. Your tyres are not spared though as the three Michelin lorries on site demonstrated.
Summary
I loved my time with the Focus RS. Ford set out to produce a car that was immensely capable but not at the expense of driver fun. They have succeeded spectacularly. Leave your doubts about the four doors, the ride, the missing cylinder or whatever preconceptions you have and just buy one before they have gone. I promise you will not be disappointed. "
"First Impressions
Let?s deal with the elephant in the room, it?s a five door. However, it is a handsome looking car, conservative yes, but it has a presence. Even in the more subtle colours it is distinctive enough to separate itself from lesser Focus models. Ford state that everything you see on the car is there for a reason - for example the new front end aids cooling to both engine and brakes and the rear spoiler is designed to ensure zero lift at high speed. So no theatrical arches or bonnet vents here. The RS is now a car your mother-in-law won?t turn her nose up at, and she will appreciate those rear doors when she climbs in. I think aftermarket styling companies will have an interest here to cater for those that like to stand out a bit more.
Interior.
If you drive a Mk2 Focus, you will instantly notice a step up in trim quality and equipment. If you drive a Mk3 ST you will probably not notice anything, there is very little inside that distinguishes the RS from the ST aside from small trim touches. I have read many reviews where the authors have shown disappointment that the RS is not more special inside, but I think they fail to remember that no previous RS models have had completely different interiors. It?s got an RS badge on it not a Vignale one. Some interior plastics are still hard to the touch, but it is very well screwed together ? the Mk3 Focus is not known for problems with rattling dashboards unlike some of it?s more premium rivals (A Class for example).
The standard seats are lifted straight from the ST as is the somewhat elevated driving position, but importantly unlike the Mk2 it is no higher. Those standard chairs are comfortable and supportive even for more portly framed bodies. Getting in to an ideal driving position is very easy, the pedals are excellently spaced and the steering wheel fully adjustable. Rear seats offer good leg and headroom for your additional passengers.
Driving ? City ? Normal Mode
As easy to drive as any Focus. Steering is light, as it the clutch. Exhaust is almost silent. Your wife will not understand what the fuss is about as she pootles to the shops and back. Apart from the looks the car gets that is, it is still a car that attracts stares from the knowledgeable and the curious.
Driving ? Motorway ? Normal Mode
You can cruise in comfort for miles in the RS. In normal mode the steering feels very much like the ST, but importantly does not share the variable ratio rack. The RS has a quick (two turns lock to lock) fixed ratio unit. The exhaust is audible (just) but has no drone and no pops and bangs are present either up or down the gearbox. All very civilised for those journey where you just need to get somewhere without any drama.
Driving ? Motorway ? Sport Mode
The heavier steering is almost undetectable. The quicker throttle response is welcome though. The exhaust has also now woken up, and it will pop and bang on up shifts and when lifting off the throttle.
My ideal setting for motorway ? Sport Mode (I miss the exhaust when in normal)
Driving ? Mountain Roads ? Normal Mode
The stiffened body shell means that even in normal mode the Focus RS is no ?boat? around the twisties, however you do yearn for that sharper steering and throttle response so quickly on to??
Driving - Mountain Roads ? Sport Mode
OMG the car has come alive!
The AWD is starting to do its thing, the exhaust is barking at you and the engine is revving to its redline madly.
The first thing I notice is the ride. The Mk2 RS was a hard riding car and could be quite crashy on some surfaces. The ride on the Mk3 is sublime, Ford have nailed it. If you are worried that the transition from ST to RS will result in a more uncomfortable experience then let me assure you 100% that it will not. As progress quickens the next thing that strikes me is the power of the brakes, again perfect. To any brake suppliers out there I am sorry but there is nothing to see here for you, move on.
The exhaust is now singing, banging on the up shift and popping wildly when you lift off the throttle. It?s no Mk2 with decat and Section 59, but your neighbours will probably thank you for that. It is a completely different tone, tenor v baritone, but pleasant to the ear nonetheless.The AWD system gives you incredible confidence, on my test the roads were damp, but I just ploughed through corners faster and faster. I?ll try to describe how it feels. In the Mk2 RS when cornering hard you feel the inside front wheel pulling you through the corner. In the Mk3 you feel the outside rear wheel pushing you through the corner leaving the steering free from additional loading. Then as you accelerate out of the corner you have huge levels of traction and (obviously) no torque steer.
In Sport mode the ESC allows a degree of forced sideways action and the damp surface allowed me to enjoy this during a four mile stretch of 2nd gear switch backs. It is totally controllable, just add a good dose of extra throttle just before you hit the apex and just steer in to it slightly. No sawing at the wheel and you never feel the need to lift off the power. It is great fun and your unsuspecting passengers will believe it is all down to your driving talent.
On a dry public road you would need to be pulling some rather crazy shapes for the RS to run out of grip, I couldn?t get close to managing it on the return journey when the roads had dried. On of my fellow drivers came close but he did take a corner about 40kph faster than was sensible, causing us all a split second of panic before the car corrected his error and ploughed merrily on.
A to B on British roads the RS will take some beating, and I don?t mean just by similarly priced cars, I mean by anything regardless of its price or badge. I have never driven anything I would consider faster in this respect.
Driving ? Mountain Roads ? Track Mode
As I stated earlier, Ford have nailed the ride on normal roads so why ruin it by switching to Track Mode and making it 40% stiffer? It is not what it is designed for and there really are no benefits on the open road. Leave it in Sport.
My ideal setting for B roads ? Sport Mode
Driving ? Track ? Track Mode
Our track for the day was the Circuit de Valencia, predominately used as a motorcycle venue. The entire circuit (straight excluded) could probably be driven in 3rd gear so it is twisty, but super smooth.
The track spec cars were fitted with the lightweight forged alloys and Michelin Cup tyres as well as the optional Recaro CS seats and it was obvious after a couple of corners with the suspension now that aforementioned 40% stiffer that the grip levels had been turned up to eleven. No matter how fast or how hard you corner, once those Cups are toasty the RS is pretty much glued to the track. Ford state the car will pull >1g and I believe them. In fact I would go so far as to say the CS seats may not be up to the job for those that attend track days regularly. Harnesses will probably be in order.
Power delivery is very linear, ?off boost? gaps in the rev band are non existent and the brakes again prove to be more than up to the job. We questioned the complete absence of brake fade and we were assured both the brake itself and the pads fitted to them were completely standard on the test cars.
You probably feel the AWD less on the track than you do on the road, it just works it?s magic in the background, turning the RS into a proper point and squirt machine. All previous fast Focus?s have required a degree of throttle modulation on track, but with this one you can really use the right pedal in a binary fashion.
For an out-and-out track car the RS is on the heavy side, but for the odd day once a year it really is good fun. I suspect tyre wear will be high though.
My ideal setting for Track days ? Track Mode (does exactly what is says on the tin)
Launch Control
It is a little fiddly to select Launch Control. You have to scroll through the stalk menu and select Driver Assist and then Launch Mode before you can enable it. This is not ideal for the traffic light grand prix (if that is your kind of thing) and a simple button would have been better.
Once enabled you hold your left foot on the clutch and bury the throttle to the floor with your right. The car holds the revs on a limiter at 5000rpm resulting in the exhaust popping like mad, a bit similar to anti-lag. Then side step the clutch as quickly as you can and off it goes. I say ?side step? as to execute the perfect launch the clutch needs to be dumped rather than released and I found holding it with your big toe only rather than you whole foot the best way to do this.
The result is a neck snapping launch and 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, easily repeated time after time with the knowledge that there is no counter for launches and no warranty worries.
Drift Mode
Firstly, let us be completely honest, it is a gimmick, but a hoot nonetheless.
Our test arena was (somewhat mischievously) two circles of cones set up to mark out an imaginary roundabout. Selecting Drift Mode returns the car to normal suspension, the lightest steering setting but retains the sport settings exhaust volume.
We entered the ?roundabout? at 10mph, turned in slightly to let the car know the direction of travel and then floored the throttle.
I will be the first to admit my drifting skills are non existent, but the RS drift mode makes it probably 10 times easier than in any other car. Anyone should be able to do it after about 10 minutes practice. The same steering and throttle inputs apply as to any car, but as the RS wants to drift your inputs are less pronounced and less necessary. Your tyres are not spared though as the three Michelin lorries on site demonstrated.
Summary
I loved my time with the Focus RS. Ford set out to produce a car that was immensely capable but not at the expense of driver fun. They have succeeded spectacularly. Leave your doubts about the four doors, the ride, the missing cylinder or whatever preconceptions you have and just buy one before they have gone. I promise you will not be disappointed. "
Last edited by Robevo RS; Feb 5, 2016 at 05:46 PM.
Evolved Member
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,066
Likes: 29
From: Tri-State NY/NJ/CT
"Ford state that everything you see on the car is there for a reason - for example the new front end aids cooling to both engine and brakes and the rear spoiler is designed to ensure zero lift at high speed. "
Don't forget the intercooler blocking plate/band-aid!
Don't forget the intercooler blocking plate/band-aid!
