When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The Loft / EvoM Car Talk CornerThe landing pad for automotive discussions, news, articles, and opinions. A place for the community to kick back and chat.
really? you have numbers to back that up? cause I really doubt that...
Just google it.
"In the fall of 1989, the car was introduced to the public, which started snapping up the snappy roadster. By the summer of last year, it had sold nearly 1 million copies, a world record for a car of its type." http://blog.chron.com/carsandtrucks/...mps-practical/
"In the fall of 1989, the car was introduced to the public, which started snapping up the snappy roadster. By the summer of last year, it had sold nearly 1 million copies, a world record for a car of its type." http://blog.chron.com/carsandtrucks/...mps-practical/
all I see is the miata sales numbers... while good for a roadster, I really doubt it outsold all hot hatches combined... or even came close to it. unless you have a very specific for hot hatch that excludes most of them?
A full technical low-down and pricing, plus, GKN explains how complex Twinster torque vectoring enables 'Drift Mode'
Hot hatches don’t come more eagerly anticipated than a new Ford RS model and the new Focus RS is no exception. The third generation Focus RS has four-wheel drive, five doors, the engine from the latest Mustang (no, not the V8) and the optional fitment of track-biased rubber. It's priced so competitively that it significantly undercuts the likes of Audi's RS3 (more on that later).
We cover all of the details on the following pages, including how that 'Drift Button' works...
Engine
The engine is essentially the 2.3-litre, four-cylinder EcoBoost unit available in the Mustang, however, in order to withstand higher temperatures, the alloy for the cylinder-head has been upgraded, as has the head gasket. Additionally, the engine block itself has stronger high-tensile cast iron liners.
The turbo has also been switched for a new, low-inertia twin-scroll item, while a bigger intercooler sits prominently behind the ultra-fine mesh of the lower front-grille. Auto stop/start will feature, helping CO2 output to decrease by around 20 percent compared to the previous Focus RS.Ugh don't like this feature
Performance
The 2.3-litre engine produces 345bhp at 6800rpm and 324lb ft between 2000 and 4500rpm. Though this is 45bhp more than the previous generation car's output (torque is identical), it only manages to match the Mk2's run-out model, the RS500 Focus (it actually falls short of torque by 15lb ft).
The new RS can, however, provide 15 second bursts of extra torque during hard acceleration, upping the number to 347lb ft.
Gearbox
The Focus RS comes exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox, which flaunts a shorter lever than that of the ST. Ford manual gearboxes are often slick and effective - our long-termer Fiesta ST was a great example of this, as was the dinky Red Edition. We expect the RS's tougher, torque-hardened 'box to flaunt similar talents.
Ford's decision to stick with a manual 'box suggests the RS has been developed with driving pleasure in mind. This bodes very well for the rest of the car...
Chassis
Two eye-catching features set to be included on the new RS are a 'drift button' and launch control. The latter is nothing new, but confirms the fast Focus will posses massive bite off of the line. The former isn't something we've seen before however - we expand on it over the page.
The springs, bushes and anti-roll bars are all stiffer than the Focus ST and there will be two-mode switchable dampers, which will switch between road and track-biased settings. Ford is renowned for its steering (even its current electric systems are remarkably responsive) and the RS will get specially tuned electric power assistance, as well as more rigid front suspension knuckles and shorter link arms to further sharpen responses.
Perhaps the biggest statement of intent from Ford Performance is that the RS's optional 19inch wheels can be specced with Michelin’s track-focused Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. For buyers wanting a less extreme setup, the car wears Michelin Pilot Super Sports as standard.
Drift Mode
The Focus RS’s ‘Drift Mode’ is only possible thanks to a system developed by GKN engineering. The firm’s Twinster twin-clutch four-wheel-drive system has already featured on production models like the Range Rover Evoque, but for the Ford, it has been extensively modified.
The system consists of two electronically controlled clutch packs either side of a ‘Rear Drive Unit’ (hence the twin in the name). The first clutch pack looks after the torque distribution between front and rear axles. Up to 70 per cent of the torque can be administered to the rear and up to 100 per cent of that drive can then be directed to either rear wheel by the second clutch pack.
‘There’s no differential, it’s replaced by the twin clutches, that’s why we call it Twinster’, explains Ray Kuczera, GKN’s vice president of global product technology. ‘But the unique thing that Ford wanted us to do for their system was introduce torque vectoring.’
Torque vectoring is nothing new – it’s when specific amounts of torque are sent to specific wheels – but in the Ford, the priority was to over-speed certain wheels to create a slide.
‘[In the Ford] if you’re going into a turn and you really want to have the vehicle’s rear end sliding into oversteer, what the system does is to send more torque and speed to the outside rear wheel to get that effect,’ explains Kuczera. ‘And that’s before you press the drift button.’
Kuczera says that pressing the button results in the system sending even more torque to the rear, and in particular, the outside rear. So the Ford will slide in normal mode, but drift mode seriously widens the yaw angles. ‘And the vehicle has many sensors – it detects what your intent is based on steering wheel angle and how hard you push the throttle – and then it’s going to sense what the vehicle is doing – using yaw sensors and measuring wheel speed etc – and from that applies the best amount of torque to create the drift.’
The system is almost fool proof too, because it works with the ESC and ABS to ensure the driver remains in control. ‘It allows you to do much more extreme manoeuvres than a standard car, but it’s not going to let you go crazy – you are still not Ken Block!’
Block featured in a Ford promo video that came out earlier this year. While few of us will posses the skills he has, Kuczera says that the video perfectly demonstrates how far the system lets you slide before intervening. ‘It’s much more like a rear-wheel-drive car, especially when you’ve got drift mode engaged,’ confirms Kuczera.
So far from being a silly gimmick, the Focus RS's drift mode is actually part of a very complex system. And who knows, it really could be a defining feature that helps make the RS a fun, yet approachable car.
i wonder how the drift mode actually will translate for an average driver who only occasionally will turn it on.
Dont get me wrong i am not criticizing anyone, but i find the full on S-AWC system in the evo actually makes me nervous. There for, when i drive spirited mode , i completely turning it off.
Drifting mode is all and all its great idea etc, but the car ultimately still doesnt see the road.
So when you need more over steer to actually make that turn ( inexperienced driver can get the car into a wrong entry angle or speed etc, even experienced driver does that) so you need more rotation or throttle or even both but maybe the car will not let you do that, for a fool proof reasons.
There for your turn can be ending up wider to keep the same "safe" attitude of the car in turn.
Something similar happened with my rally friend when he drove the X first time in 2008 with the full S-AWC on. The car cut the throttle and it put him in a wrong and wide radius. HE told me it was scary and he was a dead brick. I was a bit skeptical about it , i will not lie.
Years later i did run into a same situations, i almost over shoot - look down , geezz forget to disable the S-AWC... and i am a believer now.
This is how he ended up back then:
so anyway, i just dont know how the car will know what is your safe angle in drift mode so as your proper throttle input same time etc. Maybe you need full throttle just to make it. Because in drifting mode your steering wheel sensor rarely points at the exit at the turn I dont know...
Well we will see what happens in that drift mode soon.
I am really looking forward to it, i might even get some experience with one soon if things going through
Last edited by Robevo RS; Sep 17, 2015 at 06:08 PM.
i'd imagine if someone needed a car that could drive like that (complete control of oversteer,etc), the RS wouldn't be for them. we'd either have to drive it within it's limits or find something that works the way we want. it sounds like it lets the driver have just enough fun without getting crazy.
personally, nannies make me nervous. they always seem to cut in at the wrong time, turning a predictable moment into something you have no control over. no thanks.
oh, except the GTR. it seems to be able to keep almost anyone in line LOL
If this car ends up weighing more than my evo, I'll flip the table lol
Clearly Ford is going to make the frame out of lead...
I wanted to remind you that the evo 8/9 chassis has terrible crash ratings in today's world. The side impact for that day was even poor, and today a narrow offset would probably kill anyone on that side of the vehicle.
Unfortunately the RS is built in today's world and will have to play by the safety regulations... it will be heavy without light weight materials.
Originally Posted by razorlab
I'm confused with all this weight talk on a Evo forum about how it's a boat anchor.
The Evo 10 is much heavier.
A good amount of modern four door cars are heavier than the CT9A Evo chassis introduced 14 years ago in 2001.
If you are looking for a modern day four door AWD hatchback that isn't super heavy, go buy a Golf R.
