Please let it be AWD and available as a 2 door hatchback.

 

I'm not sure ring testing would clearly show if it was AWD or not... wrong kind of track for the most part.

 

Taking over where the EVO left off???

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars...-insider-info/

Appears AWD could be correct from this vid

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...off-awd-chops/

 

I used to have a Focus SVT and we used to scream for Ford to bring the RS over from England on the forums. That was also the heyday of the Evos and Subies so you could be right, maybe Ford feels it's time to sweep up some would-have-been Evo buyers since it's going out of production.

 

I sincerely hope AWD as this will be my new DD if so.

 

I grabbed some screen shots of the Focus RS pulling up the driveway to the Ring and tried to enhance them to look for a rear diff or drive shaft, but the images didn't have enough detail.

 

that would be fine with me. once my evo is paid off....?

 

that video doesnt confirm anything but that it handles well. FWD cars generally understeer. the focus FWD oversteers like crazy. wouldnt be hard to find the middle ground.

 

Agreed. I will honestly be surprised if it is AWD as all the previous RS's have been FWD.

My Fiesta ST, while it doesn't "oversteer like crazy", it rotates well and doesn't push much at all. I've been impressed with it.

However, if the Focus RS does come AWD I would not be surprised if it uses the Haldex AWD system like the Golf R/Audi S3 has as Ford uses Haldex in some of their other AWD cars.

If it is haldex, it will be almost impossible to see the rear diff/haldex unit and drive shaft from a photo unless you are under the car. It's way up in there.

 

If the video is in HD, you can perhaps tell by looking at the wheel to see if all wheels are rotating together uniformally or just the fronts. If you ever stare at a moving wheel- their is a behaviour that it displays-somewhat of a illusion. You can slightly distinguish movement/acceleration when accelerating. FWD cars front wheels will spin faster, all wheel drive cars wheels will spin uniformally.

 

Unless they have diffs that allow the wheels to turn at different rates.

 

350 HP + AWD likely pushes this to be a near $40k car...

 

A45 amg for me at that price.

 

They are way more than $40K and doubt there will be anything like the market support there would be for a Focus RS AWD.

 

$37-40k seems about right. Its main competitors will be the Golf R and STI.

Will also be interesting to see what Ford Racing offers in the way of performance upgrades that do not void the warranty. http://www.fordracingparts.com/warra...ement_2014.pdf