After the merger of Ford's performance divisions SVT, TeamRS and FPV divisions to cover global development, the third version of the Focus RS hot hatch was introduced on February 3, 2015 in Cologne, Germany after a statement from Advanced Product Creation and Performance Vehicles director Hermann Salenbauch that an RS would be available in North America based on consumer demand. It is powered by the same turbocharged 4-cylinder EcoBoost found in the Mustang, but tuned to 350 horsepower, producing 350 lb-ft of torque. The then-new Torque-Vectoring All-Wheel-Drive system, also having a GKN-developed rear-drive unit, channels the power to all four wheels. This Focus RS is the first car to come with a factory "Drift Mode" that controls oversteer drift, and also has a launch control system. The rally-ready hatchback can accelerate to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.7 seconds (0-60 mph: 4.4 seconds) with a factory-claimed top speed of 165 miles per hour. Andreas Bakkerud and Ken Block also used two units for the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship.
However, this is the only RS that has arrived on North American Shores; with ex-furniture company CEO James Hackett's call to eliminate all cars (except SUVs, trucks and the Mustang) from the North American market as soon as he took the helm, along with tariff concerns from importing the Focus Cross, it is safe to assume that the next RS will be "forbidden fruit" to Americans once again.
Image date: May 2018
Ford Focus RS (3rd-gen)
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