- Third-generation Ford Focus RS will be available in major markets
around the world and for the first time in the United States; Focus RS
follows the reveal last month of the new Ford GT supercar – a new era of
Ford performance that will deliver 12 new vehicles by 2020
- All-new Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring Control paired with a powerful 2.3-liter EcoBoost® four-cylinder engine will provide impressive performance
- Aggressive, functional design inside and out makes Focus RS the
most powerful production Focus ever, with highly capable performance on
both road and track
- Professional rally driver and star of Gymkhana films Ken Block teamed with Ford as a consultant on development of Focus RS
Ford today revealed the all-new Focus RS, a high-performance road car
that debuts Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque
Vectoring Control, which contributes to performance never before seen in
a Focus RS. The all-new Focus RS is equipped with a new 2.3-liter
EcoBoost
® engine producing well in excess of 315 horsepower.
Focus RS is the latest unveiling in a new era of Ford performance
that will bring more than 12 performance vehicles to global customers by
2020.
In addition to pleasing enthusiasts, these vehicles help deliver the
company’s One Ford plan for profitable growth, product excellence and
innovation in every part of its business.
“The all-new Focus RS is a serious machine with high-performance
technology and innovative engineering that sets a new benchmark for
driving exhilaration on the road and track,” said Raj Nair, group vice
president, Global Product Development, Ford Motor Company. “The RS line
has a proud history of technical breakthroughs that have migrated to
mainstream Ford vehicles to benefit all of our customers, and the new
Focus RS is no exception. It’s a great example of our passion for
innovation through performance, and creating vehicles that make people’s
hearts pound.”
Developed by a small team of global Ford Performance engineers, the
new Focus RS is the third generation in the line, following models
launched in 2002 and 2009. It will be the 30th car to wear the legendary
RS badge, following such technology trendsetters as the 1970 Escort
RS1600 with 16 valves, 1985 Sierra RS Cosworth with turbocharging and
radical aerodynamics and 1992 Escort RS Cosworth with four-wheel drive.
Sporting a dramatic exterior design that delivers enhanced
aerodynamics and cooling, the new Focus RS offers technologies new to
the RS line including Ford SYNC
® connectivity system.
The all-new Focus RS is the first-ever RS model that will be sold
around the world, including the United States, and produced for all
markets at Ford’s Saarlouis, Germany, manufacturing plant beginning late
this year.
“We are acutely aware of the benchmarks we have set ourselves with RS
performance models through the years, and rest assured this new car
raises the game to a new level,” said Jim Farley, president, Ford of
Europe, Middle East and Africa.
“Just as important is the fact that with technologies such as
EcoBoost, we are able to demonstrate how an innovation that powers
almost every car in our range can also be the heartbeat of our finest
performance cars,” added Farley.
Gymkhana and World Rallycross star Ken Block was brought on as a
consultant on the all-new Focus RS, and joined the Ford Performance team
at the preview event in Cologne, Germany –where the RS legend was born
with the Ford 15M RS in 1968.
Innovative Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive offers a new level of handling
The all-new Focus RS exploits innovative new Ford Performance All-Wheel
Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring to deliver a new level of handling
capability and driver enjoyment, combining outstanding traction and grip
with exciting agility and cornering speed.
The Ford Performance All-Wheel-Drive system is based on twin
electronically controlled clutch packs on each side of the rear drive
unit. These manage the car’s front/rear torque split, and can control
the side-to-side torque distribution on the rear axle – delivering the
“torque vectoring” capability that has a dramatic impact on handling and
cornering stability.
The control unit in the rear drive unit continuously varies the
front/rear and side-to-side torque distribution to suit the current
driving situation, monitoring inputs from multiple vehicle sensors 100
times per second. A maximum of 70 percent of the drive torque can be
diverted to the rear axle. Up to 100 percent of available torque at the
rear axle can be sent to each rear wheel.
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. This torque transfer has
the effect of “driving” the car into the bend, achieving improved
turn-in and stability, and virtually eliminating understeer.
The AWD system has been tuned to deliver exceptional grip – with
lateral acceleration exceeding 1 g – and great cornering speed and
acceleration out of a bend. With neutral and adjustable limit handling,
and the ability to achieve controlled oversteer drifts at the track,
Focus RS delivers an exceptional fun-to-drive experience.
To deliver optimum driving dynamics, the Ford Performance
All-Wheel-Drive system was calibrated alongside the car’s advanced
Electronic Stability Control, in particular the brake-based Torque
Vectoring Control system that works in parallel with the
torque-vectoring AWD. Other exclusive chassis features include sports
suspension with spring rates, bushings and antiroll bars – all of which
are stiffer than those found in Focus ST, and two-mode switchable
dampers, which offer a firmer setting for track driving. A carefully
tuned electric power-assisted steering system working in combination
with a more rigid front suspension knuckle design and shorter-link arms
delivers connected and responsive steering with outstanding feel.
“The Focus ST and Fiesta ST showed that we can achieve sporty
steering feel with an electric power-assisted steering system, and the
RS raises the bar,” said Dave Pericak, director, Global Ford
Performance. “We set out to provide drivers with steering that is very
direct, precise and well balanced – and the RS delivers.”
Ford engineers worked closely with Michelin to develop a choice of
high-performance 235/35 R19 tires to complement the driving dynamics of
the Focus RS: a standard Pilot Super Sport tire for every-day use, and –
for the first time on an RS – an optional Pilot Sport Cup 2 tire for
enhanced vehicle dynamics on the track.
The vehicle’s exterior design has also been developed to support the
dynamic objectives. Careful aerodynamic optimization of the front
splitter, rear spoiler and underbody features eliminates lift forces,
and the final design delivers balanced performance with zero lift front
and rear for optimum high-speed handling and stability.
Unique powertrain for increased output
Ford’s EcoBoost technology powers Focus RS and nearly every new Ford
vehicle. The specially engineered 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine has levels
of power and torque that translate into impressive acceleration when
combined with the exceptional all-wheel-drive traction.
Projected to produce well in excess of 315 horsepower, the custom
unit shares its fundamental structure with the all-aluminum 2.3-liter
four-cylinder engine in the all-new Mustang, but has been significantly
upgraded through a comprehensive package of design changes.
Increased output is generated by a new low-inertia twin-scroll
turbocharger with larger compressor that delivers significantly greater
airflow, along with a much bigger intercooler to maximize charge
density. Engine breathing is enhanced through a less restrictive intake
design, and a large-bore high-performance exhaust system with an
electronically controlled valve in the tailpipe that helps optimize the
balance of back pressure and noise output.
The cylinder head is produced from an upgraded alloy material capable
of withstanding higher temperatures, and is mounted on a more robust
head gasket with improved thermal capability. The cylinder block employs
stronger high-tensile cast iron liners.
Engine cooling also has been given the highest priority, with
engineers creating additional space within the front of the vehicle to
house a significantly larger radiator pack that provides the level of
cooling demanded for hard circuit use.
Meticulous calibration work ensures that the power unit delivers
excellent low-end responsiveness with a powerful mid-range pull,
climbing to a free-revving top end up to a maximum rev limit of 6,800
rpm.
The six-speed manual transmission has been optimized for the
enthusiast driver with a shorter gear lever to deliver faster and more
accurate shifts. Both the transmission and the clutch have been upgraded
with stronger components to cope with the engine’s increased torque
output.
With its high-efficiency EcoBoost design featuring direct fuel
injection, twin independent variable camshaft timing, advanced
turbocharging and Auto Start-Stop as standard, the engine also delivers
significantly improved fuel consumption.
High-performance design for stunning looks with optimum function
Focus RS exterior design is both dramatic and functional, with a more
powerful and muscular character. Designers worked closely with Ford
Performance to ensure that the necessary functional attributes were
achieved, focusing on the aerodynamic downforce and balance delivered by
the design, as well as the cooling demands of the powertrain and
brakes.
RS features a powerful new front end appearance with a bold upper
trapezoidal grille above the deep splitter, incorporating the largest
possible apertures for engine cooling. A wide, muscular stance is
emphasized by the lower wings and large outboard openings on each side
of the car, which feed the brake cooling ducts and house vertically
mounted lamps.
At the rear, the fascia panel is dominated by the exceptionally large
diffuser, which optimizes airflow from under the vehicle and contains
the twin round high-performance exhaust outlets. Focus RS for Europe and
Asia markets will also get a clear central fog lamp. The distinctive
rear roof spoiler is carefully integrated with the car’s silhouette
through body-colored side panels featuring a subtle embossed RS logo.
The dynamic side profile is emphasized by sculptured rocker panels,
and the bold wheel lips that house a choice of multi-spoke 19-inch RS
alloy wheels – including a high-performance lightweight forged design
finished in low-gloss black, which offers enhanced strength and impact
resistance.
The high-performance character of Focus RS is reflected inside the
car, where heavily bolstered partial-leather Recaro sports seats serve
as the centerpiece of the cockpit.
The interior features the reworked Focus control layout with its
simpler, more intuitive design. SYNC connectivity provides access to
audio, navigation, climate control and mobile phones via voice control,
and via a high-definition, 8-inch color touch screen. SYNC can be
specified with rear view camera with park distance control, as well as a
Sony premium sound system with 10-speakers including a subwoofer.
The RS driving experience is reinforced by a new flat-bottomed
steering wheel with a soft-feel leather-covered rim, alloy pedals and
unique instrument graphics within the main cluster. An additional bank
of gauges above the center console displays turbocharger boost pressure,
oil temperature and oil pressure.
Four striking exterior colors include Nitrous Blue, a vibrant
four-coat metallic finish exclusive to RS, as well as Stealth Gray,
Absolute Black and Frozen White. The car revealed in Cologne features
the same special Liquid Blue color scheme first seen on the all-new Ford
GT revealed last month at the North American International Auto Show.
Rich heritage of innovation and performance
Since the first Ford RS models took to the road, the line has been an
essential element of Ford’s DNA, delivering technical innovation and
performance on road and track. Dating back to the early days of Ford’s
success in Rallye Sport, the first RS models established a reputation
for advanced technology and driving exhilaration that continues to this
day.
