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The Focus RS returns – I want to love it

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Jul 04

The Focus RS returns – I want to love it

Ford fans – you’ll be excited to hear that the Ford Focus RS is back. The new car will be on display at the 2008 London Motorshow on July 22, but will it live up to what the fans expect?

I got excited to hear about the return of the RS, as – many moons ago – I owned a Fiesta RS turbo. And, even though I spent hours fixing it on my driveway, there was something about the RS that found a soft spot in my heart. So, I was interested to check out the news of this pending Focus that would carry the famous RS badge. It’s got some big shoes to fill.

The spec sounds good. Widened arches to fit a wider track and larger wheels. Classic bonnet louvres. This is all very RS, and seems to be ticking all the right boxes. My palms are getting sweaty. The front bumper is large with an aggressive airdam, while the rear bumper is vented. Stop it Ford – you are teasing us!

The engine also echoes the Blue Oval’s rally heritage by having on tap power, with a specially developed 2.5-litre turbocharged five cylinder Duratec engine. If you have no idea what that means, it basically creates 300bhp with 410Nm of torque. Still no clearer? Focus RS = Freekin’ rapid. And wait until the tuners get their hands on it. We should see some real heavy-duty powerhouses out on the roads.

This car will see you past 60mph in sub six seconds. The boffins at Ford have gone to work creating something a bit special. It even runs a Quaife differential…

But, then it goes wrong.

Buzzing from the tech spec, I was expecting the RS’s new widened Focus shell to be painted in the only colour a RS should be painted in – Imperial Blue. So, who at Ford allowed the car to be painted in this snot green?

Ford Focus ford focus rs