Although Ford has continued to
deny the existence of the next Focus RS,
Car magazine's spy photographers were able to capture a mule undergoing testing. The current-gen. body panels will be ditched in favor of the new "kinetic" design language that's blessed the new Mondeo, but we're less concerned with styling than we are with the mechanicals.
According to
Car, the new RS will get the same turbocharged 2.5-liter in-line five that's in the current Focus ST, except power will be routed through a close-ratio six-speed transmission and sent to all four wheels via a Volvo-derived AWD system.
Through the use of new variable intake and exhaust manifolds, reinforced connecting rods, a revised turbo, a larger intercooler and some significant tweaks to the ECU, the motor should be capable of 300 HP and 280 lb.-ft. of twist. 60 is expected to come up in around five seconds flat and the estimated 165 MPH top speed isn't out of the question.
The new RS will likely bow in Geneva next year, with sales beginning that spring. Although it won't have all the fancy electronics of the Evo and STI, for £28,000, it stands to be the biggest bang for the buck abroad.
[Source: Car]
