Ford Focus RS - Blue Terrorist
Finally, the long-awaited Ford Focus RS falls into our hands. It's loud, it's fast, and it offers a range of entertainment that's best left unsaid in the world of emissions reduction. However, out of journalistic duty, we will try to tell you about them.
Ford Focus RS. For more than a year, the automotive world lived with new, casually published information about the production version. At one time we heard that the power could fluctuate around 350 hp, later that it "maybe" it will also be with 4x4 drive, and finally we received information about the fun-only functions that somewhere do not have the current standards of savings. . drift mode? Change tires more often and pollute the environment? And still.
There was considerable interest in the model, but also because of the fact that the previous RS was, which by the time of its premiere had acquired the status of a cult car. Despite the fact that it was only 7 years ago, the prices of used models are not very willing to drop due to limited availability. It was also only produced for European markets. The biggest advantages of the predecessor were the brilliant balance and the looks of a rally car fresh out of the special stage. All that was missing from rally driving pleasure was all-wheel drive, but it's still one of the best hot hatches ever. So the crossbar is high, but Ford Performance is capable of designing good sports cars. How it was?
you can't please everyone
Ford Focus RS The previous generation looked great, but numerous extremely sporty accessories doomed it to a niche. Now the situation is quite different. The RS is the key to the Ford Performance brand worldwide. The volume of sales had to be much larger, so the tastes of as wide a clientele as possible had to be catered for. Not a handful of selected enthusiasts from Europe. This is the answer to the question why the latest model seems so "polite".
Although the body is not greatly expanded, the Focus RS does not look decent at all. Here all sports elements perform their function. A characteristic, large air intake in the front of the car, in the lower part it serves for the intercooler, in the upper part it allows to cool the engine. Air intakes on the outer parts of the bumper direct air to the brakes, effectively cooling them. How effective? At a speed of 100 km / h, they are able to cool the brakes from 350 degrees Celsius to 150 degrees. There are no characteristic air intakes on the hood, but this does not mean that Ford did not work on them. Attempts to place them on the hood, however, ended with the assertion that they actually do nothing, but interfere with the air flow. Due to their elimination, among other things, it was possible to reduce the drag coefficient by 6% - to a value of 0,355. The rear spoiler, in combination with the front spoiler, completely eliminates the effect of axle lift when the diffuser reduces air turbulence behind the vehicle. Function precedes form, but form itself is not bad at all.
There will be no breakthrough
On the inside, it's definitely not groundbreaking. There are not many changes in the Focus ST here, except that the Recaro seats can be decorated with blue leather inserts. This color is the dominant color that has found all the stitching, gauges and even the gearshift lever - this is how the track patterns are colored. We can choose from three types of seats, ending with buckets without height adjustment, but with less weight and better lateral support. It's not that we're complaining about too much space in the base chairs, as they are really tight around the body, but if necessary they can be replaced with even more competitive ones.
While the dashboard is functional, the plastic it's made of is hard and crackles when heated. The path of the right hand from the steering wheel to the jack is not very long, but there is room for improvement. On its left side there are buttons for selecting the driving mode, a switch for the traction control system, the Start / Stop system, etc., but the lever itself has been slightly moved back. The driving position is comfortable, but still - we sit quite high for a sports car. Enough to feel the car on the track and quite comfortable to drive it every day.
A bit of technology
It would seem - what is the philosophy of making a fast hot hatch? The presentation of technical solutions showed that in fact it is quite large. Let's start with the engine. Ford Focus RS It is powered by the 2.3 EcoBoost engine known from the Mustang. However, compared to its older brother, it has been modified to handle the hard work under the RS's hood. Basically it's about strengthening the hotspots, improving the cooling, like moving the oil cooling system from the Focus ST (the Mustang does not have this), changing the sound and, of course, increasing the power. This is achieved by a new twin-scroll turbocharger and a high-flow intake system. The RS power unit produces 350 hp. at 5800 rpm and 440 Nm in the range from 2700 to 4000 rpm. The characteristic sound of the engine is due to the almost through exhaust system. From the engine under the car there is a straight pipe - with a short flattened section at the height of a traditional catalytic converter - and only at its end is a muffler with an electrovalve.
Finally, we got the drive on both axles. Working on it kept the engineers up at night. Yes, the technology itself comes from Volvo, but Ford has made it one of the lightest transmissions on the market and has made improvements such as transferring torque to the rear wheels. Subsequent design stages were constantly tested by engineers and rigorously compared with competitors. One of the tests was, for example, a 1600 km trip to the USA, also on a closed track, where, in addition to the Focus RS, they took, among other things, the Audi S3, Volkswagen Golf R, Mercedes A45 AMG and some other models. A similar test was organized on a snowy track in Sweden. The goal was to create a car that would crush this competition. Among 4x4 hot hatches, Haldex is the most popular solution, so it was necessary to learn about its weaknesses and turn them into RS strengths. So let's get started. Torque is constantly distributed between the two axles and can be redirected to the rear axle by up to 70%. 70% can be further distributed to the rear wheels, delivering up to 100% per wheel – an operation that takes just 0,06 seconds from the system. Haldex drives brake the inside wheel when cornering for optimal traction. Ford Focus RS instead, the outer rear wheel accelerates. This procedure allows much higher output speeds to be achieved and makes riding more fun.
The new Brembo brakes save 4,5 kg per wheel compared to their predecessors. The front discs have also grown from 336mm to 350mm. The brakes are designed to withstand a 30-minute session on the track or 13 full-force braking from 214 km/h to a complete stop - without fading. Specially developed dual-compound Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires now feature reinforced sidewalls and a properly matched aramid particle breaker for improved durability and improved steering precision. Optionally, you can order Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, which is worth considering if we plan frequent trips to the track. Cup 2 tires are available with 19-inch forged wheels that save 950g per wheel.
The front suspension is made on McPherson struts, and the rear is of the Control Blade type. There is also an optional anti-roll bar at the rear. The standard adjustable suspension is 33% stiffer than the ST on the front axle and 38% stiffer on the rear axle. When switched to sport mode, they become 40% stiffer compared to normal mode. This allows overloads greater than 1g to be transmitted through bends.
Domestication
At the beginning, Ford Focus RS, we checked on the public roads around Valencia. We've been waiting for this car for so long that we want to get the right sound out of it right away. We turn on the "Sport" mode and ... music for our ears becomes a concert of gurgling, gunshots and snoring. Engineers say that from an economic point of view, such a procedure did not make the slightest sense. Explosions in the exhaust system are always a waste of fuel, but this car should be exciting, not just a drop.
But let's get back to normal. The exhaust is quieter, the suspension retains characteristics similar to the Focus ST. It is stiff, but still quite comfortable for everyday driving. Driving higher and higher into the mountains, the road begins to resemble endlessly long spaghetti. Switch to Sport mode and pump up the pace. The all-wheel drive characteristics change, the steering takes on a little more weight, but the 13:1 ratio remains constant. The performance of the engine and gas pedal has also been honed. Overtaking cars is as big a problem as climbing - in fourth gear, it takes only 50 seconds to accelerate from 100 to 5 km / h. The steering range is chosen so as to give driving pleasure and keep everything under control - from lock to lock we turn the steering wheel only 2 times.
First observations - where is the understeer?! The car rides like a rear-wheel drive, but much easier to drive. Rear axle response is softened by the constant presence of front-wheel drive. The trip is really exciting and incredibly fun. However, if we turn on the Race mode, the suspension becomes so stiff that the car constantly bounces even on the smallest bumps. Cool for fans of tuning and concrete springs, but unacceptable for a parent carrying a child with motion sickness.
As a result, we conclude that this is perhaps the best hot hatch and one of the most interesting premieres of the year. We will be able to test this thesis the next day.
Autodrom Ricardo Tormo — we are coming!
Wake up at 7.30, have breakfast and at 8.30 we get into the RS and hit the road to the famous Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. Everyone is excited and everyone is looking forward to, shall we say, getting high.
Let's start relatively calmly - with tests of the Launch Control system. This is an interesting solution because it does not support an automatic transmission, but a manual one. It is to support a very dynamic start, which will bring each user closer to reaching the catalog in 4,7 seconds before “hundreds”. With good traction, most of the torque will be transferred to the rear axle, but if the situation is different, then the splitting will be different. When driving in this mode, not a single wheel even creaks. The starting procedure requires selecting the appropriate option in the menu (a few nice clicks before we get to that option), depressing the accelerator pedal all the way down, and releasing the clutch pedal very quickly. The engine will keep the speed at an altitude of about 5 thousand. RPM, which will allow you to fire at the car in front of you. Trying to recreate this type of start without boosters, the start is no less dynamic, but the screeching of the tires indicates a temporary lack of traction in the first phase of acceleration.
We drive up to a wide circle, on which we will spin donuts in the style of Ken Block. Drift mode disables stabilization systems, but traction control still works in the background. So we turn it off completely. Suspension and steering return to normal, with 30% torque left on the front axle to help control skidding. By the way, the same person who introduced the Burnout button into the Mustang is responsible for the presence of this mode. It's nice to know that there are still such crazy people in car development teams.
Pulling the handlebar hard into the direction of the turn and adding gas will break the clutch. I take the meter and... some people mistook me for an instructor when, while smoking branded rubber, I didn't hit a single bump. I was the first to take part in this test, so I was confused - is it so easy, or maybe I can do something. It seemed extremely easy to me, but it was a bit difficult for others to repeat such a run. It was about reflexes - accustomed to the rear propellers, they instinctively let go of the gas to avoid rotation around their axis. The drive to the front axle, however, allows you not to save gas and maintain control. Drift Mode won't do everything for the driver, and the ease of drift control is similar to that of other real XNUMX-wheel drive vehicles such as the Subaru WRX STI. Subaru needs a little more work to achieve these effects, however.
Then we take it Ford Focus RS on the real track. It is already fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and non-adjustable seats. Race trials wash the sweat out of our hot hatches, but they're not going to give up. Handling is very neutral all the time, no signs of understeer or oversteer for a very long time. Track tires grip the pavement remarkably well. The performance of the engine is also surprising - the 2.3 EcoBoost spins at 6900 rpm, almost like a naturally aspirated engine. The reaction to gas is also very bright. We change gears very quickly, and even a very sharply treated clutch never made me miss a gear change. The accelerator pedal is close to the brake, so using the heel-toe technique is a breeze. Attacking corners too fast reveals understeer, but we can avoid this by adding some throttle. Conclusion one - this is a brilliant toy for Track Day competitions, which will allow advanced drivers to punch owners of more robust and expensive cars. Focus RS rewards experts and does not penalize beginners. The limits of the car seem so… accessible. Deceptively safe.
Are you thinking about burning? On the track I got a result of 47,7 l / 100 km. After burning only 1/4 of the fuel from the 53-liter tank, the spare was already on fire, reporting a range of less than 70 km. Off-road it was "slightly" better - from 10 to 25 l / 100 km.
close lead
Ford Focus RS it is one of the best cars an enterprising driver can buy today. Not only among hot hatches - in general. It cannot be used for speeds over 300 km/h, but in return it guarantees great fun in all conditions. He is a terrorist who can turn the silence of the night into the sound of shots from the exhaust pipe and the squeal of burning rubber. And then the flash of police sirens and the rustle of a stack of tickets.
Ford made the car crazy but obedient when you expect it. We can already talk about considerable success, because pre-premiere orders at the time of the presentation amounted to 4200 units worldwide. Every day there are at least a hundred customers. The Poles were allocated 78 units - all of them have already been sold. Fortunately, the Polish headquarters does not intend to stop there - they are trying to get another series that will flow to the Vistula River.
It is a pity that so far we are talking about less than 100 cars, especially since this street fighter is cheaper than the more affordable Volkswagen Golf R by as much as PLN 9. The Focus RS costs a minimum of PLN 430 and is only available in a 151-door variant. The price only increases with the choice of extras, such as the Performance RS package for PLN 790, which introduces two-way adjustable RS sports seats, 5-inch wheels, blue brake calipers and a Sync 9 navigation system. Wheels with Michelin tires Pilot Sport Cup 025 costs another PLN 19. Nitrous Blue, reserved for this edition, costs an additional PLN 2, Magnetic Gray costs PLN 2.
How does this compare to competition? We haven't driven a Honda Civic Type R yet and I don't own a Mercedes A45 AMG. Now - as far as my memory allows - I can compare Ford Focus RS most competitors - from the Volkswagen Polo GTI to the Audi RS3 or Subaru WRX STI. Focus has the most character of all. Closest, I would say, to the WRX STI, but the Japanese is more serious - a little scary. Focus RS is focused on driving pleasure. Maybe he turns a blind eye to the skills of a less experienced rider and makes him feel like a hero, but on the other hand, the veteran of track events will not get bored either. And it may be the only car in the family.
