Imagine if Ford brings this over here ! :o Bye, bye to all the imports !

Ford Focus RS: a monster is reborn

The RS badge has always been an emotive one for Ford, since it has typically adorned the marque's top-drawer rally-derived performance machines.

Visually, the car seems to follow a less is more philosophy, eschewing the likes of the gigantic rear wing seen on the last-generation Escort Cosworth RS. But it's the brave heart under the bonnet that should provide the real excitement.

The Duratec 2.0-litre engine fitted to the standard Focus 2.0i has been turbocharged, boosting maximum power to a muscular, if not brutal 250 h.p. at 5 500 r/min. Accompanying torque comes to 310 Nm at 3 500 r/min.

As a result, the Focus takes off like a scalded cat when launched off the mark. Ford claims a sub-7 sec 0-60 sprint time, Top speed is a quoted 230 km/h. Braking from 160 km/h to zero requires just 4.1 sec.

Fortunately, it would appear that the rallying roots of the Focus RS are more then just skin deep. Many suppliers to the Ford WRC team also supply parts for this special road car. They include bucket seats from Sparco, a Garret turbocharger, OZ Racing wheels, Brembo brakes, Sachs Racing shock absorbers, a Quaife LS differential and an AP Racing clutch.