When legendary automaker Ford announced a performance version of its best-selling Focus model, fans of tuning and street racing were excited to learn about this new development in the automotive world.
The third generation of the Ford Focus family is the 2017 RS, and there are many reasons why street racer believe that this car will replace the Honda Civic as the perfect vehicle in the realm of performance tuning. Here are a few reasons that support the idea of the 2017 Ford Focus RS as the perfect tuner car:
1 – American Horsepower
When the Focus was introduced to the United States market in the early 21st century, Ford was not sure if American drivers were ready for a new model that was heavy on European features. The Focus is based on the Ford Fiesta, which was a major best-seller in Europe and Latin America. It so happened that American drivers enjoyed the tight handling and zippy drive train of the Focus, and they did not mind sacrificing horsepower.
Once the Ford Focus brand made it into the international rally circuit, tuning fans were intrigued by this sporty-looking compact car that could be easily modified by means of weight reduction kits, aftermarket turbos, efficient intake systems, performance brakes, and others. Naturally, Ford engineers paid attention as well and started working on the RS trim, which has been the performance Focus brand over the last few years.
With the Focus RS, Ford wishes to offer a sporty performance option besides the Mustang. To accomplish this goal, Ford realized that it had to increase the baseline horsepower of the Focus RS, which is why the 2017 model features 350 hp out of the assembly line. This much horsepower was enough for developers of the Forza racing video game series to include the Focus RS in its latest title, Forza Horizon 3.
2 – Power Distribution and Handling
A skilled street racer can actually jump behind the wheel of a factory Focus RS and start accepting challenges without any tuning; this is made possible by a number of interesting tech features designed by Ford engineers.
First of all, there’s the Rear Drive Module, which provides torque vectoring and the ability to allocate more power to the rear wheels. This is just one of the various performance modules that power the Focus RS. Drivers actually get to select their preferred power distribution schemes by switching from normal driving to Track, Sport or Drift Mode; this is a major acknowledgment of tuning culture by Ford, and street racers were certainly pleased to learn about this.
3 – Factory Racing Equipment
As expected, Ford did not limit the performance options of the Focus RS to its stock offerings. In October 2016, the Ford Performance division announced that it will develop its very own tuning kit, which will be street legal in all 50 states and will offer a more sporty experience out of the Focus RS.
The performance calibration kit offered by Ford boosts torque to a level that is competitive against the EcoBoost Ford Mustang, which shares the same speedy four cylinder engine found in the Focus RS. This kit will not increase the amount of car title loans that Focus owners can get from their vehicles, but it will make them faster and easier to handle at higher speeds.
According to Ford Performance engineers, the upcoming kit will offer a warranty and will modify the power train system as a whole; the intention is to get the most efficient torque out of the Focus RS without sacrificing fuel efficiency or increasing emissions. Once this special tuning kit becomes available, the Ford Focus RS will be known as one of the fastest street legal cars to roll out of assembly lines.