Focus RS Confirmed for Australia

[aiboart]

Focus RS Confirmed for Australia


Ford's WRX STI rival coming
JEZ SPINKS / SMH
August 2, 2010 - 3:25PM
Ford Focus RS


Focus RS confirmed for Australia. 224kW five-cylinder turbo. $59,990 price tag.
Ford Australia will take on Japan's hottest hatches after announcing it will introduce the 224kW Focus RS at the end of the year.

The RS was launched in Europe 18 months ago but Ford's local outpost says it has finally managed to create a business case for the powerful three-door that will compete against the likes of the Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, as well as Volkswagen's Golf R.

Ford's hot-hatch will be priced from $59,990 (plus on-road costs) and numbers will be limited to 315. It is based on the current Focus that will be replaced by a new-generation model in 2011.

The RS uses a heavily modified version of the Focus XR5 Turbo's (Volvo-sourced) 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo petrol engine, with a bigger turbo and revised exhaust system helping to lift power and torque to 220kW (up 54kW) and 410Nm (up 90Nm) respectively.

The engine is mated to a beefier, shorter-shifting version of the XR5 Turbo's six-speed manual gearbox.

Unlike its aforementioned rivals, the Focus RS puts its power to the ground through the front wheels only rather than all four wheels, though Ford claims to have virtually eliminated torque steer (forceful tugging on the steering wheel when torque overcomes front tyre grip) with a special front-suspension set-up it calls RevoKnuckle.

The RS's front axle also includes a limited-slip differential to help optimise the hotter Focus's handling and traction.

The Focus RS gets many other performance enhancements over the Focus XR5 Turbo that was the car's starting point. The RS has wider front and rear tracks (up 40mm), stiffer springs, bigger wheels (19 inches) and brakes, bigger rear stabiliser bar, and steering tuned for sharper responses.

Ford claims the Focus RS is significantly quicker than the Focus XR5 Turbo despite being up to 100kg heavier - sprinting from 0-100km/h in less than six seconds and capable of reaching a top speed of 250km/h.

The RS certainly looks racier than the XR5 Turbo, with a big roof spoiler and rear diffuser at the rear (both contributing to the car's aerodynamics), deep side skirts, bonnet vents, and those wheelarch-filling 19-inch wheels.

Inside, the RS's cabin is colour-matched to the exterior and features body-hugging Recaro sports bucket seats (and heavily bolstered rear seats), brushed-aluminium and carbonfibre-style trim, and three dashtop gauges that include a turbo boost dial.

Other standard features for the German-built RS include voice-activated Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control, xenon headlights, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and engine start, and an eight-speaker, six-CD Sony audio system with iPod/MP3 compatibility.

Three colours are available: 'Ultimate green', 'Performance blue' and 'Frozen white'.

[vztrt]

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11304430

[SnoWhite]

Take it from me - anyone who gets to drive this car WILL WANT ONE.

Thank you FORD. It's been almost 30 years, you have delivered another exciting RS at last.

This car will also interest Subaru Rex, VW R32 Golf, and Evo previous buyers.

CheeRS

[Corzza]

WOOO HOOOOO!!

Time to get my order in!

[El Sucio]

Got my eLetter from Ford this morning advertising it. Damn it's a nice car - why did I just decide to buy a wagon?!?!?!?!

Limited to 315 across the country - they'll be collector items for sure.

[SnoWhite]

You can blame FPV for the political delays. Then Ford Australia were very slow to see the interest. We, the RSOC of Aust and other RS fans have also pushed Ford to the limit to get some here. Next the RS Fiesta we hope.

[Fast Eddie]

IF it ever happens, I'd love to see it up against the EVO X's at the Bathurst 12 Hour at Mt. Panorama.

[cthomp]

There was a write up in one of the topgear mag's about the RS a while ago, sounded like a great car, will be awesome seeing a few of the 2010 models on the road in Aus!

Time to convince the old man to sell the fairmont for one of these badboys i reckon!

[Corzza]

I think it was in March Top Gear mag. Was a good write up too

[xr8cobra]

well guys i am going into ford in wollongong to do paper work on this beast tomorrow, i wont get it till october i was told today but im sure it will be worth the wait. trading the new ford mondeo zetec with the new 20" rims we just put on lol. ol keep you all upto date cheers.

[SnoWhite]

Originally Posted by xr8cobra

well guys i am going into ford in wollongong to do paper work on this beast tomorrow, i wont get it till october i was told today but im sure it will be worth the wait. trading the new ford mondeo zetec with the new 20" rims we just put on lol. ol keep you all upto date cheers.

Well you are the 4th I have personally heard to have placed an order. We have 3 RSOC Australia members also who have placed orders and believe it or not one of each colour.

[Bucknaked]

Congrats on your purchase. Have you a color choice or been told what color? I really love the white

[xr8cobra]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Congrats on your purchase. Have you a color choice or been told what color? I really love the white

ITS GOING TO BE GREEN! SHREK LOL

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by xr8cobra

ITS GOING TO BE GREEN! SHREK LOL

Nice. I think the green it really makes the RS stand out from others.

[photn]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Nice. I think the green it really makes the RS stand out from others.

just like the orange did for the XR5T

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by photn

just like the orange did for the XR5T

The thing I like most about these colors, is they arn't available on other models. EO is just for the XR5 and the Ultimate Green is only on the RS. Although there is an XR5 member who liked the ultimate green so much, he bought some (I don't know if the paint came from the UK or he had it mixed from the code) and painted his XR5 in ultimate green. I think his car was original Panther Black. From what I heard, it was not cheap and cost plenty of $$$$ per litre.

[casabonka]

love the green. its uber sexy!!

[MeTriX]

Great that it's finally coming to Oz, only bad thing is that I can't get one! :(

[ossie cossie]

i would so like to have one.

[vztrt]

http://www.caradvice.com.au/83183/fo...arrives-in-oz/

Pics in the link.

Ford Focus RS arrives in OZ
By Anthony Crawford | September 13th, 2010

The first shipment of Ford’s highly regarded Focus RS has arrived in Australia, as these photos from a forum, surely confirm.

With just three colours available (Ultimate Green, Performance Blue and Frozen White) and a total allotment of 315 cars, you better be quick, if you fancy one.

With 224 kW and 440 Nm from a 2.5-litre, turbocharged five cylinder driving through a RevoKnuckle front wheel-drive system, the Focus is a formidable road hugging street weapon. 0-100Km/h will arrive in 5.9 seconds.

“Bespoke Continental tyres wrap around 19-inch alloys connected to the Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing Helical Limited Slip Diff – meaning grip will be plentiful”.

There’s always a price to be paid for both performance and exclusivity, so at $59,990, they’re not exactly a bargain, but I wouldn’t call it expensive, either.

[Davo1]

Given the Golf R will be about $50K for a manual and $53K for DSG, I think Ford have pitched the RS about 10-15K too high.

More power I know but the Golf is more prestigious, better re-sale [probably] and better finished [probably]. Also, one has to look at the market. Most young fellows with $60K to spend are less interested in drag strip times and more interested in the overall package - read, Golf R, BMW, Audi.

Will be interested to see how it goes. Great sounding car, but I think it's been pitched at the wrong level.

[SnoWhite]

Originally Posted by Davo1

Given the Golf R will be about $50K for a manual and $53K for DSG, I think Ford have pitched the RS about 10-15K too high.

More power I know but the Golf is more prestigious, better re-sale [probably] and better finished [probably]. Also, one has to look at the market. Most young fellows with $60K to spend are less interested in drag strip times and more interested in the overall package - read, Golf R, BMW, Audi.

Will be interested to see how it goes. Great sounding car, but I think it's been pitched at the wrong level.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions - this is what makes a forum. The facts are that the RS has a Rallye pedigree with the winning RS formula, it looks better, sounds better and will be more collectable than any common golf R in Australia. This is why these cars are selling for over $65k and quickly at that, no one would pay that price for a Golf! It appears that the buyers with the 65k do like the overall package! Same outcome all over the world - I guess that is why Top Gear UK and others rated the RS as THE BEST HATCH TO DATE.

[outback_ute]

Don't forget that we don't get the 'full' Golf R package, it is 'only' 188kw in Australia

[smee323]

If only I had held on before buying the XR5.......
Would have replaced the ST170 with ease....

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...924-15par.html

Ford launches WRX STI rival September 24, 2010 - 9:07AM

Ford hopes to establish its own cult performance car in Australia after launching its new rival for Japanese heroes the Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.

The Focus RS revives the 'Rallye Sport' badge that is legendary in Europe but is probably best known in Australia for the Bathurst-conquering Sierra RS500 of the late eighties.

Ford Australia has only been able to secure 315 units of the three-door model that, at $59,990, becomes the most expensive non-FPV-branded Ford on sale following the demise of the luxury long wheelbase Falcon models such as the LTD and the Territory Turbo.

The company says the hot-hatch is limited by supply and that most are already accounted for, but believes the small volume of RS cars will help enhance its appeal.

"Our dealers have indicated they could sell more; we probably would have sold 1015," says Ford Australia boss Marin Burela. "We only have 315 [but they] will become collectors' items."

Burela says the less powerful but more affordable Focus XR5 Turbo has already been an incredible success for Ford in Australia, rising from an initial 40 sales per month up to 200.

He says the RS will have a halo effect on the regular Focus range just like the XR5, and will also appeal to a different customer base than its larger FPV Falcon models.

The company says the Focus RS also doesn't wear the badge of its performance subsidiary because there is a policy that FPVs must have been locally engineered.

"Performance is not just about the engine but about the look and feel of the car.

"FPV is a niche that provides products that certain customers demand," says Burela. "Then there's that other group [of enthusiast] that buys into the look and feel of the car but are not wedded it will do 250km/h on a race track. Performance is not just about the engine."

The RS is the last hurrah for the current-generation Focus before an all-new model arrives in the second half of 2011. It's nearly double the price of the $36,490 Focus XR5 but is a major upgrade in every key department.

The Volvo-sourced 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine gains a bigger turbo (with double the boost), toughened components and a revised exhaust system to increase power and torque by 35 and 38 per cent respectively.

The RS's 224kW and 440Nm outputs are delivered to the front wheels via a beefed-up version of the XR5's six-speed manual.

Ford says it has devised a special front suspension called RevoKnuckle to minimise torque steer – the undesired effect of excessive power going through the same wheels turning the car, and typically noticed by the driver as a sometimes violent tugging on the steering wheel.

The company says it discarded an all-wheel-drive after its first RS prototype, claiming front-drive brings the benefits of less weight, cost and fuel consumption.

The Focus RS consumes an average of 10.4 litres per 100km according to its official fuel figures.

There's also a front limited-slip differential, with the RS's cornering abilities sharpened by a quicker steering rack, larger brakes, stiffer springs and 40mm-wider front and rear tracks. The 19-inch, fifteen-spoke alloys are wrapped in specially tailored low-profile tyres that are the biggest ever fitted to a Ford Focus.

A stability control system has also been tuned with driving enthusiasts in mind, programmed for later and shorter interventions.

The Focus RS also adopts a more aggressive body, including bulkier wheel-arches, bonnet louvres, fake side air vents, and large dual exhaust pipes.

Three colours only are available – bright green, blue and white – each matching the attitude of the Focus RS's more aggressive bodywork.

There's no choice of trim level; each RS comes standard with xenon headlights, Recaro bucket sports seats, dual-zone air-conditioning, Bluetooth with voice control, keyless entry/start and a six-CD Sony audio system with USB/iPod/MP3 compatibility.

Read Drive online later this afternoon for first impressions of Ford's new RS hot-hatch.

Ford Focus RS
Price: $59,990 (plus on-road costs)

Origin: Germany

Engine: 2.5-litre turbo five-cylinder

Power: 224kW at 6500-7050rpm

Torque: 440Nm at 2300-4500rpm

Transmission: 6-sp manual

Weight: 1492kg

Consumption and emissions: 10.4L/100km and 246g/km

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...924-15ptn.html

First drive: Ford Focus RS Jez Spinks
September 24, 2010 - 1:10PM

Forget XR8s and FPV Falcons. Ford has a new performance hero in its local line-up.

This is a moment of truth for Ford's hottest ever hatch.

A second-gear hairpin corner, steering wheel turned 90 degrees, and I'm about to nail the throttle to unleash the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine's 224kW - through only the front wheels.

Many a car has tried to feed excessive amounts of power to the same wheels that steer it - and none too successfully.

The 168kW Saab 9-3 Viggen was scary. Toyota's 240kW Aurion TRD struggled. And the 190kW Mazda3 MPS still requires judiciousness whenever accelerating in lower gears.

As the Focus RS grips tenaciously mid-corner, it's time to stamp on the throttle pedal - with hands and arms on red alert. The steering wheel tugs slightly left then right, but the disturbance is only mild and brief - and far from the wrenching action of other powerful front-drive cars that threatened to pull arms from sockets.

Ford's engineers have clearly performed some kind of semi-miracle with its patented RevoKnuckle suspension, which introduces a special C-shaped lower suspension joint where the wheel hub meets what is otherwise a conventional front strut. It works in tandem with the limited-slip differential to try to minimise torque steer (steering wheel tug under acceleration) and improve traction.

Crucially, it allows the driver to retain confidence on twisting roads, allowing them to fully exploit the RS's exceptional dynamic talents. The amount of front-end grip the RS generates is quite remarkable, aided by steering that is also super quick (just 2.3 turns lock to lock) without being nervous.

Expertly judged dampers ensure the RS feels composed at speed over bumps, while the brakes - for the relatively short drive we did have - provided similar assurance with their bite and feel.

The seating position could be lower - and there's no height adjust - but otherwise the RS's Recaro bucket-style sports seats are outstanding for keeping you secure while also maintaining leg and back comfort.

The Focus RS's 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder - a beefier version of the engine used in the Focus XR5 Turbo - will also get you from one corner to the next in a hurry.

A mighty chunk of mid-range response (or torque) means you don't need to be too fussy about which gear you select, though the engine will also keep working hard towards its 7050rpm redline.

It's in this top end in particular where the four-cylinder produces its most frenetic warble, with induction whistles, exhaust pops and whooshes also thrown into the entertaining aural mix.

Fuel consumption isn't great at 10.4L/100km, however - especially considering Ford executives say efficiency was one of the reasons they abandoned all-wheel-drive for the Focus RS. The all-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza WRX STI's consumption is only fractionally higher at 10.5L/100km.

The Focus RS's aggressive performance is matched by its extrovert body parts, such as the bulging wheel-arches, sizeable rear wing (positioned high so it doesn't intrude on rear vision) and the biggest wheels (19 inches) to have ever been fitted to a Focus.

The bright green paintwork of our test car - related to the colours of Ford's WRC campaigner - adds a further touch of justified attitude. (Ford predicts this will be the most popular choice of three colours available.)
Yet the RS isn't a car that's only comfortable when pushing on.

Despite the engine gaining 35 per cent more power and 38 per cent more torque over the Focus XR5 (already a brisk hatchback), it remains an enjoyable flexible unit that will pull from low speeds even in its highest gear (sixth).

The stiffly sprung suspension means the RS won't be as relaxing as a VW Golf R around town (and the turning circle is far from tight), but the few urban roads we did cover suggest this Focus won't be unbearable to live with on a daily basis.

The interior is also more on par with the cabins of the STI and Evo than the Golf. There's blue-stitched leather for the steering wheel, seats and door trim, plus some faux carbon fibre trim for the dash and console, though there are also plenty of cheaper-feeling hard plastics.

A $59,990 price tag - the highest for a non-FPV Ford in Australia - is also more of a match for the Subaru and Mitsubishi than the $48,490 three-door Golf R, though Ford argues the latter can't match the RS for standard equipment. (Or exclusivity, considering only 315 Focus RS models will ever be sold locally.)

Aside from the aforementioned 19-inch alloy wheels and Recaro sports seats, the RS also comes equipped with xenon headlights, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry/start, Bluetooth with voice control, and a six-CD, eight-speaker Sony audio with USB/iPod/MP3 compatibility.

There are no options, but cruise control is not available.

If the Focus XR5 Turbo was more of a five-door grant tourer, the Focus RS on first, brief acquaintance is a full-blooded hot-hatch that won't feel out of place in the company of focused (no pun intended) rivals such as the WRX STI and Lancer Evolution.

A comparison test will be the Focus RS's next moment of truth.

[vztrt]

First drive: Ford kicks RS with potent Focus swansong

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2577A700262743

Wild 224kW Focus RS finally arrives to stake Ford’s claim for hot hatch supremacy
23 September 2010
By RON HAMMERTON
FORD Australia is sending its second-generation Ford Focus off with a bang, unleashing the potent 224kW Focus RS here just as the MkIII version of Ford’s global small car is making its debut in production guise at the Paris motor show.

But the three-door, five-cylinder RS flagship will be long gone from showrooms by the time the all-new Focus range makes it to Australia in 2012 because all 315 RS hatchbacks that Ford Australia has managed to hijack from European production are already spoken for by a queue of eager hot hatch fans in Australia and New Zealand.

Ford says its dealers have been begging for more of the German-built cars, but that’s just not going to happen, with the small-car factory set to down tools for the change to the new Focus.

Ford Australia president and CEO Marin Burela said that when Ford announced it would sell the Focus RS in Australia recently, the enquiry rate at dealerships doubled.

“I would like 1015 (cars), not 315 - but that’s all we could get,” he said of the RS, which was launched 18 months ago in Europe.

The main benefit of the RS to Ford will be to sprinkle some stardust over the ageing Focus range which is struggling, down 18 per cent this year, against newcomers such as the Holden Cruze in a segment up 14.4 per cent.

Claimed to be faster than the Ford GT supercar around Ford’s Lommel proving ground in Belgium, the RS is the most powerful and most expensive model to bear the Focus nameplate in Australia, with 35 per cent more power, 38 per cent more torque and a 40 per cent higher price than the previous champ, the $36,490 166kW/320Nm Focus XR5.

The $59,990 Focus RS – the 22nd hot Ford to carry the RS tag since its debut on the Escort RS1600 in 1970 – will be pitched directly at the $59,990 Subaru Impreza STi and $61,390 Mitsubishi Evo X.

Left: Ford Focus RS. Bottom: Ford RevoKnuckle.

The Focus has marginally more power and significantly more torque than those rivals, thanks to a Volvo-developed five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbocharged engine.

But unlike the all-wheel-drive Japanese models, the Focus RS channels all 224kW and 440Nm to the ground via its front wheels.

To cope with all that adrenaline without armloads of torque steer, Ford enlisted the help of its World Rally Championship team to help design a patented new front suspension knuckle – called RevoKnuckle – to brace the MacPherson strut sports suspension and keep the hatchback on the straight and narrow.

That new suspension set-up also includes a 40mm wider track, which in turn means the car not only requires unique flared mudguards, but also requires the front suspension to be fitted as a subassembly because the car otherwise would not fit down the Saarlouis production line in Germany.

However, the wider track at both front and rear also means a bigger footprint on the road, helped by 19-inch alloy wheels bearing meaty 235/35 R19 Continental rubber.

Ford Australia national product marketing manager Robert de Filippo said Ford had looked at fitting the Focus RS with all-wheel drive, but had elected to go front-wheel drive to save weight, reduce inertia and cut both fuel consumption and cost.

At 1492kg, the Focus RS is lighter than the STi and EVO by 28kg and 73kg respectively.

Mr Filippo said Ford had also been determined not just to mask torque steer with electronic controls and the like, but to find a solution, which it did through its two-piece C-section knuckle.

As well, the RS gets a trick Quaife limited-slip differential to help dispense that torque more controllably to the driving wheels.

Mr Filippo said Ford also decided to produce the car only with a six-speed manual transmission – a beefy unit also designed to cope with the massive torque.

While this might put it at a disadvantage to potential rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf R that offer the alternative of dual-clutch automated gearboxes, Ford is selling all it can build anyway.

The Volvo-sourced engine is based on the same five-cylinder powerplant as employed in the Focus XR5 – and Volvo models such as the S60 – but it got a thorough pull-through in the engineering workshops.

Pistons, conrods, camshaft profile and both inlet and exhaust manifolds are unique, along with a barrel-chested turbocharger that delivers 1.4 bar of pressure – double that of the XR5’s blower.

Peak power is achieved at 6500rpm, while maximum torque rolls out at 2300rpm and continues to 4500rpm.

The combined fuel economy reading of 10.4 litres per 100km just pips the 10.5L/100k of both the STi and Evo. Carbon dioxide emissions are said to be 246g/km.

Compared with the Focus XR5, suspension spring rates are firmer by 25 per cent on the front and 15 per cent on the rear, while the steering ratio is 10 per cent faster.

The ‘Control Blade’ independent rear suspension also gets sports tuning and is lowered by 20mm.

Electronic handling and safety controls, such as ESC and traction control, were tuned over 400 laps of Germany’s famed Nurburgring, where engineers, naturally, erred on the side of sportiness.

Braking is supplied by beefy 336mm front discs and 302mm rears, with single-piston callipers.

Compared with the XR5 and the other six models in the current five-door Focus range in Australia, the three-door RS has no panel in common.

At the front, a gaping, 30 per cent larger grille is underpinned by an aerodynamic splitter, which, along with a prominent twin-blade rear wing, is said to have real downforce benefits at race-circuit speeds.

With more than a nod to the design of the Focus WRC cars, the aggressive aero package also includes side skirts and bonnet louvers.

The black-and-charcoal interior is dominated by deep leather-faced Recaro race-style seats, with contrast blue twin-stitch seams. Because the rear seats are also moulded like sports seats, the RS is four-seat only.

Carbon-fibre-like material cloaks the console and instruments, and while the Focus RS is high on equipment, such as climate-control air-conditioning, an eight-speaker audio system and keyless entry and start, there is no modern-style in-dash screen to accommodate sat-nav.

Rain-sensing wipers, auto-leveling Xenon headlights and parking sensors are also standard.

The first three-door Focus in Australia, the RS will be sold in just one specification and three colours – a stand-out green borrowed from the WRC team called Ultimate Green, plus Performance Blue and Frozen White.

There are no options.

Deliveries are expected to start at the end of this month.

[Polyal]

So much want! Best daily driver going around.

The drive guy called it a 4pot though, just a typo I guess as he mentioned it was the volvo sourced 5. I really wish fuel consumption figure for performance cars were keep to a footnote at the end of the article.

[Talldude]

He also said it is the first 3-door focus to hit Oz..... LR 3 door were here first................

Still wouldnt say no to an RS any RS really!

[DJM83]

Doesnt use much more fuel then an XR5, oh what id do for one.......