Yes, 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. And the envy of every Subaru WRX STI, Volkswagen Golf R, and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X driver on the road. That's what you'll get if you buy the all-new Ford Focus RS.
Ford finally released the final output figures for its all-wheel-drive rocket hatch, and they far exceed the original estimate of 315 horsepower. In fact, the 2.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder develops a staggering 152 hp per liter. Anyone remember when 100 hp per liter was a huge deal?
Engineers have used any number of tricks to reach the vaunted horsepower figure. The EcoBoost four gets an "all-new" low-inertia, twin-scroll turbo delivering a peak boost of 23.2 psi. The system also makes use of a sizable intercooler, a low-restriction intake manifold, and, of course, a performance exhaust.
On top of the engine tech and lofty output, Ford detailed the new Stall Recovery feature. A function of the start-stop system, the new technology will automatically restart the engine by simply pressing in the clutch after a stall. It strikes us a pretty innovative feature.
"We knew we wanted to have stop-start technology on the RS. We said, 'What if [we] went one step further and controlled for engine stall at launch using the same technology?' So that's what we did and it's just as fast as our stop-start technology," Focus RS engineering and vehicle manager Tyrone Johnson said.
Well, that does it. We're officially excited to drive the Focus RS. Production is slated to kick off later this year. Here's hoping our First Drive comes shortly after that happy day.
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