Ford Focus RS 2011 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $59,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
Crash-rating: Five-star
Fuel: 95 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 10.4
CO2 emissions (g/km): 246
Also consider: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Renault Megane RS 250, Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Volkswagen Golf R

Is the Ford Focus RS the best production front-wheel drive performance car ever made? This was the question that occupied my thoughts after handing the keys back at Ford's Broadmeadows HQ in Victoria.

It's astonishingly fast, ridiculously agile and ultimately very gratifying to drive, but when you consider the augmentations made to the donor car, a Focus XR5 Turbo, such sensory pleasures are not surprising.

And it would want to be one of the best FWD vehicles ever, because Ford's Team RS has been responsible for some very special vehicles in the past, the first two and arguably most famous the Escort RS1600 and Capri RS2600 of 1970, not to mention the Escort RS1800 (1975) and Group B RS200 (1985).

The latest Focus RS boasts 224kW/440Nm (58kW and 120Nm more than the XR5); much of the extra power generated by a new Borg Warner K16 turbocharger that effectively doubles the XR5 Turbo's boost to 20.3 psi (1.37 bar). Other changes to the 2.5-litre inline five-cylinder engine include graphite-coated cylinder bores, silicon-aluminium pistons, a forged crankshaft and a new air-to-air intercooler.

The result is explosive and even without any mechanical changes the engine is said to be able to handle even higher turbo pressures without catastrophically malfunctioning.

Peak torque of 440Nm betters the WRX STI and Mitsubishi Evolution comfortably, and beats the Golf R by more than 100Nm. Best of all, the V8-like torque peaks at 2300rpm and sustains a flat curve until 4500rpm. The 224kW peaks at 6500rpm.

Where the Focus XR5 Turbo has a decent bottom end, with plenty of turbo grunt from around 3000rpm, the Focus RS delivers thunderous torque from as low as 2000rpm, and even below that it doesn't bog down under full load. Indeed, it's a massively tractable engine, and one that's a joy to control.

Standing starts are a real highlight; the K16 turbocharger configured so that the 20psi of boost builds rapidly but without much lag. By the time the tacho reaches 3500rpm in first gear, the torque is beginning to overpower the front wheels and it's not until you short-shift to second gear that you begin to appreciate the straight-line speed of the car.

Beyond 4000rpm it really hits its stride and in another heartbeat the tacho passes 6000rpm and you're being gently squeezed into the leather-lined Recaro seats.

Things start to slow down when the tacho hits 7000rpm and the needle begins to bounce as the rev limiter kicks in. Put simply, torque is sublime right across the rev range and you rarely need full throttle on the road. The German-made hyper hatch certainly feels quicker than its 5.9secs, 0-100km/h sprint time suggests.

Triple digit speeds are taken care of with one gear change and it does so with only a smidgen of torque steer. Fun? And this was before we even reached a corner...

Such colossal power in a front-wheel drive vehicle would normally result in unpredictable handling characteristics, as torque- and under-steer constantly try to undermine your intended trajectory. But thanks to a clever engineering solution the Focus RS carves up corners with precision and poise.

On top of a Quaife torque biasing limited slip differential, the front end manages to get its power to the ground effectively in fast corners thanks to a subtle change to the front suspension. The MacPherson front strut uses what Ford calls a RevoKnuckle which, as explained in our Focus RS launch review, features two connection points between the wheel hub and the strut, rather than one.

The idea was taken directly from Ford's WRC program and delivers confidence to push hard through corners that few other front-wheel drives can match, especially when combined with sticky German rubber (235/35 ZR19 Continental ContiSportContact 3).

Other chassis changes including 40mm wider track than its donor car, uprated damper settings, stiffer spring rates, 20mm lower ride height, and upgraded antiroll bars, help make this an apex chaser that takes no prisoners. It's utterly menacing the way it devours corners, and isn't difficult to control either.

During a blast through a very familiar hill climb, the RS showed remarkable stability, changing directions (under full load) with the effortlessness of a teenaged Russian gymnast performing a double tuck in the pike position.

Feedback through the steering wheel is excellent, and the firm ride ensured plenty of communication through the driving wheels as well. The steering is well weighted and has a precise, connected feel. It's almost as if your arms are cybernetically joined to the front struts at times, such is responsiveness.

Body roll? It's a phrase that doesn't exist in the Focus RS's dictionary. My hastily scrawled notes read "unshakeable" and the rapidity with which the suspension loads up (nigh on instant) guarantees an excellent spread of grip as it tips into a corner.

The brakes are ridiculously powerful, thanks to beefy 326mm front and 300mm rear rotors, and I never got to push the pedal right into the floor mat. And believe me, I was trying! They offer loads of feel too, so you can plough into corners way too hot yet maintain control under partial brakes.

Did I mention it sounds good? Imagine a pleasant roar as the revs rise from within the cabin, but bystanders get the best deal: more of an angry bark that cuts the air with a blasé disregard for sensitive ears.

The nicely finished interior has plenty of mod cons: leather trim, decent MP3 capable stereo, climate control, keyless entry and engine ignition, stability control, six airbags, and so on. But you won't buy this car for its interior ambience -- it's all about power delivery and razor-sharp handling.

There are few vehicles on the road that can deliver such instant thrills, and it's my belief that Ford's Team Rallye Sport has created a worthy successor to the venerable RS models of the '70s and '80s.

Before the car was launched, Jost Capito, the director of Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport Business Development at Ford Europe, boasted: "This is a serious machine, with the performance, traction and precision to match far more exotic sports cars. The RS badge is not something we treat lightly and I believe this car proves it."

It sounded like the usual PR spin, but Capito is bang on the money -- this vehicle is no pretender.

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