The Focus RS is Back in Action

There was a delay in bringing the new Ford Focus RS to the table, but now we’re past that particular hurdle and a new Focus RS500 has already been seen testing at the Nurburgring track in Germany. This car took center stage a few years ago as one of the most powerful hot hatches on the market and is eager to show off its wares on the most famous track in the world once again. Not only is Ford ready to begin work on this car but we’re certainly excited to see what a new RS500 could bring to the table.

While the test mules have been spotted and the look is similar to what we’ve already got on the market the fact remains that the RS is a super hatchback that just asks for more power. The expectation is to gain another fifteen percent horsepower boost to bring it to 400 horsepower coming out of the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The torque is expected to remain the same in order to allow the car to use the same six-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drive system that’s on the current model for us to admire and enjoy.

If Ford is able to produce the Focus RS500 with this added power the expectation is we will have a car that can reach sixty mph in less than 4.2 seconds and the top speed will come in somewhere around 167 mph. This car will need some serious downforce applied to it just to keep it on the ground and the tires will have to be perfect for the job. Thankfully the tires that are expected to be used will be the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires that have gotten the job done in the past.

The prototype that was spotted testing in Nurburgring offered more cooling vents and a larger rear spoiler. No doubt those vents are made to help add downforce to the car in order to give it the grip needed. The suspension will need to be tighter and the chassis may have to be strengthened as well, but with these first couple changes you can see that Ford is serious about bringing us the Focus RS500 as a car that we can love on our own roads.

As we prepare for the Focus RS500, even though there hasn’t been any official announcement from Ford yet, the expected price of this new RS500 will probably come in at roughly $45,000. For those of you who intend to make this purchase and have one of the most powerful hot hatches to ever be built its time to start saving as this car will most likely show up in 2018 if there aren’t any more setbacks that cause the team to need to focus elsewhere.