Real Speed

The 2016 Focus RS sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds

By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company

Today at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Ford officially revealed the pricing and performance of the forthcoming 2016 Focus RS. The highly anticipated hot hatch from Ford Performance is said to be the fastest Focus RS model yet, but more importantly it is now available for order in Europe, with pricing starting at €39,000 in Germany and £29,000 in the United Kingdom. The North American starting tariff is $36,605.

“All-new Focus RS hits 100 kilometers per hour in 4.7 seconds—and that’s about the time it will take customers to decide they want one after getting behind the wheel,” Juergen Gagstatter, chief program engineer for Focus RS, said. “This car delivers ground-breaking technology with stunning handling and performance, all for a price which must give our premium competitors sleepless nights.”

Here’s a look at the new RS going from 0 to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds…

Of course, we already knew that the new Focus RS produces 350 PS, and 440 Nm of torque , which is on tap from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm. That number can swell to 470 Nm for up to 15 seconds in Overboost mode. For North America, the RS is projected to produce 350 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque! All told, that thrust propels the RS to a whopping 165 mph top speed.

If you can’t get enough, you can watch Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe and Ben Collins, former “Stig” on Top Gear discuss the RS (and the Mustang)…

As the former Stig says, it’s as fast as some exotics in recent memory. Likewise, its acceleration is in the neighborhood of the current Mustang GT, and far quicker than the EcoBoost Mustang. Since it packs some really neat tech in the form of four Drive Modes—Normal, Sport, Track, and Drift—alongside the Launch Control we are familiar with on Mustangs, the all-wheel-drive Focus RS should be an absolute blast to drive.

“The all-new Focus RS will bring the legendary nameplate to a new generation of global customers for the first time,”  Dave Pericak, director, Ford Performance, said. “Focus RS delivers stunning performance and innovative technology at a price that will make both enthusiast consumers and premium automakers look twice.”

We certainly can wait to take one for a spin, but we will have to wait until the spring of 2016 for it to tear up US pavement. European customers get a head start with expected delivery in early 2016.

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