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These are the first official pictures of the new Ford Focus RS hatchback, the second Focus to carry the badge in an RS story that began in Germany in the late 1960s but really came to life with the launch in 1970 of the Escort RS1600.
The new Focus is the most powerful road-going Ford RS model ever, its turbocharged 2.5-litre inline engine developing around 222kW, or a touch this side of 300bhp, through the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Torque is 410Nm.
Power output is about 36kW (50bhp) more than the 186kW Mazda MPS, the most powerful front-drive hatchback on the market in New Zealand. The anniversary model of the front-drive Volkswagen Golf GTi produces 200kW; the standard Golf GTi delivers 150kW.
Ford engineers claim the new RS will sprint from 0-100km/h in around 5.5s and on to a top speed of 250km/h. The key to channelling all that oomph, say Ford engineers, is a specially developed front suspension and limited-slip differential.
Ford looked at doing an all-wheel-drive evolution to distribute power to all four corners but abandoned the plan as it would add too much weight and bump up the price.
Jost Capito, Ford of Europe's performance guru, headed development. "We want the new Focus RS to be a serious high-performance car, as much a car for driving enthusiasts as the one before it and classic Ford RS models of the past," he said.
"We're staying true to the core RS principles of an exciting yet affordable performance road car you can live with every day."
The Focus RS gets an innovative front suspension system known as a RevoKnuckle, which is designed to reduce steering disturbance and torque steer, the impact of torque in front wheel-driven vehicles.
Torque steer occurs during hard acceleration, cornering or driving on uneven surfaces, when torque on the driven wheels exceeds grips levels. It is characterised by sudden turning force on the steering wheel.
In Focus RS, the RevoKnuckle works in conjunction with a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential. Ford engineers worked with Ford's Advanced Research Centre in Aachen, Germany, to develop the RevoKnuckle technology.
Engineers say it allows the simplicity of a traditional McPherson strut arrangement but with settings that minimise steering disturbances and torque steer.
"The Ford Focus is an excellent base for a high-performance car - agile, responsive and stable," said Capito.
"We studied at length how best to enhance these qualities for a high-performance model. Our work has shown that our approach in combining a tuned RevoKnuckle with the Quaife differential is an ideal solution for a high-performance front-wheel-drive road car like Focus RS."
The vehicle is finished in a special bright green paint with inlaid metallic flake, a modern interpretation of the 1970s Le Mans Green of the Escort RS1600.
There are also wider wheel arches and a wider track, plus triangular, RS-badged vents on the flanks. Two classic-style bonnet louvres are both a styling hint at the power beneath and a practical requirement, maintaining correct system temperatures.
The new front bumper design for Focus RS incorporates a deep front airdam with a large, mesh lower grille finished in piano black.
Ford says the prominent feature represents the latest Ford "kinetic design" face. Above, chromed xenon headlamps are framed by matt-black housings with additional vents running underneath.
At the rear, a black RS spoiler sits at the roofline, echoing both RS models of the past and the World Rally-winning Focus WRC that has been its inspiration.
