The clutches allow the Focus RS to transfer up to 100 percent of its available power to the left or right rear wheel within. A dedicated computer monitors vehicle sensors 100 times per second and locks and unlocks the clutches given the situation. This led Ford to work with the engineering company GKN on the Torque Vectoring Rear Drive Module (RDM), which looks like a rear differential with electronically controlled but hydraulically actuated clutches on each rear-wheel output.
Ford said the team tried fitting larger rear tires to mechanically overdrive the rear wheels and counteract the limitations of the Haldex, but the driveline blew itself to pieces due to the different front and rear ratios and no real way to slip one of the ratios to even everything out.
Initially they tried a Haldex unit, which provided great straight-line traction but tends to be dull at the limit and usually results in understeer. The team knew the all-wheel-drive system would be critical to the performance of the car, so it really focused its efforts here. The front spoiler, the roof spoiler, and a lower diffuser work together to give the RS zero lift. The brake ducts on the front spoiler transfer air into little "jet tunnels" that feed lower control arm deflectors, guiding the air into the center of the brake rotors. Instead, the front grille was enlarged as much as possible to get air to the largest intercooler they could fit. Johnson and his team also insisted that everything you see on the car be functional. Little things like the exhaust were fully redesigned twice to eliminate the center muffler and make it as straight as possible, reducing backpressure, increasing power, and creating an angry, raspy, spitting sound that is unique to the RS. His vision was key to the development of the RS, which took over two years to perfect.
The Ford Focus RS vehicle engineer manager, Tyrone Johnson, was previously in charge of Ford Racing and was responsible for the carmaker's efforts in F1 and the World Rally Championships. Here's everything you need to know about Ford's new hot hatch. In all of these instances, the RS proved to be an absolute riot. I spent two days driving the RS on mountain roads, took it for a bunch of hot laps on the Moto GP-friendly Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tomo, and even tried drifting around a specially setup skidpad. Now, here's what we can finally confirm: As amazing as we expected the RS to be, it far exceeds every one of our expectations.įord held its first drives of the RS in Valencia, Spain last weekend. Based on what we already knew the car entailed, the Focus RS seemed like a certain steal at $35,730: a 350-horsepower, 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system with a torque-vectoring rear differential four-piston 350mm Brembo brakes Recaro seats electronically adjustable shocks and a mission to lap a track for 30 minutes without any performance loss. So, pretty damn excited.Īnd there's good reason for all this fervor. How excited are people for this car? Well, the company has already received 3700 orders even though the car won't hit show rooms until spring. But that all changes with the 2017 Ford Focus RS. Only problem is, we've never been able to buy an RS in the United States. Then, the company set a record with the 1985 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth by selling the first street car with an engine that produced more than 100 horsepower per liter. Remember the RS200? Ford took its Group B rally car and made it street legal. Since the RS brand's inception in 1969, Ford's performance models have always been groundbreaking.