How does the new 2009 Ford Focus RS feel on the road?
Fast. The RS uses the same 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine as the regular Focus ST – making it the first ever Escort or Focus RS to use anything other than a four-pot – but it’s reworked with a larger turbo and intercooler, new pistons, cams and a revised ECU. What’s most impressive is the tractability of the new RS’s engine, despite the larger – and what could prove to be a slower spooling and laggier – turbo. The RS pulls robustly from 1200rpm in sixth, and actually starts to feel rapid from 2000rpm. Not scary fast, but you’re very aware that the RS is very quick even at these modest rpms. It’s a linear, progressive unit too, that’s starkly in contrast to the nothing-boost-nothing characteristics of a Mitsubishi Evo X. The hot Focus’s power simply flows from almost idle speed to the 7000rpm redline – the same limit as the more modest ST, though the RS does allow an extra 200rpm for very brief periods of time. Aurally, the new Focus RS also provides a very different experience to
