After spending the '90s frustrating enthusiasts with mundane machinery, Ford of Europe has turned up the wick and returned to its sporting routes. The RS is (if you'll pardon the pun) an extraordinarily focused car and pays homage to the company's World Rally Car.
Only the hood, tailgate, doors and roof panel are carried over from the standard Focus. The front track has grown by 65mm to match that of the WRC, while the 18-in. O.Z alloy wheels mimic the magnesium versions fitted to the tarmac-spec rally car. The arrival of a new, more aggressive WRC may have compromised the RS's "rally replica" aspirations a tad, but it remains a dramatic, head-bending sight.
The interior continues the theme. Sparco, which supply the seats to the rally team, has designed most of the detailing. The leather and Alcantara seats chairs like a weightlifter's thighs at bedtime, and they're separated by a strip of carbon fiber, which frames a plaque displaying the RS's build number. The cabin has a definite sense of occasion, but it's far from subtle. Like the exterior, it's only available in Ford Racing blue and could offend those with sophisticated taste buds.
The starter button ignites a 1988cc, 16-valve Duratec unit that's been fitted with a Garrett GT 2560LS water-cooled turbocharger and oil-spray cooled pistons. The addition of forced induction boosts the power output to 213 bhp, and it produces 229 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm.
With no four-wheel drive or traction control to marshal the power, the Focus relies on a Quaife Automatic Torque-Biasing (ATB) differential and an engine management system that limits the torque to 170 lb-ft in the first two gears. As a result, its 0-60-mph time of 6.5 seconds doesn't give a clear indication of its true performance - a 30-60-mph fourth-gear sprint of 8.2 seconds (when the engine's unrestricted) is more representative. Top speed is 144 mph.
The diff also has a critical impact on the Ford's handling. On smooth roads, the Focus displays extraordinary poise, grip and precision. The limits of adhesion are truly extraordinary, but this doesn't make the RS a boring drive. Such are the levels of communication through the seats, pedals and wheel that the driver feels one with the car.
But on poor surfaces in wet conditions, the RS is much less convincing. Dropping the outside tire on a greasy center line, for example, tends to confuse the diff and create armfuls of torque steer. On bumpy surfaces, where this effect is exacerbated by the hard ride, the effect can be discomforting and far from enjoyable.
This is a hard-core car that demands committed and skilled wheelmanship to deliver its best. But if you're in the mood, it can deliver a cocktail of thrills that even the Subaru WRX can't match. And at #19,995 ($31,392), it's a great value.