The Ford performance road car badge returns in the new Focus RS.

The new Focus RS will go on sale in early 2009 and is being created by a small team of dedicated engineers but will be previewed on 22 July at the 2008 London International Motor Show.

This is second Focus model to carry the RS mantle and promises another exciting chapter in an exciting 40-year story that began in Germany in the late 1960s and gained momentum across Europe with the launch of the 1970 Escort RS1600.

"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. We're staying true to the core RS principles of an exciting, yet affordable performance road car you can live with every day," said Jost Capito, Ford of Europe's Vehicle Line Director for Performance Vehicles.

Presence and style

With its lowered, 'meaner' appearance expected of a Ford RS, overt performance styling details mix with design revisions for a more powerful stance and the promise of an exciting drive.

The London show car previews the design intent for a final production vehicle, though as development work continues, some final details may change before volume production begins.

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 era.

The exterior colour is contrasted with a number of performance styling details highlighted in gloss 'piano black', including the strip at the leading edge of the bonnet, the deep housings for the integrated front fog lamps and door mirrors with integrated side indicators.

Front and rear quarter panels have been revised to incorporate wider wheel arches and a wider track, complemented by revised, deeper side rocker mouldings. In another visual reminder of the car's performance potential, triangular, RS-badged vents sit behind the front wheel arches. Two classic-style bonnet louvres are both a styling hint at the power beneath and a practical requirement, maintaining correct system temperatures.

The completely new front bumper design for Focus RS incorporates a deep front airdam with a large, mesh lower grille in an extended trapezoid. This prominent feature represents the latest Ford 'kinetic design' face and also is finished in piano black. Above, chromed xenon headlamps stand out like cat's eyes and are framed by matt-black housings with unique additional vents running underneath.

At the rear, a deep new rear bumper incorporates a large venturi tunnel to its lower edge with small vents at each corner of the bumper, emphasizing the car's width. Two chromed exhaust tailpipes sit each side of the black venture, for a more purposeful rear view.

Above, a unique, twin-element, black RS rear spoiler sits at the roofline, echoing both RS models of the past and the World Rally-winning Focus WRC that has been its inspiration.

"We believe it's vitally important that a Focus RS looks like both a Focus and an RS ? it needs to be individual, distinctive and overt in its performance styling, but it also needs to show a clear progression from and relationship to Focus ST," said Stefan Lamm, Chief Exterior Designer, Ford of Europe.

High performance interior

Inside, this performance-oriented theme continues with the interior dominated by bespoke, sculpted Recaro high-performance sports seats. Each is colour-matched to the exterior, with ebony leather accents and 'RS' and 'Recaro' logos stitched into each backrest.

Elsewhere, colour builds on the sporty interior theme of Focus ST with more use of accents matched to the exterior colour and brushed aluminium highlights. Even the rear seats feature higher side bolsters and a microfibre finish to echo those up front.

The centre console is finished in a stylish gloss, carbon-look trim and metallic highlights abound, from air vents, door grab handles, switchgear and gearshift surround, to unique RS-branded scuff plates on the door sills. These contrast with a black-trimmed roof lining.

The driver is reminded this is a special Focus with a gear lever finished with a six speed gear shift graphic in RS blue, a sporty, three-spoke steering wheel, finished with 'Ford' and 'RS' logos and aluminium foot pedals. The performance driving environment is completed by three additional gauges from the Focus ST, including turbo pressure, sitting atop the centre console and angled toward the driver's eyeline.

Powerful heart

At the heart of the all-new Focus RS is a specially developed, turbocharged version of the Duratec 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine. Revised for high performance, this powerplant is targeting a power output of 220kW and over 410Nm of torque.

Such increases aren't simply the result of altering engine management or boost pressure: starting with the Duratec 2.5-litre block, Ford RS engineers developed unique camshafts, a revised cylinder head and gasket and revised intake and exhaust manifold system for the car.

Although the car is still in development, prior to its launch in early 2009, early performance testing indicates a 0-100km/h time of under six seconds.

A traction 'Revo'-lution

Throughout Focus RS' development, focus has been on performance and traction.

Various innovations have allowed engineers to keep the car as front-wheel drive, with a limited-slip differential, while still achieving its targets. The Focus is equipped with a front suspension system known as a 'RevoKnuckle', which is designed to reduce unwanted steering disturbance and torque steer, the impact of torque on steering 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 and can be exacerbated by vehicles with wide tyres and limited-slip differentials.

In Focus RS, the RevoKnuckle works in conjunction with a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential. It allows the simplicity of a traditional McPherson strut arrangement, but with geometry settings that minimise steering disturbances and torque steer, principally a reduction in steering offset.

"The result is a lightweight set-up, that will deliver the right blend of traction and razor sharp controllability ? in a way no one would have expected from front-wheel-drive, and we believe we have made the right choice," Capito concluded.

Agile and responsive

Driving quality developments for Focus RS include a 40mm wider track, stronger, longer driveshafts, revised springs and dampers and a thicker, longer rear anti-roll bar. At the same time, the steering system has been retuned to provide a sharper steering response and precise feedback.

Brakes also have been uprated, with 336mm ventilated front discs and 300mm rear discs generating vice-like stopping power on road or track. Large calipers peek out from behind unique 19-inch wheels, wrapped in 235/35 low profile Continental tyres.

A special version of Ford's ESP system has also been developed for Focus RS, designed to allow a sporty driving style before activating. Intensive work to refine the natural handling abilities of the car has allowed the ESP system to carry a full de-activation option for enthusiast drivers and especially for track use.

"We are refining all the handling characteristics of Focus RS without ESP, to hone its natural responses, rather than use ESP to help its handling. In Focus RS, ESP is a pure safety device", explained Capito.