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There are plenty of things in Europe that we Americans unfortunately don’t get to enjoy here on home soil: Monstrous medieval castles. No speed limits. Beer stronger than Coke Zero. Of course, some pretty damn cool rides, too.
Like many of my cohorts, I have drooled over Ford’s Focus RS (and RS500) from afar. And now, thanks to Continental Tire, I’m happy to report that I’ve driven the snot out of a Performance Blue example during a recent stay at the brand’s Contridrom test facilities near Hanover, Germany.
To experience one of the world’s hottest hatches first hand -- on a track, no less -- was a completely unexpected treat. I travelled to Deutschland for a test of the latest German tires, not cars. But when the Focus rolled up to the tightly twisted wet handling course (Imagine a regular circuit with small sprinklers constantly dousing the pavement, and you’ll get an idea of the Slip ‘n Slide-like environment), I had to see if it was worth all the international hype. Strapped into the snug Recaro bucket, I was giddier than a thirteen year old during The Twilight Saga: Eclipse premiere.
The modern, simple cabin impresses with its soft leather and handsome plastics. The interior is a step above most U.S.-market Blue Oval products in terms of design, but lacks in pizzazz and quality compared to say the Volkswagen GTI.
The sexy skin makes everything below your beltline tingle as if a scantily-clad Adriana Lima just passed by. To glance once does the complex form no justice. Details are numerous and command further scrutiny; from the vented and muscular nose, to the chiseled flanks, venturi diffuser, and bold hatch wing, the functional build screams nothing but pure, hardcore WRC.
For an all-too-brief time, I flogged the RS through 14 corners and two short straights, putting it through some exhaustive and wet paces. Even on such a limited compact circuit, I riled the RS up to 80 mph in the middle of third gear. Its 13-inch front brakes never faded under the constant stressful use.
The RS I piloted wore Conti’s new ContiSportContact 5 P, a brilliant high performance tire that, during this particular test, quickly and efficiently shoveled gallons of water away from the vital contact patch (I’ll delve into the tire’s performance and tech in a later report).
Aside from the non-OEM rubber, stock-size 19-inch Borbet rims, and less than ideal testing grounds/conditions, the RS stuck hard to the slick surface with a Porsche GT3-esque flatness and an Audi quattro-like grip no matter how hard I pushed, delicately balancing its taut 3300 pound mass at each challenging kink.
Provoke the 305-horsepower 2.5-liter five-cylinder to just over 4000 rpm and the best combination of brute turbocharged power and torque throws head and shoulders smack into the embroidered “RECARO” badge. This enthusiastic little hatch is beyond quick, having an input responsiveness superior to any U.S.-spec Subaru WRX STI or Mazdaspeed3.
The engine’s tuning is superb. No real turbo lag to speak of, just an eager giddy-up that hurls the Focus faster with each foot of tarmac covered. And with the trick RevoKnuckle underneath the front axle, there is nary a hint of ugly torque steer. The Focus RS is one of the most solid rides I’ve ever driven and was ready and able to take on the aggressive abuse for which it was carefully bred.
My short drive was not only fun, but thought provoking. I kept reminding myself of Ford’s many excuses for not bringing a vehicle as entertaining and unique to its home market -- a place yearning for something of the sort. A revised Focus RS would follow its current UK sibling’s suit and sell out in days. Maybe even hours. Hopefully the higher-ups will give the go-ahead to a future RS version based on the next-generation Focus that’s set to debut here next year. We can only hope if they do that it turns out as good as this car.
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