Here are some new photos of another prototype like the one we showed you earlier this week, along with some new rumors about the hardcore version of the Ford Focus RS.
Even though we haven’t seen it on any testers, sources from Europe say that the Blue Oval has some serious plans about how to extract more performance out of the Focus RS500. These involve the use of plastic side windows and some body panels made out of carbon-reinforced plastic along with the removal of soundproofing material and even carbon fiber brakes in order to trim weight off the regular model’s figure.
The 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine will of course get re-tuned to at least match the power levels of the Mercedes A45 AMG which is currently the most powerful model in the class at 376hp (381PS), and the possibility of Ford pairing it to a dual-clutch transmission for even more impressive numbers. A new electronically controlled limited slip differential for the all-wheel drive model’s front axle is also under consideration.
The regular Focus RS is not a slow car though, as it’s able to accelerate from standstill to 62mph (0-100km/h) in 4.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 165mph (266km/h). We can certainly see the standard sprint time flirting with the 4-sec territory where cars like the Audi RS3 and the aforementioned A45 AMG currently reside.
As for the prototype you see here, it wears the same vented black (carbon?) bonnet we saw before, along with a more prominent front chin spoiler and a larger, adjustable rear wing. With the regular Focus RS still in its launch phase, we don’t expect Ford to reveal it for at least a year from now.
That, of course, will stand only if the company plans to do things exactly the same way they did the last time, when the original Focus RS500 was launched as a farewell, right before the end of the production run. If not, prepare for a very pleasant surprise soon.
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