By now, you’re probably familiar with Gymkhana star Ken Block and his particular set of skills that make him a nightmare for the overall being of handbrakes. Luckily, we really enjoy watching him work.
As the video starts, we’re told that the ESP and Traction Control systems have been switched off (duh), followed by the phrase ” Ford challenges Ken Block… “. Which even though is a fairly common expression, we found it perhaps more interesting than we should have.
Is the all-new 320+ PS Ford Focus RS a challenge for Ken Block? Absolutely not. He knows his craft. However was it more of a challenge than it would have been had he been driving one of his own cars? We think so, yes.
It’s quite clear from the footage that some of these moves are considerably less responsive and fluent than the ones made with his 600+ PS rally/drift cars. The Focus RS just doesn’t have the power to spin its wheels quick enough (at least not at low rpm) in order to drift around objects with ease or to come out of the drift as fast as we’re used to seeing Ken do it.
Still, having said that, it’s a beautiful thing to watch, especially considering that we’re looking at a Ford Focus which you’ll be able to buy pretty much anywhere in the world. The RS sounds great too and looks agile, but then again so would most other hot hatches in the hands of a professional. The Focus RS is set to be better at this sort of thing thanks to its all-wheel drive system – something most of its rivals don’t have.
For example, looking at a front-wheel drive car, as brilliant as a Megane RS 275 Trophy is you won’t be able to pull off the exact same stunts in the exact same way as you would in a Focus RS. Mainly because you’d have less traction and more understeer. You should do a bit better in the 300 HP all-wheel drive Golf R, but if you want to replicate those Gymkhana moves, you need a lot more help from underneath the hood.
All in all, great video. The new Focus RS features impressive performance and a great noise coming from that 2.3 liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine.