Whether you like it or not, the Drift Mode of the latest Ford Focus RS is one of its real selling points, no matter how much of a gimmick it may be.
But if it wasn’t for some run-of-the-mill engine tuning and calibration, Drift Mode may have never existed.
While recently discussing the car’s development with Motoring, Ford Performance vehicle and engineering manager Tyrone Johnson revealed that the automaker never set out to include an oversteer-inducing driving mode into the Focus RS.
“It wasn’t like that it was more like one of my guys sitting in the car – the lead dynamics guys sitting in the car – and next to him is the guy who is doing the calibration of the all-wheel drive system with a lap-top on his knees.
“And they are talking and he says ‘oh let me try this out’ and he tries it and he says ‘oh that’s cool can you give me more of that’ and he gives him more and he says ‘that’s really cool’ and then it starts working,” Johnson said.
While the development team thought the feature was cool, it wasn’t signed off for production until given the thumbs up by global technical and development chief Raj Nair. He was so impressed with the system, that he insisted they should promoted it as one of the vehicle’s key selling points.
Even though it has raised some eyebrows down under, praise has been universal for the Focus RS and its drifty character. And remember, things are about to get even better.
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