aiboart Member 665 Member For: 19y 3m 4d Posted 02/08/10 09:54 AM Share Posted 02/08/10 09:54 AM Focus RS for OZ Confirmed - SMH Article LinkFord's WRX STI rival coming JEZ SPINKS / SMHAugust 2, 2010 - 3:25PM Ford Focus RSFocus RS confirmed for Australia. 224kW five-cylinder turbo. $59,990 price tag. Ford Australia will take on Japan's hottest hatches after announcing it will introduce the 224kW Focus RS at the end of the year. The RS was launched in Europe 18 months ago but Ford's local outpost says it has finally managed to create a business case for the powerful three-door that will compete against the likes of the Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, as well as Volkswagen's Golf R. Ford's hot-hatch will be priced from $59,990 (plus on-road costs) and numbers will be limited to 315. It is based on the current Focus that will be replaced by a new-generation model in 2011. The RS uses a heavily modified version of the Focus XR5 Turbo's (Volvo-sourced) 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo petrol engine, with a bigger turbo and revised exhaust system helping to lift power and torque to 220kW (up 54kW) and 410Nm (up 90Nm) respectively. The engine is mated to a beefier, shorter-shifting version of the XR5 Turbo's six-speed manual gearbox. Unlike its aforementioned rivals, the Focus RS puts its power to the ground through the front wheels only rather than all four wheels, though Ford claims to have virtually eliminated torque steer (forceful tugging on the steering wheel when torque overcomes front tyre grip) with a special front-suspension set-up it calls RevoKnuckle. The RS's front axle also includes a limited-slip differential to help optimise the hotter Focus's handling and traction. The Focus RS gets many other performance enhancements over the Focus XR5 Turbo that was the car's starting point. The RS has wider front and rear tracks (up 40mm), stiffer springs, bigger wheels (19 inches) and brakes, bigger rear stabiliser bar, and steering tuned for sharper responses. Ford claims the Focus RS is significantly quicker than the Focus XR5 Turbo despite being up to 100kg heavier - sprinting from 0-100km/h in less than six seconds and capable of reaching a top speed of 250km/h. The RS certainly looks racier than the XR5 Turbo, with a big roof spoiler and rear diffuser at the rear (both contributing to the car's aerodynamics), deep side skirts, bonnet vents, and those wheelarch-filling 19-inch wheels. Inside, the RS's cabin is colour-matched to the exterior and features body-hugging Recaro sports bucket seats (and heavily bolstered rear seats), brushed-aluminium and carbonfibre-style trim, and three dashtop gauges that include a turbo boost dial.Other standard features for the German-built RS include voice-activated Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control, xenon headlights, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and engine start, and an eight-speaker, six-CD Sony audio system with iPod/MP3 compatibility.Three colours are available: 'Ultimate green', 'Performance blue' and 'Frozen white'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tab Sucker Moderating Team 32,303 Member For: 19y 11m 25d Gender: Male Location: Brisbane Posted 02/08/10 09:57 AM Share Posted 02/08/10 09:57 AM 60 big ones + on-roads??? FMD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anchor Member 270 Member For: 14y 1m 9d Gender: Male Location: Rockhampton Posted 02/08/10 11:05 AM Share Posted 02/08/10 11:05 AM Yeah, and I bet over half will be sold before they get here. $50 says we'll get one bloke come in to buy one and have a cry about cruise control still not being a factory option haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
senna_T Forged Member Lifetime Members 15,818 Member For: 17y 2m 12d Gender: Male Location: SW Sydney Posted 02/08/10 11:13 AM Share Posted 02/08/10 11:13 AM I'll raise you to $100 that you won't see the first ones in stock until 2 months after the release date! And there won't be any spare parts for months - just what you need when your PD department stuffs something up! Yeah, I don't miss that side of the job... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagabond Bored Member Administrator 35,722 Member For: 21y 5m 5d Gender: Male Location: Dé·jà vu Posted 02/08/10 11:26 AM Share Posted 02/08/10 11:26 AM 60 big ones + on-roads??? FMD Seconded.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobramad Member 824 Member For: 18y 9m Gender: Male Location: Perth Posted 02/08/10 01:54 PM Share Posted 02/08/10 01:54 PM Lotsa motza but what a look... Sweet ride indeed.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagabond Bored Member Administrator 35,722 Member For: 21y 5m 5d Gender: Male Location: Dé·jà vu Posted 02/08/10 04:18 PM Share Posted 02/08/10 04:18 PM They do have there advantages.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dule Donating Members 1,180 Member For: 17y 3d Gender: Male Location: Sydney Posted 02/08/10 10:54 PM Share Posted 02/08/10 10:54 PM Awesome car it just seems 60k is a bit steep for a FWD but will probably still sell like hot cakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHR BOOST Moderating Team 5,698 Member For: 20y 7m 14d Gender: Male Location: Southern Highlands NSW Posted 02/08/10 11:16 PM Share Posted 02/08/10 11:16 PM I reckon they wack FPV badges on it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discostig Manual mode ________________________ All day, erryday Donating Members 13,798 Member For: 16y 4m 25d Gender: Male Location: Probably above atmospheric pressure Posted 02/08/10 11:42 PM Share Posted 02/08/10 11:42 PM (edited) Look at the AIR!!!!Awesome. Will be fun to get chopped on corners by another turbo ford when they arrive PS Dags - their* :D Edited 02/08/10 11:45 PM by -SteveR- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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