Ford Focus RS Now With 350 Horsepower, 350 Torques, Idiot-proof Manual

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

“Idiot-proof” is a little harsh. Maybe “Idiot-helping.”

Ford on Monday announced that the Focus RS would sport 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque — up from 345 and 324 respectively — and have a “stall recovery” feature that restarts the car if you’re a beginner with three pedals in a $36,000 hot hatchback.

The feature is an evolution of start-stop technology, according to Ford. If a driver stalls the Focus RS at a light, the engine will start itself by pressing the clutch again — without shifting into neutral. We asked a Ford spokesman if the feature could be disabled — similar to start-stop in other cars — for situations such as push-starting, but didn’t immediately hear back.

Ford also detailed its 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine that will appear in the Focus RS. The engine, which was lifted from the Mustang but tuned for the Focus RS, will produce 350 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 350 pounds-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm.

Ford said the turbocharger, which will deliver 23.2 psi during 20 seconds of overboost, will be helped by an intercooler and larger radiator for extra cooling.

Ford will sell the Focus RS in the States next spring. Production of the car begins later this year.

(Note to readers: Sometimes I am that idiot, too.)

Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

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  • Chopsui Chopsui on Oct 12, 2015

    Please don't ever use the word "torques" again.

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    • B534202 B534202 on Oct 13, 2015

      Watched too much Top Gear.

  • Xflowgolf Xflowgolf on Oct 12, 2015

    Stating "The engine, which was lifted from the Mustang..." is selling the drivetrain in this car extremely short: -upgraded alloy cylinder head for higher temps -stronger head gasket -stronger high-tensile cast iron cylinder liners -revised intake/throttle body -larger compressor wheel -cooling upgrades, etc. etc. Yes it's derived from the same 2.3 architecture, but neither the block nor head is directly lifted from the 2.3 Ecoboost used elsewhere (like the Mustang).

    • See 2 previous
    • Vega Vega on Oct 13, 2015

      @Scuttle I think Aaron Cole is just an internet writer, but not a car enthusiast. This can be good for a more realistic view of the market, but is obviously bad when he feels the need to copy the fact that the Focus RS has an intercooler (who'd have thunk?) from the Ford press release.

  • Sector 5 Sector 5 on Oct 12, 2015

    Could do some Super Dave or H B Halicki in this thing. But a reality check for me would be red lights, cycling advocates, pedestrians, the insurance industry... And that Wal-Mart buggy check. Along with a randon ex G.I. backpacker with huge hunting knife prying my badges. All of them would find me and my RS.

  • VolandoBajo VolandoBajo on Oct 27, 2015

    Why, pray tell, do you describe it as "350 torques"? Is this some new affectation to sound hip and inside, or some sign of lack of familiarity with, and command of, the English language, automotive/engineering domain? Properly it is "350 ft-lbs. of torque" or if you wish to shorten it, for an audience that would comprehend from the context, just "350 ft.-lbs.". But 350 torques just sounds either stupid, or affected, or both. Spanish has a good word for it: cursi. Part of my pushback against the idea that English might be the most powerfully expressive of all languages. Not saying that it is necessarily less than, but only that it is not clearly "more than" all the rest. That idea to me seems like the embodied expression of ethnocentrism.

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