Drift like a Rally Driving Legend with Ford's new Focus RS
The 2016 Ford Focus RS has received a surge of appeal ever since it was first showcased in Cologne, Germany. This is for many reasons: most notably its dedicated drift mode. Yes, the company has confirmed that the new RS will feature a drift mode, making it the only car in the automotive industry to do so. This is the reason for the fun where this dynamic torque vectoring system gives the driver a choice of four different drive modes, sport, normal, track and drift, which can all be controlled on the fly with the flick of a switch located at the gear lever.
Adding to this, each of the modes also offers unique settings for the electronic stability control, damper controls, engine response, steering, exhaust sound and even the all-wheel drive system. When in drift mode, the torque is evenly distributed to allow you to drift through a turn. It all boils down to the computer and car technology, where sensors detect the amount of torque in order to determine the technique the driver is going to use to drift.
If it detects that the driver is on the right track, then the driver is in for some superb drifting action, but if the car sensors determine that the driver is not in control, then the sensors will adjust accordingly to ensure the car doesn’t sway off track. With regards to specs, the new Ford RS is equipped with a 4-cylinder 2.3 liter Ecoboost engine that renders a mean 315 horsepower combined with an all-wheel drive and dynamic torque vectoring system.
The 2016 Ford Focus is outfitted with a superb body kit that makes it extremely worthy of its badge, making the car look as though it is ready for the rally floor. The front of the vehicle is fitted with a large trapezoidal grille complete with a front splitter that extends downwards and offers an unobstructed view of the intercooler. In addition, each side is appointed with large outboard openings to cool the front brakes, paired with a set of fog lamps to complete the front bumper. Don’t expect car insurance costs to be low though, with availability expected to be limited initially, it may just be the lucky traders who get to insure one on a motor trade insurance policy.
With regards to the side of the vehicle, it features widened wheel arches to accommodate the 19-inch alloy wheels that are specially designed for the 2016 Ford Focus RS. The rear of the vehicle is dominated by a rather large aerodynamic diffuser which is not just for show, but there to help the car reduce drag and achieve better downforce. Each side of the diffuser is flanked by twin exhaust openings and the package is complete with a rear roof spoiler.
The engine of the third generation 2016 Ford RS is linked with a six speed manual transmission combined with a first of its kind all wheel drive system. With the help of this system, 70% of the engine’s torque is streamed to the rear axle and the rest of the available torque to each rear wheel. The officially price of the 2016 Ford Focus RS is yet to be revealed, but experts guess it will be in the ballpark of £30,000.