Andrew Hamilton turns heads with the exciting new Ford Focus RS
It sat there glistening in the autumn sunshine, a stunning all-blue confection. We were in a small village somewhere among the dales of Cumbria and a nice middle-aged woman was excitedly taking photographs and trying to interest her husband.
He didn't look all that interested. "But it's different from our car and we have got a Focus," she was saying.
The difference is awesome. The object of her attention was the Focus RS which for the uninitiated means Rallye Sport. We gave her a quick account of its power and glory: top speed 143mph, 0 to 60mph in just over six seconds and a 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine with 212bhp driven through the front wheels.
Did we know the price? When she heard it was just under £20,000, she departed with her husband, promising to do the National Lottery.
Focus RS, the fastest Focus around, is part of a long blue oval tradition. It was in 1970 that Ford introduced its first RS-badged car, the Escort RS 1600. The RS badge has been an integral part of Ford's sporting image ever since. The Rallye Sport name has been applied to 19 road cars, spanning Fiesta, Escort and Sierra. Complementing the road-going cars, is racing and rallying activity and RS cars have been on a winning streak all over the world. Before the Focus, the last RS launch was the Escort 2000 4x4 in 1994.
Focus RS has a pure rally pedigree. Ford's WRC drivers and motorsport suppliers - such as Sparco, OZ Racing and Brembo - all had their say, which means WRC-inspired chassis settings, a starter button and a gear change light. "We have designed it from the ground up to be the closest you can get to Colin McRae's Focus WRC challenger," says Martin Leach, president of Ford of Europe. "It's the ultimate road-going Focus model."
Some may find all this rally stuff exhilarating, others who are more everyday drivers a bit intimidating. But the Focus RS could make all of us happy, even probably middle-aged middle-England women. The striking exterior which only comes in a single Imperial blue metallic shade, is matched by an alluring interior. Just three surface colours are featured throughout - black, blue and silver. There are racing seats, all kitted out in Alcantara leather.
But it's the driving that counts. To say it's fun-to-drive is an understatement. Throttle response is spot-on, and driving is a pot-pourri of exhaust, turbo and induction noise. Factoring in the bends shows up how accomplished it is; it has more grip, composure and covering ability than any other front-drive car we have driven. This is more than a mere hot hatch: it theatrically provides fast steering, roll-free handling and powerful, reassuring braking performance.
THE superiority of the Focus RS was highlighted in Autocar magazine which tested it against four competitors - the Subaru Impreza WRX, the Seat Leon Cupra R, the Honda Civic Type R and the Audi S3. The real contest was between the Focus and the Impreza and the Ford beat it by a whisker. The Autocar assessment was that "for the small amount of people who want this sort of car, there is nothing else quite like it".
Indeed Focus RS owners and drivers will be small in number. Only 4,500 will be made. Production is at the rate of 30 a day. That means only a handful will be sold in Ireland where the price will be €45,000.
Eddie Murphy, Ford's chairman and managing director here, sees it enhancing the image of the Focus as the best-selling car in our market. "We couldn't have a better ambassador for the Focus which accounts for 6 per cent of total Irish new car sales."
The Focus RS sits low and within the 65mm wider front track is a 1,988cc Garrett turbocharged Duratec motor. Tyres are Michelin Pilot Sports. The RS retains the Focus basis suspension layout but compared with the standard 2.0 litre model, it is 50 per cent stiffer. There are 18-inch OZ alloy wheels. Creature comforts include an in-dash six-CD autochanger and air conditioning. Ford claim the RS is affordable, with a 28mpg return on the EU combined driving cycle and a 16A insurance rating (in Britain).
Finally, how does it stack up against some of the aforementioned opposition. The Civic Type-R comes in for less money - €31,709. The closest rival to the RS, the Impreza WRX Sti, is more expensive at €53,950. Audi's S3 with a 1.8 litre unit, normally aspirated or turbocharged and four-wheel-drive, is also on the wrong side of the Focus RS, with respective prices of €50,875 and €51,300.
Ford's RS effort hasn't gone unnoticed and now VW is building a similarly exclusive Golf called the R32 with a 3,189cc engine and six cylinders delierving 237bhp. Production is limited to 5,000 to be built between now and the arrival of the Mk 5 Golf.