The 400bhp Ford Focus RS500 Probably Won't Happen, And It's All America's Fault
It’s been rumoured for months and the damn thing has even been spotted testing at the ‘Ring in prototype form, but it’s looking like a high-power Focus ‘RS500’ may not happen at all.
Autocar reports that there are worries a near-400bhp, track-focused RS would muddy the fast Ford waters too much, giving overlap with cars like the Mustang GT and GT350. This issue is thought to “have put a question mark” over whether or not the American Ford dealer network even wants the car.
In Europe it’s seemingly less of an issue, perhaps partially due to Ford’s other track car - the GT350 - not being sold on this continent. A solution would be a Europe-only RS500, but that doesn’t fit so well with the company’s worldwide ‘One Ford’ strategy, and anyway, a smaller market would mean a smaller budget for the car’s development.
The project isn’t dead and buried just yet, with Autocar’s sources currently giving the car a 30 per cent chance of happening. Let’s cross our fingers…
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Arghhhh!!!
I’m pretty sure the Sierra and Escort Cosworths are thinking the same….
One of the last times we can sarcastically say “thanks Obama!”
Danke Merkel!
http://image.stern.de/6984490/16x9-940-529/136c9fa35c6f767d4dc918d712bd3f48/SU/angela-merkel-danke.jpg
Or “Thanks, Trump!” XD
thanks typical North American consumer
More like thanks 20k Focus RS dealer markup
Not our fault blame the mustang sale drop
Thank you America another thing you’ve denied us.
Any time
You’re welcome ignorant European who thinks America is uncivilized
1000 hp Shelby: sure why not
400 hp RS: nooo it wil kill the crowds faster…. Fn ‘muricans
Did you read the article?
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Me at this moment: God please take a Prius away and give us RS500
Who cares if America gets it or not, Europe will get it.
If Ford were going to commit to making every car they sell available worldwide, then why doesn’t Europe get the GT350? The Americans can have the Mustangs and the Europeans can have the better suited faster Focus RS, isn’t that a good compromise?
Europe has stict regulations concerning the fleet fuel economy. The average fuel economy (or CO2 emissions respectively) of all cars a marque sells within a year. Lower emissions mean less tax for a car, and from the year 2020 on, the average fleet CO2 emission must be less than 95 g/km. Exceeding that value means high financial penalties for the company.
Well, you can guess what a car with a huge V8 engine does to these statistics. 95 g/km is value not even the Ford EcoBoost can match today. It would be not worthwhile for Ford to sell the GT350 on the European market.
I still see no 150,250,350,450 or 550 around… Worldwide
youre not saying the RS is faster than the GT350, are you?
It is also because next generation Focus is right around the corner, so it make less sense to develop a new model now