Ford Focus RS500: 350bhp, Wicked, Rare

The current generation of Ford Focus is headed for the hills. Not the rehashed-three-times version they've been foisting on the American public like we're stupid for the last decade-plus, but the second-generation Focus that's been impressing Europeans since 2005.  And sitting at the top of the current Focus heap is the totally bonkers 305bhp Focus RS, a scooped-and-spoiled turbocharged rocketship powered by a snarling Volvo 5-cylinder.  As a final hurrah for the Focus RS, Ford just announced a limited-edition run-out model called the RS500, and it's absolutely badass.

The name RS500 harkens back to the final evolution of the Sierra Cosworth in 1987.  After dominating Group A touring car racing for most of it's existance, the road-going RS500 took the Sierra out with a bang with an upgraded Cosworth motor with a larger turbo and stronger internals, tweaked suspension, and other goodies.  Only 500 of them were made, and just like the original Ford, you could have any color you wanted as long as it was black.  It was a fitting end to the wildly popular Sierra RS Cossie, and Ford's looking to make lightning strike twice with the Focus RS500.

The main external difference is quite obvious.  As if the regular Focus RS wasn't nasty looking enough, the RS500 will only be available in one hue - matte black.  There are also black-painted wheels to round out the thugged-out appearance, and beyond that - what else do you need?!?  It's a flat-black Focus RS!  The interior gets some minor goodies, like a numbered build plaque and red stitching on the seats and steering wheel, but that's not really what it's about.

Power in the RS500 jumps from 305bhp to 350bhp, courtesy of an enlarged air-to-air intercooler, a larger downpipe and exhaust, a high-flow intake setup, and a remapped ECU developed by Mountune.  Putting 350 horse and 460nM of torque (339lb-ft) down through the front wheels is tasked to the Quaife limited-slip differential and Ford's RevoKnuckle trick front suspension.  Remember when automakers were proclaiming that 200bhp was the practical limit for a front-wheel-drive car?  Apparently not, as this beast of a car will blast to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds, and on to a top speed somewhere north of 162mph, which is where the 'normal' RS taps out.

There will only be 500 units of the RS500 made, and they'll be distributed across Europe with the largest number going to the UK, where they're crazy about their hot hatches (and their Cossies!)  The official debut of the RS500 is actually March 31st, but you know how these embargoes go.  Look for more details on this baddest-of-hot-hatches in the next few days.