A New 'Hydraulic Handbrake' Option Makes The Ford Focus RS Even Driftier
If there was one thing we definitely weren’t complaining about on the massive fun 2.3-litre turbocharged Ford Focus RS, it was its tail-happiness.
Drift Mode helped turn the Focus RS into a cult hero pretty much overnight, and we loved it right from the word ‘go.’ Now, though, Ford has revealed the Drift Stick, a handbrake mod that mimics the effect of a hydraulic handbrake and locks the rear wheels.
The trick electro-manual setup sends 180bar of pressure through the ABS pump in an instant. That helps the car pull drift angles that would leave Pythagoras scratching his head. Sadly, it won’t stop RS owners getting it wrong sometimes.
Developed by Ford Performance and tested by Ken Block in the video at the top, the Drift Stick seems to work quite well. It turns the Drift Mode-enabled Focus RS into a full-bananas Tarmac rally stage weapon. Nice.
It’s priced at $999 in the US, but it’s not clear whether we’ll get it on this side of the Atlantic. We’d imagine it depends heavily on customer demand. The kit, which has to be retro-fitted, comes with the machined aluminium lever, all mountings and fixings and a USB calibration tool that apparently updates the ECU so that it doesn’t panic when the rear wheels suddenly lock.
Comments
Nice. So RS owners can now have the ken block Experience
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Am I the only who thinks it is a bit excessive and Ford is taking this drift theme a little too far? It’s hot hatchback, not a formula drift car
Isn’t hot hatch supposed to be a heaven of an avrage 16 yo?
YES; THANK YOU!
I LOVE FORD FOR THIS
It’s like they don’t care about a single thing except making the RS car guy friendly
Will there be a Ken Block edition as well ? (Just to add the feeling when you are sliding towards the trees.)
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Every car guy:
literally buys hydraulic handbrake
gets instant Gymkhana Skills
I wonder if this is an option for a ‘Stang
This is what car companies should do. Some cool shit, people actually want.
D.I.Y. Ken Block. Noice.
Forget the Golf R, I need an RS :D
InB4 computer jokes
This should be an option on all cars. I wouldn’t mind electronic handbrakes if there was also this.