The Focus RS has always been a model with a loyal following, spanning countries and continents, yet the Focus RS 2016 has seen unprecedented levels of anticipation, as pre-orders have surpassed 2,600 within the UK alone, with a further 3,300 pre-ordered within Europe at the time of writing.
Pre-orders and pictures
RS enthusiast have always been a loyal bunch, however even these pre-order stats mark something significant, and the fact that so many orders have been made and deposits have been placed upon pictures and brochures alone, without so much as a model to sit in, let alone take for a test drive, makes for pretty staggering reading. Yet this is a model that boasts plenty to explain such interest.
For a start, its top speed of 165mph makes this the fastest focus yet, and with an acceleration of 0-62 mph in 4.7 seconds this model also pips the Subaru WRX STI to the 60 mile per hour post. This power, when coupled with Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring and Launch Control technology, has enabled indsutry-first drift mode, which is undoubtedly something that has appealed to the average RS enthusiast.
Consumers with an eye for added specs
The add-ons that the Focus RS offers equally seemed to have proven a hit with future owners, with 89% of buyers opting for the Luxury pack, which includes power-fold door mirrors, rear parking sensors, Ford Key Free System, cruise control and privacy glass; this interest is also reflected in the Ford SYNC2 navigation and premium sound system.
Unsurprisingly the most common colour to be seen when the Focus RS hits the roads of Europe will be the trademark Nitrous Blue, with 61% of buyers opting for this, over and above the 15% who’ve chose Frozen White and the 10% who have pre-ordered a Shadow Black model.
“Care and attention is being given by Focus RS buyers to make sure their car has exactly the desired specification, more than half of buyers want the most expensive item on the extras list – Recaro RS shell front seats. Most are owners of previous RS models, which were all similarly personalised.”
Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director
What’s more these add-ons only build upon the bog standard equipment that comes along with the RS (which, with the following list, can hardly be described as bog standard at all): 19in multi-spoke alloy wheels, 350mm ventilated front disc brakes, RS rear spoiler, twin-pipe high-performance exhaust, Bi-Xenon headlamps, Recaro front seats, dual-zone electronic temperature control, heated windscreen and washer jets and Thatcham Category 1 alarm.
The fresh faced, super-charged Ford line-up
The shift up in performance for the Focus RS is reflected in this model’s brothers of the Focus ST and Fiesta ST, which have experienced sale boosts of 9% and 4% respectively on US soil; these figures go to suggest that these performance focused hatches have, and continue, to crack a market notorious for its love of saloons, trucks and supercars.
What’s more with the launch of the Shelby® GT350 and GT350R (which made their debut late last year) pulling up alongside the GT40 road ready racing car, and the iconic Mustang, Ford today has one perfectly formed line-up of performance cars.