New Focus RS Unveiled

[Fireball]

The new FRS should be quite tuneable with the volvo engine as they have been tuning them for years in Scandinavia and you know what sort of power figures they can get

Fair point - they are total headcases with their cossies. Performance Ford did some features on Scandinavian engine builders and some of their cossies, over a number of mags a few years back. The results basically left them gobsmacked at the power outputs and quality of their engines. I seem to remember them saying they were in a different league from most tuning places over here! As you say, lets see if that extends to the new motor. I guess you'll have to wait a few years though as you'd have to be fcuking brave to mod your brand spanking RS!!!

[Nash]

Makes me laugh this about FWD bashing. The FRS is the best handling RS for have ever made, as standard wipes the floor with an Escos and Sierra. Most people who slag FWD have never driven a performace FWD car, if you have never driven one how can you say its s***?

Also having driven both a Fiesta ST and an old FRST i can say a Standard FRST would get its arse handed to it on anything but a straight road.

Really? I always got the impression it was a heavy lump, i stand corrected. I suppose it has an extra 10 years of development behind it too. As for FWD bashing, i dont care either way. My first "real car" purchase will be a Focus RS (first one), and from what you and the other guys on here say, i look forward to putting the keys in that bad boy! (sadly never been in one tho  )

The Duratec lump weighs less than a CVH as its made from Ally. The chassis is on another level to the MK3 Fiesta one, i am lucky enough to drive a Fiesta ST quite a bit as my good lady owns one.

Also an interesting fact for you all, a base model Focus shell[mk1] is 30% stiffer then an Escos shell.

[RST-Steve]

The rs2000 and the st200 are both n/a engines thats why its more difficult to get more power out of them.

Thats a fair point lol 

[NathR]

As for tuning, don't mix up N/A engines with turbo'd ones (ie Cossies RSTs).  Its not that modern engines aren't tuneable, its just that you're comparing N/A engines! :p  Stick Bluefin and a decat on a Focus RS and you've got 265BHP and an even bigger torque increase.

Ok, so Cossies are very tuneable and cheaply to a point but as most Cossie owners will probably agree this comes at a cost these days given some of the engines/running gear aren't quite so fresh anymore.

As for the Fiesta ST150, my Mum has one and I've driven it a couple of times, its a riot of a little car, nicely delivered power and awesome handling/ brakes to match. 

[Daz-cos]

theres only so far you can push n/a without spending thousands of pounds on it to get little gains. with forced induction its easier so the new rs should be aboput the same to tune as the st and cossies.

the fiesta ST is a fabulous car. handles superb and when it wants to shift it goes like stink. wish the missus would let me drive hers more often

i think ford has hit it on the money with the new RS its got rally style looks that we have been craving for since the escort cossie. it has the handling and the power potential to show vauxhall that their vxr series really is pony

[matt]

Big gains are possible with N/A, i mean someone has squeezed 330bhp from the ST150, all be it with a 2.3 block and then a stroker kit on top of that. You just need VERY deep pockets.