Hot Hatch performance enthusiasts are having an early Christmas present with Ford announcing that a limited run of 500 Focus RS Limited Editions will be available for Australia. The early Christmas arrives in November 2017.
The upgrades for the RS Limited Edition are a direct result of customer feedback since the current Focus RS’s launch. This feedback means that Ford in their words have created the hottest RS ever.
The Ford Focus RS Limited Edition package
The Focus RS Limited Edition adds the following benefits above the Focus RS:
- Quaife limited-slip front differential
- Performance Wheel Pack including 19-inch forged alloy wheels with 235/35R19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres
- Active City Stop (Autonomous Emergency Braking)
- Exclusive Recaro shell seats with Nitrous Blue leather application
- Nitrous prestige paint
- Rear hatch-mounted spoiler, mirror caps and roof finished in Absolute Black
- Privacy glass
- MLP of $56,990
One of the key engineering differences is the addition of the Quaife Limited-Slip Differential (LSD) as standard to improve the RS’s already sticky traction and cornering capabilities. Ford Performance has worked with Quaife, a renowned UK-based engineering outfit, to produce a helical mechanical LSD for the RS’s front axle.
For those technically minded and who love the details, the Quaife LSD is unlike a conventional plate-style limited-slip differential in that it relies on gears rather than clutches for its operation. This produces smoother operation and means it will not lock harshly, as it automatically biases the
The Quaife differential will be teamed with the Performance Wheel Pack that brings forged alloy wheels, which is a $3,500 option on the regular Focus RS. This includes Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tyres, which are fitted to ultra-high performance models such as the Ferrari 458 Speciale.
There is not a single option available to add on the fully-equipped Focus RS Limited Edition, reflecting its hard-core enthusiast raison d’être.
The RS Limited Edition retains the 257kW 2.3-litre EcoBoost powerplant, six-speed manual transmission and Ford Performance AWD.
The sophisticated AWD system enables Dynamic Torque Vectoring, which means that the Focus RS can split its torque not only front-to-rear, but also side-to-side for unprecedented road-holding. The current RS was also the first to offer selectable drive modes that alter steering, engine and exhaust settings, as well as adjustable dampers and Launch Control.
The Ford Focus RS Limited Edition will be offered for a MLP of $56,990 with Australian deliveries commencing in November 2017.
