2018 Ford Focus RS Limited Edition Revealed

[Fiesta ST News]

Ford is discontinuing the current generation Focus RS after the 2018 model year, and so it's making a special edition to cap off the car's run. The car doesn't get any special moniker, but it is loaded with some nifty goodies and visual changes. Immediately apparent is the new color, Race Red. It's one of two available colors, the other being Nitrous Blue. Both colors are accented by a black roof, mirrors, and rear wing, the latter of which has blue RS logos on each side.

The limited-edition RS also gets a significant mechanical upgrade. Unlike normal Focus RS models, this one gets a Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential for the front drive wheels. Ford says this should improve traction under acceleration and aid corner exit speed. Along with limited-slip differential, the car comes standard with forged 19-inch wheels. Naturally, they're painted black to match the mirrors, roof, and wing.

This Focus RS receives some interior upgrades, too. It comes standard with the RS2 package, which includes voice-activated navigation, heated steering wheel, heated mirrors, and eight-way power-adjustable, heated Recaro seats wrapped in leather and microfiber. The door pulls, handbrake handle, and auxiliary gauge cluster all get carbon fiber trim, as well.

Only 1,500 of these Focus RS models will be sold in the US and Canada. The US will get 1,000, and Canada will get 500. Ford is taking orders for the car this summer, which will be the last opportunity to order an RS from this generation. The cars will be delivered in the fall.

[video=youtube;8Wz4ObDSQlo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wz4ObDSQlo[/video]

Text Source: Autoblog

 

[skidro87]

Warranty approved lsd, should be fun! Hopefully the price tag isn't outrageous

 

[Plainrt]

Come on Ford throw a real diff in the st as a package

 

[M-Sport fan]

I'm not fond of the black roof (looks too much like a full length, 'panoramic' moonroof), but otherwise it is pretty sweet, but I am curious on just how much they are going to ask for this list, and then just how much ($25K+ maybe? ) the stealerships are going to GOUGE you (or at least try to) over that already high list, to get into one of these.

The FoRS should come right out of the factory with the Quaife as STANDARD equipment as far as I'm concerned, yes, even on the 'base' version.

It would be cool IF Ford decided to give the Fiesta the RS treatment next, but even if they could work around the IRS/rear subframe fitment, room for a center diff, and driveshaft problems, they pretty much MADE damn well SURE it will/could never happen by putting the 3 banger in the next gen.

 

[Truth in Ruin]

Seems early for a gen. change. Maybe I'm just old, and time is passing me bye.

 

[alphanumeric]

Well that didn't last long.

 

[Truth in Ruin]

Okay, so I'm not the only one. 100 bucks says the new gen. gets a smaller engine...

 

[BRGT350]

The Mk1 Focus RS was a single year, the ST170/SVT Focus was three years, the MkII Focus RS was the longest at 5 years. Three years for the MkIII RS isn't all that short. I also don't care for the color choices or the black bits. The LSD and carbon fiber gets my thumbs up, but that is it. Not a huge concern since I wasn't planning on one anyway. My dad has a white 2017 RS on the boat and if he decides to part with it in a few years, I am in line to buy it for a ST replacement. I love my ST and I am not in any hurry to get rid of it. Michigan winters will destroy the car far quicker than I will grow tired of it.

 

[jeffreylyon]

It would be cool IF Ford decided to give the Fiesta the RS treatment next, but even if they could work around the IRS/rear subframe fitment, room for a center diff, and driveshaft problems, they pretty much MADE damn well SURE it will/could never happen by putting the 3 banger in the next gen.

The Mazda CX-3 is available in AWD and is based on the same platform as the Mazda 2/Fiesta, so Ford can do a AWD Fiesta but I doubt they would ever offer a Fiesta RS - there's too little room in the FiST, FoST, FoRS lineup to make room for another hot hatch. After driving all of Ford's hot hatches I can't think of anything worse to do to the FiST than to drive the rear wheels and fatten it another 150-200#.

I wish that Ford was planning on more than an off the shelf LSD and some trim for the "Special Edition" FoRS. It's screaming for a track-focused Superleggera version. I drove my friend's FoRS and was really disappointed; it drove like a 3500# AWD car, especially with respect to roll stiffness. Drop 300#, gimme a track suspension and an LSD and I might be interested. Instead, they LSD the front (why the front - does the rear already have a LSD? Does the GKN AWS system choke with a rear LSD?) and add RICE. Sorry, pass - I'm having too much fun with my 2600# Fiesta.

 

[M-Sport fan]

The Mazda CX-3 is available in AWD and is based on the same platform as the Mazda 2/Fiesta, so Ford can do a AWD Fiesta but I doubt they would ever offer a Fiesta RS - there's too little room in the FiST, FoST, FoRS lineup to make room for another hot hatch. After driving all of Ford's hot hatches I can't think of anything worse to do to the FiST than to drive the rear wheels and fatten it another 150-200#.

You are correct on the weight factor, but IF they would only add what you've stated above, and it is a REAL LIVE bias-able center diffed AWD system, they could add MUCH power to it right from the factory, and it would still be 'tossable', but then also steerable with the rear wheels WITHOUT TV.
I understand that maybe for pure track driving you would not want AWD (although the Nippon rally twins seem to do quite well there with it ), but I was thinking along the lines of being able to use BIG power with NO torque steer, and front wheel hop/spin, as well as much better daily driven, ALL weather capabilities.

I wish that Ford was planning on more than an off the shelf LSD and some trim for the "Special Edition" FoRS. It's screaming for a track-focused Superleggera version. I drove my friend's FoRS and was really disappointed; it drove like a 3500# AWD car, especially with respect to roll stiffness. Drop 300#, gimme a track suspension and an LSD and I might be interested. Instead, they LSD the front (why the front - does the rear already have a LSD? Does the GKN AWS system choke with a rear LSD?) and add RICE. Sorry, pass - I'm having too much fun with my 2600# Fiesta.

Sadly, I doubt Ford will ever make a pure 'club sport', stripped down, lightweight version of the FoRS, although that would be ultra cool if they did.
Instead of loading it up with infotainment shit, and luxo-barge crap, delete the sound system/screen, and ALL of the power accessories, and charge the coin for lighter weight; battery, body parts, seats, and suspension parts using carbon fiber/aramid/graphite, and aluminum alloys and titanium, but then it would become an $85K Focus for them to make up for what they spent.

 

[Probaholic1]

Well that didn't last long.

well

http://www.focusmania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Historic-RS-1.jpg

 

[M-Sport fan]

well

http://www.focusmania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Historic-RS-1.jpg

...and SADLY, like 1% of all of those RSes (ONLY the very last one pictured) were ever even offered by Ford to us here in the U.S. and Canada, save for VERY limited 'grey market' deals brought in by individual RS fanatics

 

[alphanumeric]

Exactly what I meant. I see the previous Focus RSs here all the time and I'm not really a fan. I had planned on getting an MK3 when I got back to the states.