The 400bhp Ford Focus RS500 Probably Won't Happen, And It's All America's Fault
It’s been rumoured for months and the damn thing has even been spotted testing at the ‘Ring in prototype form, but it’s looking like a high-power Focus ‘RS500’ may not happen at all.
Autocar reports that there are worries a near-400bhp, track-focused RS would muddy the fast Ford waters too much, giving overlap with cars like the Mustang GT and GT350. This issue is thought to “have put a question mark” over whether or not the American Ford dealer network even wants the car.
In Europe it’s seemingly less of an issue, perhaps partially due to Ford’s other track car - the GT350 - not being sold on this continent. A solution would be a Europe-only RS500, but that doesn’t fit so well with the company’s worldwide ‘One Ford’ strategy, and anyway, a smaller market would mean a smaller budget for the car’s development.
The project isn’t dead and buried just yet, with Autocar’s sources currently giving the car a 30 per cent chance of happening. Let’s cross our fingers…
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
As an American, I’m sorry. We wanted it to happen too.
Nooooo
Called RS500, has 400bhp…..
If they do this whole “One Ford” thing, then why they don’t sell the Mustang GT or the Focus RS or the Fiesta and Focus ST in Indonesia. And also why they don’t sell the GT350 in europe if they are doing those things, I mean most of their cars are developed there.
“…but that doesn’t fit so well with the company’s worldwide ‘One Ford’ stragety…”
Says GT350 is only available in the U.S.
I’ll just leave this here…
I’m not trying to say the RS is faster than the GT350, I was just referring to the RS500 as faster than the current RS!
This article should be taken down, in all seriousness, it’s promoting hate from it’s rival and that’s not okay. As an American I’ve had to live through all you brits complaining and whining about America. I’m done with it. Deal with the U.S and shut it about how America is full of southern people with trucks
I hate America, I love America, I hate America, I love America. I don’t know anymore
Thats ok as Americans its in our blood to buy the base model and ls swap it anyhow.
As an American I apologize