WRC Special
Ford built the Focus RS to homologate it for the World Rally Championship. Ford called the Mk1 RS “the closest you can get to Colin McRae’s WRC challenger.” It has a 212-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged Duratec engine, Quaife limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes, OZ Racing wheels, and Sparco racing bucket seats.
The US didn’t get that limited-edition buzz bomb or the 295-horsepower RS, built on the later Mk2 Focus platform. American enthusiasts finally joined the RS party when the third-generation car debuted in 2016.
Mk3 engineering highlights include:
- 350-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine
- Six-speed manual transmission with short-throw shifter
- AWD system with dynamic torque vectoring
- Selectable drive modes, including Track, Drift, and Launch Control
Hornet’s Nest
Ken Block, the rally driver and Hoonigan founder, who passed away in 2023, consulted with Ford on the development of the RS’s dynamic torque vectoring system. It could send up to 70 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels and up to 100 percent of that power to each rear wheel. Block built a 2016 Focus RS for World Rallycross racing and drove one around—and through—abandoned industrial buildings in Buffalo, New York, for his Gymkhana Nine video.
Car and Driver magazine called the Focus RS fantastic. The editors wrote:
The EcoBoost four has a powerful industrial growl and snaps to attention with minimal turbo lag. It is an angry hornet’s nest of a powertrain even when cruising. We won’t call the Ford nervous, but it is high-strung and rides stiffly, even with its adaptive dampers in the softer of their two settings.
Ford produced just 1,000 Focus RS models in 2018, the final year of production. The MSRP was $41,995, although with options and dealer markups, that price closed in on $50,000.
Shop now for OEM Focus partsSqueaky, Squeaky Clean
The original owner is selling this Focus RS on eBay. The sale includes both sets of keys, the window sticker, and the owner’s manual. The owner said:
“Squeaky, squeaky clean, and needs absolutely nothing except a new home. This baby has been nothing but garaged.”
The RS’s odometer is just shy of 27,500 miles. The Racing Red paint is all original. The interior, with the rare power Recaro bucket seats, appears to be in mint condition.
Recent service done by Ford includes:
- New front Hankook tires
- New brakes
- Fresh fluids
Notwithstanding Car and Driver’s “nervous handling” comments, media reviews in the day favorably compared the Focus RS to the Honda Civic Type R, Subaru WRX STi, and other hot compacts. After just two years, production came to an end. In a shift in priorities, Ford chose to devote most of its resources to building trucks and SUVs.
For a $34,500 Buy-It-Now price, this Focus RS represents a chance to own a piece of Ford performance history. And it looks nearly showroom fresh.
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