RoadTest: Ford Focus RS Ford's potent RS has its origins in the rough and tumble of rallying, but runs best on smooth roads, writes Michael McAleer.
It's amazing how one little dial can dominate your driving. For some, constantly wary of clocking up those dreaded penalty points, it's the speedometer. For the RS owner however, it's the lure of the small turbo booster dial.
Almost unnoticed in an initial scan of the dashboard, it soon controls your every moment behind the wheel. For every time it flickers to life, it's like the car has been struck by lightning and you've just been given a kick up the RS.
It's a kick that should be expected from a car whose origins are more World Rally competitor than small family runaround.
From the moment you first set eyes on the car, Ford is busy signalling that this car has racing pedigree, with the aim of taking the much sought-after hot hatch crown.
A hardcore hybrid of Ireland's favourite small family car, it shares the tailgate, bonnet and roof panel of its smart originator, but offers so much more. Without wishing to overstate the case, each decade of late has seen one particular model ascend to iconic boy racer status. Ford has its sights set on filling that spare wall space in countless young car fans' bedrooms.
In fairness the Ford engineers had a great foundation to work from, with the regular Focus still able to cut it with the best of the rest in terms of style, layout and, of course, handling despite its age - five this year. Yet in some ways the strength of the base model drove expectations for the long-awaited performance version.
Now it has finally arrived and the question is, was it worth the wait? Get behind the wheel; thumb that little green starter button housed in the rally-style carbon-fibre central console and you begin to feel that perhaps it was. Take it out on the open road and you are even more forgiving of Ford's procrastination. Push hard into a corner and you are ready to accept that any ill-feeling is all water under the hump-backed bridge, which incidentally you flew over without air traffic control permission.
The handling in the RS is superb, and the roadholding is on a par with cars with a far lower centre of gravity. Every corner offers a fresh opportunity to build up your relationship with the car.
The handling on this car borders on ridiculous as it refuses to obey the normal motoring conventions that order such high-bodied cars to slide if a corner is taken too fast. It's no doubt aided by a rigid suspension system. So rigid in fact that it may prove a little too hard for some, and denture-wearers could find themselves with a mouthful of grit.
The rev counter runs to about 6,500 rpm. But to keep in line with its rally alter ego, there is a change-up light to give you the signal to move up a gear. That's in case you get too caught up in throwing the car into corners and trying with all your worst instincts to get it out of line and restore the naturals laws of physics.
Gear change is short, sharp and exact, through a short throw six-speed box. While the huge pulling power is limited in first and second gear, for the rest a heavy duty clutch has been fitted, courtesy of World Rally suppliers AB Racing. Another feature with all this power, are the excellent Brembo brakes that combine with the adjusted ABS (to allow for the extra roadholding) that brings everything to an immediate stop.
In terms of aesthetics, the RS is clearly much more than the regular Focus LX. The over-hanging wheel arches protrude in a way that would put a pair of Joan Collins shoulder pads to shame. It's a slight overkill that continues inside, with the racing blue theme dominating everything in sight.
Henry Ford's famously offered that customers could have the Model-T in whatever colour they wanted, so long as it was black. His words have been translated into Technicolor and blue is the new black for the RS.
The aluminium gear stick and handbrake look appropriate for the overall design, but they are distinctly off-putting in the cold early mornings where a set of gloves is required to change gear.
Yet, there is no risk that the RS would be confused with some boy racer toy with sports seats, garish bodykit and a one-litre engine. This is a full-blown blue-collar performance car in keeping with the RS reputation of bringing sports car performance to the masses in the shell of their familiar family range.
Its turbocharged 2-litre engine develops 213bhp and offers 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 144mph. However, particularly on our poorly surfaced roads, this potent power comes at a price. When you call upon those 213 horses, the RS is one of the most physically challenging cars to drive.
Don't be surprised to see the RS owners club meetings held in gyms around the country with special classes for building up your biceps. For if they are keen to appreciate the full potential of their €44,000 purchase, they'll undoubtedly wish to experience the thrill of the turbo kick we became addicted to. In which case they will also experience the downside of this thrill ride - the enormous kickback in the steering wheel that occurs on any surface other than a perfectly smooth road.
On the Irish back roads, under uncertain surface conditions, the surge of power to the front wheels and the lack of equal grounding under each wheel can leave to what is known in the game as torque steer. In English it means that for a time you become more passenger than driver.
Of course there is one obvious way to overcome this problem. Ease up. But then that's not really what you do in an RS. Backing off is for Fiestas.
There is one other factor that should be taken into account before rushing out to buy. The RS runs on 97-octane unleaded fuel and not the regular 95 octane that pours from fuel pumps across our nation. So if you do opt for the RS, you had better ensure you have a good stock of additive in the boot before you leave home.
In summary, the torque steer can be off-putting, the turbo addictive and the interior rather garish. Worth €44,000? Yes if you enjoy the buzz of the turbo and fighting for control with the 213 over-eager horses under the bonnet. But it may be an acquired taste.