Pictures and Info!

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The new Ford Focus will be presented this year to Latin American and USA customers, but European clients will always be naturally ahead of the rest of the world. A pretty good example of that is the new Ford Focus RS, scheduled to be officially presented at the 2008 edition of the British Motor Show. Although we will have to wait until July 22 to see it in metal and wheels, its first official pictures have been released today.

Besides the striking looks of the new hot hatch, which you can see with your own eyes in these pictures, the Focus RS, the second Focus to be honoured with this badge, will have 300 bhp and 410 Nm under its bonnet. Since development is still ongoing, there may even be a few extra horses to push this beautiful piece of machinery.

Although apparently aesthetical, most changes in the car respond to functional needs, such as the two bonnet louvres, needed to keep the turbocharged Duratec 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine in the right temperature, the wider wheel arches, for the 40 mm wider track, Recaro seats, for a better driving experience and so forth. The car is said to reach 100 km/h, from standstill, in under 6 s.

Since the car has kept its front wheel drive system, surely for cost reasons (although Ford claims the problem was the added weight), it had to count on some assistance to remain an obedient little car. That’s why Ford has equipped it with a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential, but this is just part of the package. The other part is what Ford calls “RevoKnuckle”, a new front suspension system that works with the Quaife differential in order to avoid torque steer.

If it has worked or not, in a 300 bhp front-wheel drive car, is something we will have to check for ourselves when the car is available for the press test-driving. After its introduction, the new Ford Focus RS will keep being developed to reach the streets, what will happen by the beginning of 2009. We only hope it will spread to other markets as well as the regular versions of the new Focus. Start asking for it, World Car Fans!

Thanks to Pinners for the info