Ford's 2016 Focus RS Is An AWD Beast With Over 316 HP

After letting the world play with its top hot hatch, Ford's finally bringing the 2016 Focus RS stateside, and doing so with a few extra goodies. Here is the all new, 316+ hp 2016 version, and Ford brought in Ken Block as a consultant to ensure that it's an absolute powerhouse.

The heart of the car's the same 2.3L EcoBoost four cylinder you can get in a Mustang, though it's been tuned a bit further for the Focus. Just how much further we'll find out later, but "more than" 316 is what Ford's willing to admit to for now.

The engine, though, isn't the showstopper here. Ford's engineers developed a brand new all wheel drive system specifically for high performance applications, with an emphasis on cornering ability. The car knows when you're trying to go through some twisty bits in a spirited fashion and automatically adjusts how much power goes to each of the wheels.

In other words, as you approach an apex with your foot on the gas, the car mechanically adjusts itself to make sure you get there, and at as fast a speed as possible.

From a styling perspective, the car's somewhat of an homage: this is the 30th car that ford has put the RS badge on over the years. That's a list that includes more than a few of the legendary Cosworth Escorts.

And now the badge is stateside. Welcome, Ford of Europe.


Aaron Miller is the Rides editor for Supercompressor, and can be found on Twitter. He didn't believe the rumors that it was going to be AWD until Ford went public with the info.