Ford Performance prototype
Filmed on public and closed roads in Europe and US.
ESP and traction control deactivated.
Always obey speed limits.
This is the inside story of the rebirth of an icon
the Ford Focus RS.
From the design studio to the test track, and
from Arizona to the Arctic
we follow the team
as they strive to revive a famous name.
We're not gonna put out a vehicle that doesn't deserve that RS badge.
And we'll follow Ford rally and Gymkhana superstar Ken Block
as he joins the RS team.
Ford Focus RS
Rebirth of an icon
Pressure is building on the RS team.
Tested to the limit
some of the development engines have been failing.
We ran into a couple of issues, we've had a couple of engines go.
In Valencia but also in Germany
and so we need to sort it somehow.
Just another problem that we don't need right now.
Here at the Dunton Technical Center in England
Steve Ellis must solve the problems using a specialist testbed know as a "dyno" [Dynamometer].
We can simulate the harshest environments and conditions
that you can put an engine to.
The 2.3 EcoBoost is already in production in the Mustang
but at around 310 PS
we wanted to turn it up a few notches
and head for something bigger.
So, our internal target
has been to get to 350 PS
and we've achieved that now.
The torque is also very important and
our target for that was for 440 Newton metres
470 on overboost.
It's that midrange torque
and that thump in the back that characterizes an RS.
Getting the power and the torque is actually the easy part.
Making sure that the engine still passes all of the tests
and all of the durability requirements is the real challenge.
The weekends are very short these days
the weekdays are very long.
Quite a few more grey hairs yes, and a few sleepless nights
probably a few yet to come but it's coming together.
While work on the engine continues
out on the Dunton test track
Chris Kaven is tuning the launch control system.
You want to be able to allow a normal customer
to be able to launch the car as quickly as an expert driver.
The team has an ambitious target for the 0 to 100 kmh sprint.
We're aiming at a 0 to 100 kmh time,
or a 0 to 62 mph time,
of below 5 seconds.
Which I think is pretty impressive for a normal production car.
It's kind of getting into super-car territory.
So the process with launch control is obviously start the engine ...
select Launch Control from the menu system
foot on the clutch ...
and then foot wide open on the accelerator pedal,
and that will hold us at a pre-defined RPM
and lift the clutch and off you go.
Launch Control works in harmony with the car’s all-wheel-drive system
which distributes the engine’s pull front to rear.
So a normal conventional all-wheel-drive would have a 50/50 split,
or a 40/60 split.
In the RS you can change that source.
You can have numerous different splits depending on what you trying to achieve.
When the team’s work is done here in Dunton ...
the car will be officially tested
and the final performance figures released to the world.
While development work continues in England
over 300 miles away at the Ford plant in Saarlouis Germany
the team are building the next generation of prototypes
and preparing the production line for the arrival of the RS.
We're here in the Saarlouis assembly plant in Germany
which is a plant with about 6,500 people.
We're building approximately 370,000 units a year.
The plant will build the RS for the world.
Asia Pacific, North America South Africa, Europe all markets.
All originated from Saarlouis.
For the workforce it's a key moment ...
they're building 53 verification prototypes.
The cars that must be signed off for production.
Each will be built on the production line as a Focus ST
minus the engine.
Today they're building a black and a white RS
with dummy ST parts,
so as not to confuse the robots.
The models are then pushed off the production line to the pilot plant.
Where the engine, suspension and all-wheel-drive system are added.
One of the prototypes has been finished in the official launch colour,
and is due to be shipped to the USA
for the cars American debut at the New York Auto Show.
You wouldn't really tell whether its a production car or a prototype.
So we are more than happy with what we've produced.
Like every other Focus leaving Saarlouis
The RS prototypes will now be sent around the world ...
as the development reaches a critical moment.
Next time ...
the team returns to Lommel Belgium
for the all important sign off drive
with Ford Product Development chief Raj Nair.
Right there it's perfect
that is awesome.
Is that it? That's it.
Wow that is horrible.
Yes it is.
After two and a half years of hard work ...
is the RS ready for production?