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
The team is halfway through the development process
and Ken has come to Ford's top secret test facility
in Lommel, Belgium
to drive the RS.
He is in fact the first person that's a non-Ford employee to drive the car.
We are very anxious to hear his feedback on that.
In the latest all-wheel-drive prototype
Ken heads out on to Lommel's challenging Track Seven
with chief test driver David Put.
What I would like on the car ...
is that like a rear-wheel-drive car
when you go into a bend you would floor it
and then the car needs to turn in.
What we have in this car is a very unique rear wheel drive system
it's controlled by two clutches,
so you can torque vector it.
So actually what you can do is all the power that goes from the rear
we can put it on one wheel.
Right.
Nice. Sorry ....
that's when you lose grip all of a sudden
and it kicks out.
It's great to hear too, that when you are getting the oversteer
you're actually throttling on ...
and it's pulling the car straight.
That's a great thing about all-wheel-drive
and a set-up like this.
Even with everything turned off it will still completely help you.
Yep.
There has got to be this fine balance of something that performs well
but isn't too hard too hard to drive at a fun level.
Yep. I agree.
So, do you want to do a few laps?
I thought you would never ask!
[ Laughter ]
We're going back straight away!
I want to see how it actually launches.
Go for it.
Hey?
There we go.
So what do you think initially of the car?
You know finding the balance
of what the suspension and diff's want to do
is an interesting one for me.
It's tricky?
Yeah tricky, especially in these conditions.
Yep.
I like that the rear end wants to move around when you get on the brakes
but ...
I feel like I would feel better if there was a little more confidence in the front.
Agreed.
It's the understeer which is giving the lack of confidence now to go faster.
The power of it actually feels quite nice ...
Very happy with the possibilities of what's here.
With the serious work over ...
the Hoonigan can't resist a bit of hooning.
Oh my poor car.
[ Laughs ]
With his test drive complete
Ken joins other members of the performance team
at Ford's European headquarters in Cologne, Germany
for the official unveiling of the new RS.
At our best, we bring technology to millions.
We make great cars
that are affordable.
That's what turns us on at Ford.
Performance is our passion,
it's one of the most effective catalysts
for ingenuity and innovation.
And RS Fords don't come around that often,
and this one really takes that RS marque
to an entirely new level.
It's a proud moment,
but now there is nowhere to hide.
With just nine months to go before the start of production
and the world's press clamoring for more information
the pressure is building on the RS team.
Next time ...
we decamp to the Arctic for cold weather testing
on a frozen Swedish Lake.
Test driver David
gets to hone his skills.
People would pay money to do this ...
what can I say?
I love it!