The details of the highly anticipated 2016 Ford Focus RS have remained hushed, but spy cameras have recently picked up images of the vehicle on the autobahn in Germany, which you can view here (via World Car Fans).
Rumours have been floating around that Ford developers are elbow-deep in new plans for the high-performance hatchback, but details were not being confirmed — until this recent sighting in Germany.
Powering the new Ford RS is a 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine (same as the new Mustangs) which produces 305 bhp and 300 pound-feet of torque. Rumours suggest that the engine could let the car see up to 350 bhp. The RS is believed to retain its front-wheel-drive layout with the added feature of a specially designed Revoknuckle front-end suspension and electronic differential to diminish torque steering issues.
The exterior design on the new RS is hard to predict as the spotted model was disguised as the Focus ST. Notable differences though were a lower sport suspension, front-lip spoiler and larger air intakes. The car also had a different exhaust pipe arrangement together with a modified roof-mounted spoiler.
The Ford Focus is expected to get an RS badge on the current topline model in 2016 as a final blast before the introduction of the complete redesign set for 2017.
The price tag for the new RS is expected to be around the $46,500 range.
The RS phenomenon was originally conceived in 1970 from a collaboration between Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations and Rallye Sport, which produced the Ford Escort RS1600. Since the original design, notable models developed were the Ford RS200, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, Ford Focus RS Mk1 and Ford Focus RS Mk2.
