Hence the long contemplation of the corporate navel over the viability of the RS for our market. Were the Focus RS to be imported here – where there’s a WRX or Evo owner lurking at virtually every traffic light – it would be a little like bringing a scalpel to a gunfight. At least the hottest Focus does have a turbo under the bonnet, but alas, no four-wheel-drive system to process the extra power it produces. Given the rise and rise of rally culture in most of the world’s markets, it’s a little puzzling that only Japanese brands have bought into to the cult of the rally special so far.Įuropean hatchbacks seeking to cash in on their WRC success tend to be front-drive only, as evidenced by the test of the new Peugeot 206 GTi 180 last month, and the Ford Focus RS this time around. It’s a formula well subscribed to by the likes of Subaru and Mitsubishi, whose sundry WRX Imprezas, STis and Lancer Evolutions find a willing pool of enthusiastic buyers in this country. The ‘rally special’ wish list goes something like this: turbocharged four-cylinder engine, tick sports seats, tick adaptive all-wheel drive, tick. It brings together some of the finest suppliers in rallysport in an effort to create a european WRX. The limited-edition Ford Focus RS breathes new life into a nameplate associated with rally success.

2003 ford focus