It has taken 50 years for the Ford Mustang to go global and cross the Atlantic, leaving many European Blue Oval performance junkies to get their fix elsewhere. Many turned to the addicting all-wheel drive performance of the Ford Focus RS, offering as much as 350 horsepower in a lightweight, practical package that put traditional hot hatchbacks like the Golf GTI on notice.
With a car that carries this much performance credibility with the European crowd, Ford thought it fitting to make an eight-part in-depth documentary about the development of the latest Focus RS.
“Focus RS: Rebirth of an Icon” talks with the designers, engineers, and test drivers from all over the world tasked with the mission of making a worthy successor to a car that represents Ford performance to an entire generation of drivers. It’s not a stretch to say that for some, the 2016 Focus RS is every bit an important car as the 2015 Mustang is. Whether or not you agree with that statement, keep in mind that Ford sells exponentially more Focus models across the globe every year than it does Mustangs. The Focus RS is the halo car, carrying with it the DNA of millions of lesser, pedestrian Focus models that people all over the world drive everyday.
The 90-second trailer gives us a few snippets of the action, and it looks like Ford has been rather candid about both the successes and failures during the development process. Also on board for the documentary is the one-and-only Ken Block, who joins Team RS as a development driver, and who’s sure to put the Focus RS through its paces for the inevitable return of Gymkhana.
What are you hoping to see in the 2016 Focus RS documentary?