Ford Focus RS RX Confirmed For 2016 World Rallycross

March 3, 2016 10:01 am

Remember that aggressively-styled “Ford Focus RS RX” teased at the end of Ken Block’s Gymkhana 8? We had wondered earlier in the week what, exactly, it was.

It turns out we didn’t have to wait especially long to find out; Ford has just announced that this Focus RS-derived racing car is to be run in the 2016 Global Rallycross Championship, with Ken Block’s Hoonigan Racing Division taking lead.

Two Ford Focus RS RX examples will be fielded this year, with full factory support from Ford Performance. The car itself was a collaborative project between Ford’s Performance division, Hoonigan Racing Division, and British racing outfit M-Sport, the latter of which was also largely involved in the Fiesta ST RX43 used in Gymkhana 8.

“I’m really happy to be expanding my relationship with Ford Performance,” said Ken Block. “To have official factory support for my race season in 2016 and beyond as I enter the FIA World Rallycross Championship full-time is absolutely incredible. It opens up a ton of powerful resources that myself and my team will be able to benefit from in terms of engineering prowess, research, development and racing experience from different fields.”

Of his new Ford Focus RS RX, Block remarked that he “absolutely cannot wait to get behind the wheel and start testing.”

Ford also released a full list of specifications for the new Ford Focus RS RX. Take a look:

Body	2016 Ford Focus RS seam-welded and reinforced; FIA-spec roll cage; unique underbody protection; custom design by Ford Performance/M-Sport
Engine	Ford Performance/M-Sport-developed 2.0L Ford EcoBoost I4; Garrett turbo; 45mm restrictor; Cosworth Electronics engine management; Rallycross intercooler/radiator
Output	600 Horsepower; 900 Nm Torque (approx. 665 lb-ft)
Transmission	Sadev 6-Speed sequential; triple-plate AP carbon clutch; adjustable mechanical differentials front and rear
Acceleration	0 to 60 mph in 2 sec
Suspension	Short Long Arms (a.k.a. “Double Wishbone”) type front and rear; 3-way adjustable Reiger dampers
Brakes	Brembo 4-piston calipers; 350mm rotors; Sadev hydraulic handbrake system
Wheels	8×17-inch rims; WRX-spec AVON race tires

By Aaron Brzozowski

Aaron Brzozowski is a writer and motoring enthusiast from Detroit with an affinity for '80s German steel. He is not active on the Twitter these days, but you may send him a courier pigeon.