With the arrival of the new, 2016 Ford Focus RS, the American public will have its first significant run-in with Ford’s “Rallye Sport” badge since, well, ever.
Naturally, this has us daydreaming about other, future cars that might wear the storied RS badge, and while early indicators pointed toward the possibility of a Ford Fiesta RS to slot-in above the ST, we’ve since had to wake from that dream, breathing deeply the coffee-like aroma of realistic expectations.
But bear with us. We’re about to come at you with another, equally implausible RS model: a Ford Mustang RS. Should the folks at Ford Performance consider building such a thing? What would it look like? Or, more rather, what should it look like?
Our Dream Ford Mustang RS
We feel that the most logical choice of powerplant for a Ford Mustang RS would be the same 2.3-liter, turbocharged I4 already found in the EcoBoost model, not to mention in the new Focus RS. In the latter, it produces about 350 horsepower at the crank – up substantially from the 310 HP made in the former. That might be sort of a natural power ceiling for the mill, but it would be more than enough to motivate the 3,500-pound pony car.
As for the drivetrain, let’s not forget about the “rallye” part of the RS badge; rear-wheel drive is less-than-ideal for racing on unpaved roads. But Ford has already shown itself more than capable of incorporating competent all-wheel drive systems with the Ford Fusion, Focus RS, and various SUV/crossover models. All-wheel drive on a volume-production Mustang would be a first, but a necessary one, and it would help the pony car to cope with those muddy, gravelly, or icy portions of any proper rally stage.
Toss in some additional aerodynamic pieces, a big set of auxiliary driving lamps, and voilà ; you have yourself a true, rally-sport-ready Ford Mustang RS.
What do you think? Should there be a Ford Mustang RS model to wed Ford Europe’s famous Rallye Sport badge with America’s premier pony car?
Comments
Your engine choice is rather small, the Mustang RS should be more powerful than the Focus RS. I would drop the FPC (Flat Plane Crank) engine in with the AWD system.
A Mustang RS? Absolutely not. Frankly, that would be stupid.
Why? There is a Camaro RS available from Chevy. RS has been a Camaro type for decades.
A Mustang ST with the Ford GT V6? Yes, but not an RS.