While scores of hot-hatch fans around the globe are still left waiting to take delivery of the new Ford Focus RS Mk3, rumor has it that somewhere within the depths of Ford Performance, work has begun on an even higher-performance variant, likely to be called the Ford Focus RS500.
Recent spy shots suggest that this alleged Ford Focus RS500 might be more than mere conjecture.
Just yesterday, AutoGuide shared photos of a test mule that fits the profile. Two rows of hood vents, much like those on the previous RS500, are in place to extract heat from the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine. Unfortunately, that’s the only give away; everything else on the car looks pretty indistinguishable from what’s on the regular Ford Focus RS, save for a missing trim piece around the drivers side fog light.
At this junction, we don’t know much about what mechanical changes to expect from a new Focus RS500, either. AutoGuide reports that the car is expected to lose a significant amount of weight – as much as 220 pounds – from a more stripped-down interior, carbon-fiber bodywork, aluminum suspension bits, and the like. Brakes and suspension ought to see performance upgrades, and we might even see a Getrag dual-clutch transmission taking the place of the regular Focus RS’ 6-speed manual.
And then, there’s the engine. The regular Focus RS serves up a peak of 345 horsepower – enough to grant the car a blistering, 4.6-second 0-to-60 time. In all likelihood, that figure would swell to 400 horsepower or more in a new Focus RS500, making still better use of the car’s advanced all-wheel drive system, and placing the Volkswagen Golf R even further back in the rearview.
We hope to know more about the rumored Ford Focus RS500 in the future. Stay tuned, and don’t forget to check out AutoGuide for the spy shots.
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