2016 Ford Focus RS

[hotrodalex]

Pssh real men drive muscle cars.

[SVT666]

Definitely an easy choice for northerners. This car would be a riot in the winter, while the Mustang is stored in the garage.

Fuck that.  Mustang all year round.

[SVT666]

Ford has confirmed that the new Focus RS will not be the company's only vehicle outfitted with its new twin-clutch all-wheel-drive technology.

The system utilizes two electronically controlled clutch packs, one on each side of the rear drive unit, which control the front/rear torque split and the side-to-side torque distribution on the rear axle.

The configuration allows 70 percent of the total engine torque to be sent to the rear axle, while up to 100 percent of the available rear torque can be assigned to each rear wheel.

A computer preemptively diverts torque to the outer rear wheel during cornering maneuvers, helping to improve turn-in and mitigate understeer.

"We've done the hard part in developing it to production," said RS engineering head Tyrone Johnson, as quoted by Autocar. "It would be fair to suggest that we'll be looking to use the technology in other ways in the future, having done that."

The company has remained tight-lipped about which particular models might be next in line for the advanced AWD system.

[hotrodalex]

AWD Mustang GT-R fighter

[12,000 RPM]

By center console, do you mean the console between the seats, or like the center stack on the dash?

I'd be cool with it all if it wasn't for the ford sync system I think.

the one in the dash

Too busy. Looks like fish gills

Better question would be this or Mustang Ecoboost. From that point of view the choice is obvious. This smashes the mustang in nearly every category except burnouts

[MexicoCityM3]

the one in the dash

Too busy. Looks like fish gills

Better question would be this or Mustang Ecoboost. From that point of view the choice is obvious. This smashes the mustang in nearly every category except burnouts

I am pretty sure this car will be closer to GT pricing than to Ecoboost pricing.

[SVT666]

the one in the dash

Too busy. Looks like fish gills

Better question would be this or Mustang Ecoboost. From that point of view the choice is obvious. This smashes the mustang in nearly every category except burnouts

How is this too busy?




But you don't think this is?

[r0tor]

Civic is just plain aweful

[Cookie Monster]

Center console wise the Civic is much nicer. It's actually driver centric so everything is in easy reach. The rest of the interior is a mess (especially the gauges). The Focus's center console is way too busy.

[SVT666]

I don't see anything "busy" about the centre stack.

[Payman]

I don't see anything "busy" about the centre stack.

The standard Focus without MyTouch is busy with more buttons, but I like that. Having dedicated buttons for radio, phone, aux, etc plus a tactile keypad is much easier than scrolling through screen menus.

I think people who dump on the Focus dashboard hasn't spent any time behind it.

[r0tor]

The radio area of the civic looks like it melted and started to droop

[Cookie Monster]

The standard Focus without MyTouch is busy with more buttons, but I like that. Having dedicated buttons for radio, phone, aux, etc plus a tactile keypad is much easier than scrolling through screen menus.

I think people who dump on the Focus dashboard hasn't spent any time behind it.

I've spent a lot of time in my friend's Focus ST. I still didn't like the interior at all. IMO the Fiesta ST's interior was much better, but still I thought it could be better.

[12,000 RPM]

I am not a fan of the current gen Civics. Also that brown color is horrible (which is why I drove 100 miles to get mine with the gray)

[MrH]

As excited as I am about this car, there's one thing that really pisses me off.

Ford shows off all these cars in a bad ass shade of blue, then says it's a show car only color!  What a cock tease.  That's a dirty trick.

[hotrodalex]

Everyone knows blue paint is too expensive for production cars.

[Payman]

As excited as I am about this car, there's one thing that really pisses me off.

Ford shows off all these cars in a bad ass shade of blue, then says it's a show car only color!  What a cock tease.  That's a dirty trick.

"Liquid Blue". I bet it's an optional colour next year.

[12,000 RPM]

Would be funny if they made carbon brakes and magnashocks optional.....

[SVT666]

Why would that be funny?

[12,000 RPM]

I have a weird sense of humor.

Actually with the brake vectoring up front carbon brakes might not be a bad idea.

[r0tor]

I have a weird sense of humor.

Actually with the brake vectoring up front carbon brakes might not be a bad idea.

Does the gti need carbon brakes?

[12,000 RPM]

Does the gti need carbon brakes?

No, but the GTI doesn't make 320+ HP, and in any case nobody said anything about "need". Golf R could prob use them though. Lots of folks complain about fade in the Fiesta/Focus ST for this reason. Really they should just make a damn mechanical LSD an option.

[r0tor]

No, but the GTI doesn't make 320+ HP, and in any case nobody said anything about "need". Golf R could prob use them though. Lots of folks complain about fade in the Fiesta/Focus ST for this reason. Really they should just make a damn mechanical LSD an option.

None of those cars have a rear axle that can torque vector on corner exit without using the brakes

[r0tor]

Comments seem to indicate the driveshaft to the rear is always spinning and it's up to the ecu to determine how much to engage the clutches.

In an Audi world, that's equivalent of a haldex quattro system vs traditional torsen.  However, this seems to be able to send more rear then a typical haldex plus torque vector.

It sort of sounds similar to the setup in the newer gen Range Rover Evoque actually.

Yup, Range Rover Evoque setup... Called it!
http://blog.caranddriver.com/the-ford-focus-rss-clever-awd-system-will-spread-elsewhere-and-we-think-weve-seen-it-before/

[Payman]

I'd love to have this car right now with 5" wide studded snow tires. 

[68_427]

[68_427]

would be cool

[AutobahnSHO]

Yup, Range Rover Evoque setup... Called it!
http://blog.caranddriver.com/the-ford-focus-rss-clever-awd-system-will-spread-elsewhere-and-we-think-weve-seen-it-before/

I think the clutch that is supposed to disengage the rear for hard pavement cornering on my car has been out since....   before I bought it

[Payman]

would be cool

Yeah, but I'd rather have this car in a 2 door.

[r0tor]

I think the clutch that is supposed to disengage the rear for hard pavement cornering on my car has been out since....   before I bought it

Its a different concept.  The power take off to the rear is done with a synchronized gear set capable of multiplying torque to the rear.  It can engage or disengage as needed.  Then at the rear, there is a clutch plate per rear wheel to regulated power to each wheel.