Top Car

January 2016|TOPCAR.CO.ZA 65

A family car thatallows

anyonewithhalfway

competentcar control

toout-drift aBMW M2

vice versa in any of the drive modes via a button located on

the end of the indi cator stalk. Again, differentiating the

Focus from rivals, this is not a constantly variable system,

but two indi vidual damper curves, achieved via separate

pathways within each damper unit and activated by a

simple soleno id valve. Johnson says he wouldn’t use Sport

on the ro ad – nor the Nürburgring – that’s how much

firmer it is. A section of Belgia n pavé at Lommel confirms

the contrast. Brutal. But on a smooth racing circuit the extra

body control should ensu re faster lap times.

Amongst all of this multi-faceted capability, does it not

still seem incongruous that a company like Ford is offering

a Drift Mode – no matter how much recruitin g the

market ing power of Ken Bl ock help s it appear down with

the scene kids? Johnson initially seems to agree: ‘It can ge t

you into a lot of trouble,’ he says , and he doesn’t just mean

legally. This, however, is morea concern ab out people

pres uming an ar tless button pres s will tur n them into a

hero when its unmitigated ab use is quite capable of seeing

the fool hardy exit stage left, in al l likelihood pursued by a

(smokey) bear. So why offer it at all?

‘Number one,’ says Gagstatter, ‘obviously it de monstrates

what you can do with th is kind of all-wheel-drive system,

that you cannot dowith other types of all-wheel drive

system. Number two, this is a car which is also aimed to

appeal to the driver en thusiast.’ Unsurpri singly, it works by

manipulating the torque distribution at the rear axle to

encourage the ba ck end to step out, and both he and

Johnson are at pains to underline that, as with every ot her

driving mode, the intention is a consis tency and

transparency in response that leads to a contro lled, intuitive

experience. ‘Even if you are not a professional dr iver you will

quickly be relatively fast,’ Gagstatter insists. He also

confirms that by default Drift Mode keeps the electronic

stability control switched on – ‘It’s in Sport mode, but it is

still active. So the system still help s you if you overdo it .’

Turn the ESC all the way off, though – which the RS will

allow – and ‘you are on your own.’

On the skid pan, the car emphasises this by vaporising its

rear tyres and performing donuts so tight it’s practically

rotating within its own length. Our driver humbly describes

himself as the ‘average Joe’ on the development team.

What a pros pect: a five-door family car that’s

aiming to allow anyone with halfway

competent car control to out-drif t a new BMW

M2 while retaining enough duality to fulfil the

purpose inherent in its fundamental

description. It’s like a Mk1 Escort and an

Escort RS Cosworth had a little bit morethan a

drun ken fumble at the Christmas party, and

we’re all eagerly awaiting a result that’s either

going to be hugely embarrassing or on e of the

best decisions Ford has ever made. We’ll know

once we’ve driven it in January. tc

TRANSMISSION
A twin-clutch autowould
shavethree-tenths from
the 0-100kph time, Johnson
reckons. But it would also
cost more, weigh more
(28kg), andbeless
fun

PERFORMANCE

Johnson claims none of

the performancetargets have

changed since 2012 – andthe RS

achieved all ofthem.Eventually.

‘It’s not about the times,it’s about

the experienceofdriving this

car.’ Still: 0-100kph in 4.7sec

and 265 kph flatout –in a

Focus?

EXHAUST

It is basically

straight-through tothe

rearsilencer –‘It passes

drive-bynoise regulations.

Just.’ An ‘injection

strategy’ addsextra

snap, crackle and

pop

2016’s most wanted:FOCUS RS