The power outputs for the new Ford Focus RS have been confirmed along with the fact that it should be pretty handy at drifting as demonstrated in this new video.
345hp Ford Focus RS drifts (VIDEO)
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Latest Release/ News Turbo Honda Civic Type R revealed
New production-ready Honda Civic Type R hot hatch debuts at the Geneva motor show with V-TEC Turbo engine – wants Renault Megane RS blood.
Honda has finally taken the wraps off its new turbocharged Civic Type R hot hatch at the Geneva motor show. There have been countless teaser images, leaks, concept cars and spy images but now finally, the Civic you see here is the real deal.
As expected, the new model is turbocharged so there’s no 9000rpm redline, but the added grunt means this Type R will kick harder than any before. Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder V-TEC Turbo engine producing 306hp, while the 0-62mph sprint takes just 5.7 seconds.
2016 Honda Civic Type R
Unlike the new Ford Focus RS, the Civic is sticking to its guns, using a front-wheel drive setup with all kinds of clever suspension bits to reduce torque steer and understeer normally associated with really powerful front drivers. Honda is calling it Dual Axis front suspension, but it’s basically the same as the old Revo Knuckle system fitted to the last front-drive Focus RS which uses a traditional MacPherson suspension setup with an additional steering knuckle. It’s all a bit complicated but works.
The rear suspension has also been tickled compared to the standard Civic, now featuring a ‘crushed pipe’ – sounds exciting, and apparently stiffens up the rear torsion beam suspension and gives less roll. There’s also adaptive dampers at each corner.
Compared to the various concept cars that preceded it, the new Type R looks pretty sharp too. Most of the front end aggressiveness has carried over, so there’s a naughty front splitter, big air intakes, new headlights and wider arches which incorporate cooling ducts around the front wheels to reduce lift – just like the new 911 GT3 RS.
2016 Honda Civic Type R
At the rear things have been toned down slightly so you don’t get the cool horn-shaped taillights which work into the rear spoiler, but you do get a pretty rowdy rear diffuser with quad exhaust tips. And I doubt anyone will complain the rear spoiler is too small…
It isn’t subtle, it looks fast and has red Honda badges – anyone who’s a fan of fast V-TEC Hondas should be excited by this car.
Inside it’s all a bit boy-racer with red bucket seats, but the whole dashboard and center console strikes me as looking a bit cheap and nasty – could be the photos, but maybe not. We’ll find out when the new Type R goes on sale in Europe in the coming months.
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News/ Videos Ken Block drifts new Ford Focus RS (VIDEO)
Internet sensation and pro drifter, Ken Block, drives the new Ford Focus RS the only way he knows how in new viral video.
There has been hype around the new Ford Focus RS pretty much since the old model disappeared in 2009. And yesterday it almost broke the Internet Kim Kardashian style when it was revealed in Cologne Germany. The new RS is an all-wheel drive turbocharged rocket ship with over 316hp a manual gearbox and clever torque vectoring system which Ford claims allows the Focus to perform controlled drifts. What better way to test that theory than to get the Drift King himself, Ken Block – who also happens to be sponsored by the Blue Oval –, to take the car for a spin (literally) around the German Ford factory.
In the video below Ken Block drives a prototype version of the new Focus RS, which is essentially an old ST with all the new RS bits bolted on – it’s a bit of a snotter parts bin special but drives exactly like the car you’ll soon be able to buy from your local dealership. The video also gives us our first proper listen to the new car’s 2.3-litre Ecoboost four-cylinder turbo engine, which despite being somewhat less exotic than the old five-cylinder mill (it’s similar to the Mustang’s engine), still sounds decidedly sporting. There’s plenty of whoosh from the turbo and some nice farts from the exhaust system that give should give the RS a tuner car feel. Anyway, enough chatter. Watch the video.
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Latest Release/ News New Ford Focus RS revealed
Third-generation Ford Focus RS revealed with all-wheel drive and Ecoboost Mustang turbo engine.
Ford has taken the wraps off its new all-wheel drive turbo Focus RS hyper hatch, which is set to rival cars like the Mercedes A45 AMG, VW Golf R and upcoming Honda Civic Type R.
The new third-generation Focus RS marks a number of firsts for the fast Focus. It will be available globally for the first time and be mass produced, where its predecessors were built in limited numbers and sold mainly in Europe. It’s also the first RS to be a five door, but most importantly it’s the first time we’ve seen an all-wheel drive system fitted to a performance Focus. Previous generations were fitted with clever suspension setups and trick differentials to overcome the challenges presented by shoving a load of power through just the front wheels.
The new all-paw system can send up to 70 per cent of the engine’s available torque to the rear wheels, and up to 100 per cent of that power can be distributed to either wheel. If that sounds confusing and a bit too mathematical, basically the rear axle has a proper torque vectoring diff and the Focus RS can perform controlled four-wheel drifts if you’re a bit handy behind the wheel.
Power comes from a 2.3-litre Ecoboost four-cylinder turbo engine – the same one fitted to the new Mustang – but a number of upgrades help it produce more power in this application. There’s a new twin-scroll turbocharger, enlarged intercooler, and a less restrictive intake and exhaust system. The exact power figures are still being finalized, but Ford has confirmed it’s significantly more than 316hp and probably closer to the 345hp output of the old limited edition RS500. A six-speed manual is the only transmission option, while the 0-62mph time is tipped to be in the four-five second range.
In terms of styling, the new Focus RS is much angrier looking than the lesser ST version – like it would bight your head off if you looked at it wrong. Especially from the front, there’s no way you’d mistake it for being anything less than a very fast car as there’s all kinds of gaping grilles, splitters and you can see the engine’s massive front-mount intercooler through the mesh covering the lower air dam. The wheel arches are only slightly wider to accommodate the wider tyres (235/35R19 Michelin Pilot Super Sports or Pilot Sport Cup 2s if anyone’s interested), so it doesn’t quite have the wide-body appearance of its predecessors but it looks suitably aggressive for a fast Ford. At the rear the RS wears a massive rear wing that is apparently functional, helping to equalize the down force generated by the new front splitter. There’s also a tasty lower rear diffuser housing dual exhaust tips (no more centre-mounted hexagonal thing from the ST). And for an extra special touch there’s a F1-style fog light in the middle.
The new Ford Focus RS goes on sale later this year, and exact performance and engine details will be revealed at the Geneva motor show next month.
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Latest Release/ Videos New Ford Focus RS hot hatch teased (VIDEO)
If this quick teaser video is anything to go by, the new Ford Focus RS could be the new hot hatch drift king.
Ford will soon launch the new generation Focus RS hyper hatch, which will sit above the existing Focus ST and compete with cars like the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, Audi RS3 and Volkswagen Golf R. You’ll have noticed that all the cars listed are all-wheel drive and traditionally the Focus RS has been a strictly front-drive only affair. However, it’s believed this new version will break the mold and send its power to both ends and for the first time be offered only in five-door form.
The new Focus RS is expected to use the new 2.3-litre Ecoboost turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the Mustang Ecoboost with an output approaching 350hp – the four-cylinder Mustang makes 310hp. As with the Focus ST, the new RS will likely only be available in six-speed manual guise and should feature bespoke suspension componentry and tuning compared to the lesser ST variants. The teaser video below shows the new Focus RS being thrown around race track and there’s plenty of tail-out oversteer which suggests the new RS will retain the entertaining chassis balance of the Focus and Fiesta ST models, but should pack a chunk more grip thanks to bigger and stickier tyres and, potentially, an all-wheel drive system. The new Ford Focus RS will be revealed on February 3.
Check out the teaser video below.
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Latest Release/ News 2015 Audi RS3 revealed
Audi reveals its Mercedes A45 AMG rival, the new RS3 hot hatch.
The folk at Mercedes AMG must be starting to worry, because Audi’s Quattro performance division is looking to dethrone the current hot hatch king with its new Audi RS3 hyper hatch.
Revealed today ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show in March, the new RS3 is aiming straight for the A45 AMG and on paper at least, out performs it in every department.
The AMG makes do with four cylinders delivering 355hp/450Nm, the RS3 has five producing 362hp/465Nm from 2.5-litres of displacement. Zero to 62mph is dealt with in a supercar-worrying 4.3 seconds in the Audi RS3, while its AMG rival takes 4.6 seconds.
Both cars have seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions with launch control and both have all-wheel drive systems. But, the RS3 should have the upper hand because unlike the Mercedes it can send up to 100 per cent of its warbly five-cylinder’s torque to the rear wheels. And that means you should be able to drift it, which is what you want.
2015 Audi RS3
Compared to the now pointless S3 which has been Audi’s quickest hot hatch until now, the RS3 rides lower and features wider front and rear tracks and beefier brakes.
Visually, the RS model also wears wider front fenders, a more aggressive front bumper with larger air intakes to feed that turbo five-pot and a fat rear bumper housing naughty twin oval exhaust tips.
Indoors there’s sports seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel with Alcantara bits, and lashings of carbon fiber throughout the cabin.
The RS3 will make its public debut at the Geneva motor show early next year before arriving in a rear-view mirror near you towards the middle of next year.
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Latest Release The New Audi S1 Quattro Hot Hatch Is Leaked! See The First Official Photo Here.
So, after hearing that Audi’s mystery world premiere for the Geneva Motor Show that will be revealed online tomorrow (watch it here live), is the new S1 Quattro, we now have what is claimed to be the first official photo of the car. If you must ask, it does look to be the real thing, but we’ll know for sure on Wednesday.
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