Ford Focus RS 2009

The new Ford Focus RS is is mean and green and it will make its debut at this month's London Motor Show. While the RS is still under development, the car being put on display isn't exactly a concept, either. Some details might change here and there before it reaches showrooms in 2009, but ultimately, what you see here is what European drivers are going to get. The wide, low-slung stance, intimidating fascia, racy dual exhaust, and requisite high-mount spoiler are all part of the package.

Pop the vented hood on the Focus RS and you'll find a 2.5-liter turbocharged Duratec 5-cylinder tuned to dish out 300 PS (295 hp) and 302 lb-ft (410 Nm). All that juice is directed to the front wheels -- a passport to Torque Steer Hell under normal circumstances. In the case of the RS, however, Ford has developed a front suspension system unique to the car that it dubs,"RevoKnuckle". It works in concert with a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential to mitigate the effects of the torque steer enemy. All-wheel-drive was apparently considered, but weight concerns left it off the table. As soon as the European motor press gets its hands on this rocketship early next year, we'll know exactly how well this configuration works.

Dynamic capabilities are said to live up to the standards of the RS moniker, and to hear Ford tell it, the (fully defeatable) ESP is only there to save your bacon when you really get yourself into trouble. It's not designed to be a handling aid. When restraint is called for, the 19" wheels hide brake discs sized 336mm and 300mm front-to-rear.

The driver's office is also a nice place to be, with color-keyed Recaros; a straightforward IP layout with a supplemental gauge pack atop the center stack; a 6-speed manual gearbox; and plenty of metallic and carbon-fiber-look accents. This is normally where we'd bitch about not having the Euro Focus, but since we now know that it's on the way, we'll just say that we really, really hope that "RS" translates to "ST" in American English.