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When Ford’s RS500 was revealed last month dealers were immediately inundated with orders. In fact, the entire 500 unit production run was sold out in half a day.
Obviously this state of affairs left many European true blue hot hatch fans rather unhappy. Fortunately, for them, Ford’s European performance division really like their customers.
Subsequently, they’ve have optioned to allow a slightly broader market to benefit from the RS500’s substantial performance.
Ford has announced it will confer full factory backing and warrantee support to Focus RS cars running a Mountune Performance MP350 kit – the selfsame one boosting power in the RS500.
Street sleeper RS
Sporting a recalibrated ECU, larger intercooler, air box and downpipe the Mountune MP350 kit turns the very quick Focus RS into a viciously overpowered front-wheel drive hyperhatch.
What you end up with is a 258kW/468Nm Focus RS without the crazy rear wing, Darth Vader colour scheme and other styling embellishments of the RS500.
It might not carry quite the same cachet (or exclusivity) as the RS500, yet a 258kW Focus RS is still a fine thing.
Unfortunately, this MP350 deal only extents to Ford Focus RS customers in the Eurozone.
Although other right-hand drive markets (like South Africa, with a few ‘grey’ Focus RS cars tooling about) will be disappointed by the continuing absence of an official Focus RS presence, the MP350 package indicates Ford's performance division has its heart in the right place.
It also shows an appreciable depth of foresight from Ford’s product managers in Europe, where the rampant demand for RS500 has now been satisfactorily countered with a fair offering for those who could not make the initial waiting list for Ford’s manic hyperhatch…
Obviously this state of affairs left many European true blue hot hatch fans rather unhappy. Fortunately, for them, Ford’s European performance division really like their customers.
Subsequently, they’ve have optioned to allow a slightly broader market to benefit from the RS500’s substantial performance.
Ford has announced it will confer full factory backing and warrantee support to Focus RS cars running a Mountune Performance MP350 kit – the selfsame one boosting power in the RS500.
Street sleeper RS
Sporting a recalibrated ECU, larger intercooler, air box and downpipe the Mountune MP350 kit turns the very quick Focus RS into a viciously overpowered front-wheel drive hyperhatch.
What you end up with is a 258kW/468Nm Focus RS without the crazy rear wing, Darth Vader colour scheme and other styling embellishments of the RS500.
It might not carry quite the same cachet (or exclusivity) as the RS500, yet a 258kW Focus RS is still a fine thing.
Unfortunately, this MP350 deal only extents to Ford Focus RS customers in the Eurozone.
Although other right-hand drive markets (like South Africa, with a few ‘grey’ Focus RS cars tooling about) will be disappointed by the continuing absence of an official Focus RS presence, the MP350 package indicates Ford's performance division has its heart in the right place.
It also shows an appreciable depth of foresight from Ford’s product managers in Europe, where the rampant demand for RS500 has now been satisfactorily countered with a fair offering for those who could not make the initial waiting list for Ford’s manic hyperhatch…
