The 2016 Ford Focus RS slides into U.S. dealerships this spring, and when it does, it will undoubtedly be a huge hit. Why? Well, it has 350 horsepower, all-wheel drive, it looks great, and it has a “Drift Mode” button. Need we say more?
In anticipation of the car’s arrival, Ford Europe has released a new video explaining the vehicle’s different drive modes — Normal, Sport, Track, and Drift. To give the breakdown a little more flair, though, the brand hired pro racing and stunt driver Ben Collins. Some say he never drives in a straight line, and that he even blinks sideways. All we know is, he’s called the Stig … or at least he used to be.
The ex-Stig himself puts the car through its paces in the short film, describing that despite it’s massive performance potential, the vehicle acts like a “normal everyday car” in its standard setting. The exhaust is tuned down, the suspension feels gentle, and the steering remains light and free. Scroll to “Sport” and “Track Modes,” however, and the hot hatch flexes its muscles, tightening up the ride, increasing the weight of the steering, and dialing back the traction control to allow the driver to maximize all 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.
In “Drift Mode,” the fun really begins. Collins takes the Nitrous Blue hatchback to a closed track, where he finally gets to drive like a “hooligan” by throwing the car around corners at all sorts of extreme angles.
The setting lightens up the steering so the driver can work with the wheel more quickly, while also softening the dampers so it’s easier to catch slides when they happen. The AWD system is also recalibrated to ensure smokey sideways fun, resulting in drifts that Collins describes as “effortless.”
For more info on the Focus RS, check out the Rebirth of an Icon playlist on the Ford Performance YouTube channel.