Where in the United States can you see an actual European Ford Focus RS?
Answer: Texas, but only when driven here by their owners from Mexico. We’ve seen several in person over the past two years including this latest one in white, driven by an obviously well-off Mexican citizen who came here to shop. And we later had a chance to talk to him at the local Cars and Coffee event (gallery of images below).
In our opinion, this is the reason for Ford’s “One Ford” policy. In the old Ford Motor Company, until this last year, we didn’t get the Ford Focus from Europe… we got a watered down poor second cousin that can trace its roots back to Europe, but only after 2 generations back. And even then we didn’t get specialty Fords such as the RS or the earlier Cosworths. Of which a few actually made it into the country via ultra-expensive federalization of via the back-door gray market. We passed up buying a AWD turbocharged Ford Escort RS Cosworth several years ago because the Evo 9 just started selling in North America. And we’ve been teased before: we once got an in-person look at an Escort RS1600i being driven around Dearborn and Ohio.
Under the new policy, Ford shares chassis worldwide. The new 2012 Focus is being built worldwide and that has provided the means to bring Europe’s fabulous and enthusiast-beloved Focus ST to North America in the summer of 2012. The ST will arrive fully intact: same tuning, same tires, everything. No differences in the worldwide market.
The next task will be to get the Focus RS into North America. Rumors in the internet this past week peg it for late 2014, using a newly developed 2.3 liter 4 cylinder EcoBoost with as much as 350 HP. A new RS hasn’t been announced yet for any market in the world… but thanks to One Ford the probability that we’ll have it here is very high.
2010 Ford Focus RS
The new policy covers at a minimum Ford’s built in Europe and North America. As our readers know, there is also the Ford Falcon from Australia: a fairly modern, although aging, rear wheel drive 4-door sedan. Ford has received tremendous press by standardizing their cars worldwide… the Fiesta, Focus, and the new Fusion (branded Mondeo in other markets) are all built and sold worldwide. As will be the upcoming Fiesta ST (currently delayed 1 year in order to benefit from the next round of updates to the base Fiesta) and the rumored Fusion/Mondeo ST (where the Focus 2 liter EcoBoost and the option of AWD is already offered).
Even more good news in the web rumors: a stretched Fusion will provide the basis for the next Taurus, replacing the morbidly obese current car and hopefully providing the basis for an SHO truly worthy of the name.
The new 2015 Mustang will be exported to Europe as well, with an (about bloody time!) independent rear suspension replacing ye olde ox-cart solid axle of the current car.
Wouldn’t it be great news to see the next Australian Ford Falcon, due around 2016, also built in the United States and on the same chassis as the 2015 Mustang (perhaps also underpinning a new Lincoln Continental)? Imagine the enormous publicity that would be generated if Ford made this happen… that would truly be ONE FORD.
