Bred on the special stages of the WRC scene, the first RSbranded Focus lived up to all expectations. A respectable 212bhp was on tap thanks to a turbocharged 2.0-litre Zetec (badged as Duratec RS), the suspension borrowed know-how from the WRC car’s tarmac settings, and the brakes were capable of pulling your face off if you stood on the middle medal pedal too hard.
It was a good looker too, with flared arches, big alloys, and strategically placed air vents. The Focus RS looked like a modifier’s dream motor as standard, peppered with kit from the WRC team’s partners like Sparco, Brembo, OZ Racing, AP Racing and Sachs.
The only aspect of the RS that caused controversy at the time of its launch was the Quaife ATB: the love-it-or-hate-it action separated the men from the boys, and put some people off the RS altogether. But this meant sales for the RS were reserved for hardcore drivers only, and with only 4501 RSs being produced between 2002 and 2003, it makes it a very sought-after motor today.
Despite coming with so many goodies, plenty can still be done to the RS to unleash more power. Tuners have been playing around with
