Ford's legendary Cosworth is back! And the big news for blue oval fans is that the name will be used on flagship versions of hot Fiestas and Focuses all developed by the company's new performance division - Team RS.
Jost Capito, the German boss of the newly formed Team RS division, has exclusively revealed the first details of the new Focus Cosworth, allowing us to bring you these exclusive pictures and giving us an exciting taster of the supercar-chasing hatch, which is due for launch next year.
Capito revealed that the RS and ST brands will also be expanded to cover other Ford products. And although these will be the top-sellers, it's the Cosworth models which will be the true 'hero' cars. He told us that some within Ford thought that Cosworth should become a luxury sporting brand. "This was wrong," he said. "The Cosworth should be even more ex-treme than the RS Focus. It should be lightweight, stripped out, have more performance and be more extreme. Maybe it wouldn't even have air-conditioning."
Capito - whose past experience includes working on BMW's M3 and Porsche's 911 - also told Auto Express that a future Focus Cosworth is unlikely to be front-wheel drive. "Would a Cos-worth ever be front-drive? A Cosworth would have to deliver 225bhp-plus. When you see what we had to do with the front differential on the RS Focus to make it work properly, that power would be too much for the front wheels.
"There's a limit on front-wheel drive. But it depends on how the power is deployed. You can take it off with the traction control system - so in theory you could have a 300bhp front-drive car. But what's the point? The driver would not feel the power. For real performance we need 220-240bhp - that's hard in a front-drive car like the RS."
According to insiders, the new Focus Cosworth would see it based on the next Focus (due to be unveiled in May) and powered by either a turbo-charged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine or a new version of the Volvo V50's 225bhp turbocharged five-cylinder unit. But Capito hinted that the new powerplant would have to be able to rev freely to 7,000rpm and beyond.
This car would also use the same basic 4x4 chassis as the new V50 T5 AWD. But the Cossie - which won't appear until late next year at the earliest - would be much lighter and more raw than the baby Volvo. Expect minimal noise insulation, lightweight race-style seats, a quick-shifting six-speed manual transmission and suspension and braking components directly inspired by Ford's WRC Focus cars. On the outside, it will take its cue from today's RS, although stylists want the Cosworth's trademark wing to return. And the chassis will also be honed for driving pleasure by Team RS engineers on UK roads - unlike the RS Focus.
Said Capito: "Not enough of the chassis work on the Focus RS was done in the UK on B-roads. It was set up for German roads and the Nürburg-ring race circuit - it is fantastic there. Yet some drivers really wanted a beast of a car - and why not? But we rec-ognise that the majority of Ford's performance car customers are in the UK.
"If the new car can be made to handle well on UK B-roads and motorways, it should work on any roads. Every change we make to the chassis during development will be tested on B-roads and motorways."
By establishing the Cosworth brand, Capito says that the next-generation Focus RS can be less extreme. His team has already sat down to define Ford's three performance brands - ST, RS and Cosworth. "We had to agree what an ST is, what an RS is and what a potential Cosworth is. We thought of analogies with animals - an ST is a dolphin, an RS is a shark and a Cosworth would be a white shark." He describes how this will translate: "An RS will be for driving fun and track day use. And it should be a surprising car that might only be on sale for 18 months or so." Capito hinted the next RS wouldn't have a turbo engine and would be able to rev up to 8,500rpm - like key rival, the Honda Civic Type R.
But Capito pretty much ruled out an RS Mondeo, which would be too big for B-road driving. However, the next-generation Mondeo (due in late 2005) will have the option of four-wheel drive, so a stripped-out Mondeo Cosworth, inspired by touring cars, is possible.
Capito's team will also be developing ST versions of the Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo. "I want the ST brand to be better known," he said. "I want the ST experience to be consistent, like VW's GTI brand. It should be a great compromise between sporting handling and everyday use."
Capito wouldn't say, but it's thought the next Focus ST will have a light-pressure turbo engine delivering around 180bhp - enabling it to challenge the MkV Golf GTI. At last, it seems that Ford is finally back in the fast car game and fighting for supremacy. Hilton Holloway
The Focus RS isnt' really anything new at last recollection. I can only shake my head in wonderment that it never made it over here. This country is hungry for turbocharged sport compacts.
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White 1990 Mustang LX 5.0 Silverstone 2003 S2000
No replacement for displacement...because I've got boost and displacement
Originally posted by Omegalock Waste of money IMO but then again I don't see too much point in rally racing etc...to each his own.
More than likely if the RS came here it would be FWD so what would be the difference than that and a SRT-4? I would take a RS or cosworth Focus (if it was AWD) over my EVO, SRT, STI, and whatever car that is in it's price range.
Some of you guys just need to give up on the whole "rally car" thing. There are plenty of AWD cars now and in the past. I don't see you knocking them. I've owned a fwd ITR, rwd 03' Cobra, and now a AWD EVO and the EVO is by far the most fun car I've ever owned. No one buys STI's and EVO's to rally in. They are a AWD street driven car just like a AWD Eclipse, Talon, Porshe, and Audi's. Don't hate because it's based on a rally car.
Originally posted by Corey
[b]More than likely if the RS came here it would be FWD so what would be the difference than that and a SRT-4?
Probably about 3k bucks and .4 seconds in the quarter.
I hope Ford isn't trying to make that an SRT-4 fighter it won't be good for them.
Quote:
I would take a RS or cosworth Focus (if it was AWD) over my EVO, SRT, STI, and whatever car that is in it's price range.
Some of you guys just need to give up on the whole "rally car" thing. There are plenty of AWD cars now and in the past. I don't see you knocking them. I've owned a fwd ITR, rwd 03' Cobra, and now a AWD EVO and the EVO is by far the most fun car I've ever owned. No one buys STI's and EVO's to rally in. They are a AWD street driven car just like a AWD Eclipse, Talon, Porshe, and Audi's. Don't hate because it's based on a rally car.
1) I don't think it would sell well.
2) It sounds like it would be a stripped down niche car not very appealing.
3) I think Ford would be better suited in bringing over something more tailored to the US market and the Falcon fits that bill.
The RS handles like an Evo guys, if not better. It's an awesome car and I'm really suprised by the lack of excitement by everyone here..
Americans...
Haaa! Come on not ALL Americans think like that. Just takes time for news to get around. I could only wish that a true Cosworth powered car would come here in a turbo AWD. I loved the older Ford Escorts UK versions with the Cosworths.
As far as the RS handling like the Evo...well that's to be seen.
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Anthony SRToc #307
I think the tire smoke coming from the wrong end! 13.75@102
Originally posted by Omegalock Probably about 3k bucks and .4 seconds in the quarter.
I hope Ford isn't trying to make that an SRT-4 fighter it won't be good for them.
1) I don't think it would sell well.
2) It sounds like it would be a stripped down niche car not very appealing.
3) I think Ford would be better suited in bringing over something more tailored to the US market and the Falcon fits that bill.
Man....some of you guys are just so blind about this whole sRT-4 thing. If Ford brought the Cosworth over here it would be compared to the EVO and STI. Now if they brought the FWD RS over here, it could very well be a SRT fighter. Just because it has a certain HP rating in one country doesn't mean it'll be that in another. Example....STI.
Your out of you mind if you don't think the RS or Cosworth wouldn't sell here. If a turbocharged Neon would sell, why wouldn't a turbo Focus? An AWD 300 hp Focus at that.
The SVT Focus sold pretty good, but with the higher HP contenders like the SRT is gonna take the sales away from it. Out of every comparison I've seen the SVT Focus has had the better chassis.
I'm a ford employee and I'm 100% sure that they will sell.
Originally posted by Corey Man....some of you guys are just so blind about this whole sRT-4 thing. If Ford brought the Cosworth over here it would be compared to the EVO and STI. Now if they brought the FWD RS over here, it could very well be a SRT fighter. Just because it has a certain HP rating in one country doesn't mean it'll be that in another. Example....STI.
Your out of you mind if you don't think the RS or Cosworth wouldn't sell here. If a turbocharged Neon would sell, why wouldn't a turbo Focus? An AWD 300 hp Focus at that.
The SVT Focus sold pretty good, but with the higher HP contenders like the SRT is gonna take the sales away from it. Out of every comparison I've seen the SVT Focus has had the better chassis.
I'm a ford employee and I'm 100% sure that they will sell.
it's about damn time they decided to bring it with cosworth...and a luxury sports car? *rolls eyes* who the hell thought that? john coletti? lafraid SVT is finally going to be dropped? lol
ever since the ford capri 2.6RS i've dreamt of owning a cosworth product it's about damn time they bring cosworth over here...and if it's stripped expect it to compete with the SRT-4 extremely well...(for more money though)
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UK: New Focus Cosworth is coming
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