2011 Ford Focus: Bummer, We Won't Get Focus RS!

2010 Ford Focus RS (European edition)

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Ford Motor Company is punching its way through these tough current times. Good things are on the horizon, which is important as the company cannot rely solely on the 2010 Mustang, 2009 F-150, and the all-new 2010 Taurus for its survival.

Ford's smaller cars are getting the boost they need from the 2011 Ford Fiesta and 2011 Ford Focus, both all new cars for our market. We'll continue to bring you news about these new cars as it becomes available, but in the meantime, Britain's AUTOCAR interviewed Jost Capito. Capito told the publication that the fabulous high-performance Focus RS won't be offered in the U.S. market in its current form.

Bummer.

2010 Ford Focus RS (European Edition)

Enlarge Photo

The current Focus RS is a ferocious hot hatch with a turbocharged  305-horsepower 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine. It is just the kind of performance car the U.S. need to convince this country's enthusiasts that there is performance even with strict carbon emission regulations the likes we're now living under.  Capito, responsible for the development of the current generation Focus RS said, "We'd like to, but the base car isn't homologated for North America and that's too costly a job to carry out just for a niche vehicle like the RS."

Thankfully, Capito didn't say that a next-generation-based Focus RS is out of the cards. Hope springs eternal.

We've requested an interview with Capito to get the whole story on the new Focus, and on other products that may come out of Capito's group - one that manages the development of high-performance vehicles for Ford on a global scale.

[AUTOCAR]