Ford is to market a limited number of its world rally car-based performance Focus RS in South Africa later this year, Ford SA marketing, Ben Pillay announced in Pretoria. The emotionally-styled three-door Focus RS is powered by a turbo-charged 2.5-litre Duratec five-cylinder engine, and is one of the fastest hot hatches ever with a sub-six second 0-100km/h sprint time. This exceptional engine delivers 224kW at 6,000rpm and a mighty 440Nm of torque from 2,250rpm to 4,500rpm and is mated to a six-speed, close ratio manual transmission. In design as in concept, the Ford Focus RS is inspired by Ford’s World Rally Championship success and this is most obvious in its large, gloss-black front trapezoidal air intake, creating an immediate visual link to the Focus World Rally Car – design for the road, true to motor sport principles. “There has been a great deal of demand for the Ford Focus RS,” said Pillay. “It’s an iconic model and we are very excited that South African customers, who are so passionate about performance, will now have the opportunity to own one.”

In keeping with its heritage, RS is an even more performance-oriented vehicle than the Focus ST, developed in every detail with on-track performance of equal importance to on-road behaviour. An exhaustive set of individual criteria was created for every aspect of the car’s performance, dynamics and durability, a process similar in scope to that required for a whole new carline. “The 224kW Focus RS offers performance to rival many sports cars and has a bold, aggressive design, inspired by Ford’s rally heritage. It’s a Ford like no other and we are eager to introduce it to the local fans,” said Pillay. Ford has a steeped history of marketing reasonably-priced performance versions of their production cars which not only look good but offer exceptional value. Meanwhile Ecurie Ford France, one of the partners of the popular Le Mans Classic event which took place this month, has prepared a collection of just five Focus RS cars in unique colour schemes, each paying tribute to the Ford cars which made 'blue oval' history at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Each of the five Focus RS Le Mans Classic vehicles will be finished in the colours of one of the Ford cars which made 24 Hours history for Ford.

During the event itself, they will even carry the race number of the cars to which they’re paying tribute: Black with silver stripes: a reference to the Ford Mk II, which was victorious in 1966. Red with white stripes: recalling the Mk IV which won in 1967. White with a thin blue centre stripe surrounded by a red border: echoing the decoration of the beautiful Ford Mk IIB, entered by Ford France in the 1967 Le Mans 24-hours. Two-tone sky blue and orange: A modern take on the GT40s which dominated Le Mans in 1968 and 1969. Two-tone white and blue: representing the livery of the Capri RS 2600 which took the Touring category in 1972. All five exclusive Focus RS vehicles also have customised interiors. The Recaro seats are upholstered in leather and diamond-quilted alcantara, front and back, with stitching that matches the bodywork. The gearshift gaiter, hand brake handle and central arm-rest are upholstered in real leather, and a leather safety belt guide has been added to the front seats.

Each of the five cars will carry a personalised numbered plaque on the dashboard confirming its exclusivity as part of the collection. The five cars will be seen in action at the 2010 Le Mans Classic in July, and will be driven on a number of laps of the full track at the start of a number of the different 'grid' races reserved for cars of a particular era, with Ford-invited special guests and VIPs at the wheel. The Focus RS Le Mans Classic units will be joined on the track by the limited edition Ford Focus RS500, whose futuristic matt black livery will be an equally eye-catching addition to the palette of colours which have fired the imaginations of countless fans of Ford and the greatest endurance race in the world.