Ford Focus RS news - Focus RS: by the numbers - 2008

Last week, we brought you the world’s first pictures of the Focus RS, Ford’s double-hot hatch that’s got us all nostalgic about Sierra Cosworths and RS2000s and Escort Turbos and…

Anyhow. Now we’ve got a whole bunch of numbers on the new Focus RS, and here’s the first one you need to know: £24,995.

Yes, that’s how much the RS will cost when it goes on sale in the UK in March. That lines it right up against the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, but the RS has the edge in the power stakes: the output from the 2.5-litre five cylinder turbo engine has been confirmed at 301bhp and 324lb ft.

Because it’s front-wheel drive and not four-wheel drive, the RS won’t be quite as quick off the line as the Scooby, but it’s still not slow: 0-60mph will take ‘under six seconds’, while the top speed will be in excess of 160mph.

A Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip diff (breathe) and that clever RevoKnuckle suspension should sort out any potential torque steer, while big brakes – 336mm at the front and 300mm at the rear – will deal with the stopping. Nineteen-inch wheels are standard, as is that very serious looking twin-blade spoiler.

And that’s enough numbers for now. Oh, apart from one more: zero. That’s the number of reasons we can think of why you wouldn’t auction off any non-vital body parts in order to afford an RS.

Can you tell we’re keen?