Originally Posted by tonyk
The reason is purely financial, how many of Fords target audience have £26-30000 to spend on a new 4x4 Focus Cosworth. Not enough to justify the production costs. I also think that all this true performance car is a load of bollocks. The Focus RS & ST(turbo) get ridiculed by a lot on here, when in reality comparing Std FRS & FST against any standard cosworth and they will murder the Cosworth. round a track.
got to disagree with you there Tony on both counts, the amount of subarus and Evo's sold at that sort of money proves theres an audience for a fast Ford, how many scooby/evo owners were potential 4x4 turbo focus owners forced down that road due to Ford not offering anything in that sector?
The FRS and ST might well be quicker than a standard cosworth, but they werent built with motorsport in mind, a lot of RS owners are in it for the heritage as well, what has the FRS or ST done? the cosworth was a race engine detuned for the road, and in RS500 form was soley designed and built to wipe the floor in touring cars, thats the sort of thing that entice's customers in, fuck, its worked for subaru over the past decade, loads of bell ends run out and buy them thinking they are getting a detuned rally car
IMO if Ford went for it they could clean up in that sector, but it would have to be a balls out attempt, not some limp wristed simmered down road version, they had the right idea with the FRS, some of the bits on that (quaife, brembo etc) were spot on, just the final package didnt deliver like it could of done.